using mirrors to introduce light within the building

[telracs23]

Hi Guys,

i was jus thinking that if growing plants on highrise within the house is possible by introducing sunlight in using mirrors. Like having a curved mirror at the front of the house and it starts to reflect the light in throught another mirror on the ceiling and thought allowing plants to grow indoors. What are the problems of this idea and if its feasible? Because growing of plants in highrise has always been done only at the balcony, thinking of growing plants even within the house itself. I know there are artificial lighting available for plants to grow indoors, but i am hoping to get a mechnical solution for this and therefore i thought of mirros.

Pls help!

[lekizz]

Mirrored devices have been used in large buildings to get light deep inside - for example the Reichstag in Berlin or the Senedd in Cardiff. However, most domestic spaces (houses, apartments) are designed to use natural light from windows to illuminate the interior. Doesn't your highrise have any windows?!

[telracs23]

well i am proposing to grow crops even within the building besides having it to be only on the exterior areas. The floor ht is low...so if the depth of the building is abt 10-12m, not much light can get in...and i do not want to use artificial light. Therefore i am proposing mirrors...

is it feasible? will it make the space uncomfortable?

[lekizz]

Call me negative if you want, but it sounds completely unworkable. Crops (well all of them I know about) require good daylight, generally good sunlight to flourish. That is why people who grow cannabis in their attics have those power-hungry lamps (which the police pick up using infra red cameras!).

I have been working on a project recently which uses solar light tubes, basically ...erm ...tubes with a highly reflective interior surface. But believe me the light degrades significantly as the length of the tube increases. Over a distance of a couple of metres they work quite effectively, but 12 metres would not be practical!

Though plants are unlikely to be embarrassed by their own reflection, I suggest you increase the floor-ceiling height or move the little green critters closer to the edge of your building.

[Kevin]

Mirrors can certainly help light the interior of a tall building with daylight.

Plants can certainly be grown in that interior light.

But growing crops inside? You can calculate the insolation required by the crops for productive growth, and consider the potential collecting area of the mirrors. You're probably not going to want to spread that sunlight from the top or edges of the building out over a much larger interior area - because of the light level needed by the plants.

The full sunlight on the mirrors represents the maximum energy you can collect. Mirrors can move sunlight around, but they can't increase the total energy beyond their own collecting area.

[Madimel]

most people who tries to grow "crops" indoors are referring to "wacky tobaccy"

[nanrehvasconez]

The March 17th, 08 issue of Newsweek magazine, under PROJECT GREEN has a reference to heliostatic devises used to provide sunlight to a park. Heliostats are used in Europe.

[JonBailey]

they already make lights, where the ducts are highly reflective or mirrored surfaces which bring light from the outside of the building in to where you would normally have a bulb. these come in many varieties. to my knowledge, heliostats are usually used as exterior applications to redirect sunlight where tall buildings block the light. this could also be used in other obvious cases such as deep courtyard/atrium areas in high rise buildings, where little to no [direct] light sometimes goes.

there are also other techniques which help, by moving mechanical systems to the floor and using vaulted ceiling, which help to bring the light further back into the building.

this is response to the picture above:
a square might not be the best shape for this structure -- you are trying to capture maximum sunlight, yet you are using a form which allows little to no daylighting in the interior or northern side of the building. light tubes can help you, but perhaps trying to design a form which maximums solar efficiency. i agree that the floor to ceiling heights needs to increase slightly.

i think that the future is our crops growing on skyscrapers. we are running out of land and there will eventually be a larger population than we have room to grow crops. we already know that vertical density is something we are going to have the solve for residential matters, but we also need to be thinking on this level as well.

[futuristarchitect]

In this project, the possibility of green farms and vertical agriculture is explored.

The possibility of sunlight within the structure is made possible by multiple systems of diagonal light wells, possible also by the geometric arrangement and the advantage of the pyramid structure. Mirrors are thus not needed. Light is introduced into the multi-leveled, multi-layered ares of interior cities, and the space at different levels becomes not only habitable, but also will house multiple levels of interior gardens, parks and agricultural areas as well. (See attached image).

Hydronics is considered for the exterior skin, where water itself can serve as a damper layer and also distribute the water throughout the structure and use the temperature differentials and exterior exposure to heat this water and distribute the same throughout the building. It serves thus in a multiple of functions, both as an exterior damper of ultra-violet rays, solar absorption, insulation from exterior temperature zones and also to be multi-colored water and inserted into different layers, to allow different spectrums to be absorbed and reflected.

The interior is thus fully lighted, insulated and the natural mechanical systems thus incorporate both hydronic heating, cooling and distribution of water, heat and energy, with the stone and water walls serving as a heat sink and bed for solar radiation, among other benefits. (Structural integrity and construction optimization kept in mind, as well as overall cost and other factors).

The last 10 KM of the structure's height is a fully open glazed structure with clear open views, sunlight and lighter exterior skin.

The rest of the structure is exterior stone clad, with perimeter areas of glazing that will house exterior offices, apartments, suites - mixed use areas, and will have the best views and sunlight.

More info can be found on these links -->>

http://www.designcommunity.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17960

http://www.designcommunity.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19088