ABSTRACT
The perimeter to core depth, aspect ratio, and programmatic organization relative to floor plate geometry all play a critical role in effective daylighting. Floor plate geometry has varied widely over time. Historic buildings generally had relatively thin plans out of necessity. Limitations in lighting and ventilation technology required designers to use daylight and passive ventilation strategies to simply make their buildings habitable. Recent efforts to include daylight and views as part of sustainable design strategies have somewhat reversed this trend. The case studies show common multi-story floor plate configurations for buildings constructed between the late 19th century and the early 21st century. Illuminance plots are provided for September 21 under clear and overcast skies at noon to show the intensity and distribution of horizontal daylight illumination on an average day. The Seagram Building, the quintessential example of the International Style, is intentionally placeless and represents a brand of Modernism that celebrated technological machinery and rejected climate, context, and ultimately daylight.
