Why is Sunlight Important in Design?
Sunlight:
- Influences thermal comfort and indoor climate
- Supports daylight access and reduces need for artificial lighting
- Affects energy performance (heating vs. cooling demand)
- Impacts outdoor space quality (courtyards, plazas, balconies)
- Often required for regulatory compliance
Key Concepts in Sun Hour Analysis
Sun Hours Analyses in Forma Site Design
Forma Site Design has two main types of direct sun analyses:
- Analysis of sun hours on building facades.
- Analysis of sun hours on the ground.
The analysis takes into account shading caused by buildings and/or terrain surrounding the site to assess the hours of sun a site receives.
Workflow — Running a Sun Hours Analysis
- Open a proposal.
- In the right panel, go to Analyze → Sun hours.
- In the analysis area menu at the top of the right panel, select one or more site limits or zones. (You can choose just your site or a larger zone to see effects on surrounding buildings.)
- Use the date pickers in the right panel to add or edit the dates you want to analyze. Select 21st of March.
- Click Run analysis to start.
- Repeat this process for each proposal you want to compare.
Exploring and Interpreting the Analysis Results
Design Implications — Responding to Sun Hours Analysis
Additional Resources
To learn more about the features of Sun Hours analysis and the feedback available, read these articles:
- Introduction to Sun Hours Analysis
- Comparison of the Forma Sun Hours Analysis to Traditional Methods and Reality
- The Technology Behind the Sun Hours Analysis