Fractal Patterns, Veiled Windows, and View Clarity
Shading systems like Jalis reduce overheating, cooling energy demand, and manage solar glare, excessive daylighting. However, their application to building facades compromises the outdoor ‘view quality’. Outdoor ‘view quality’ significantly impacts occupants’ satisfaction and preferences in buildings (L. Heschong, 2021). Three parameters; view content, access, and clarity; affect ‘view quality’. ‘Visual content’ is the sum of visual features seen from a window, ‘visual access’ is the amount of the view an occupant can see from a viewing position, and ‘visual clarity’ is the clearness of the content visible from a window. Pleasant and/or attractive views from workplaces influence occupant psychological and physical well-being and garner job satisfaction (L.Heschong, 2003). Very few studies have investigated ‘view clarity’ through windows shaded by Jalis and similar shading systems.
The research aims to respond to questions like; what is the impact of Jali shaded windows on ‘view clarity’ and what is the importance of ‘view content’ when the element diminishing it is information-rich? The research objectives are to, (i) uncover the fractal dimensions of the Mughal Jalis patterns, and (ii) to investigate the relationship between fractal dimension of a Jali and ‘view clarity’.
