Development and Use of a Hemispherical Sky Simulator

The following thesis, submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of master of architecture, describes the design and construction of a sky simulator at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Architecture. In 1979 a decision was made to explore the possibility of building a sky simulator as part of a DOE-supported program to advance the use of daylighting techniques in energy conserving buildings. Although sky simulators were used extensively for important studies in the 1940s and 50s, by the mid-1970s no facilities appeared to be in routine use in the United States. Given the value of these facilities for design studies, computer model validation, and lighting quality studies, the University and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory decided to build a sky simulator that could serve the functions of research, architectural design, and teaching. This thesis reports the design, construction, and calibration of the sky simulator. The study involved reviewing the modeling capabilities of sky simulators that have been built and used in North America and overseas.