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This study reviews available guidelines and assessment methods for daylight performance for office buildings in Egypt to propose a Unified design guideline (UDG). Relevant literature studies are analysed, e.g. the local code for ‘improving energy efficiency for commercial buildings’ as well as a number of green building rating systems such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and The Green Pyramid Rating system. The UDG was tested for two local case studies using building simulation; a non-LEED building complying with a set of limited guiding principles of the local code, and a LEED-certified building with an additional set of guidelines, and compliance path using building simulation. The comparison showed that the integration of both prescriptive and performance-based guidelines and measurement criteria is necessary to develop the UDG tailored to address the particular requirements of office buildings in terms of daylight performance in similar climates.

The pattern and permeability characteristics that compose three-dimensional (3D) textiles are important as a textile shading component to the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Moreover, due to their complex geometry, 3D fabrics require a detailed modeling for correct evaluation of performance. This paper aims to present and investigate the optical properties of six 3D fabrics proposed as an alternative to traditional roller blind shading systems, which could guarantee high daylight availability and visual comfort. The light transmission distribution for the different samples has been characterized by carrying out angular visual transmittance measurements, using integrating sphere optical benches, and virtual modeling using Radiance's genBSDF tool. The Bidirectional Scattering Distribution Function (BSDF) calculated with Radiance shows a good fit with the optical angular measurements, which were used as a benchmark and to calibrate models. The performance of the 3D textiles, in terms of illuminance, daylight availability, and glare, was assessed considering two of the set of 3D textiles as alternative materials for a movable internal roller shade system in an open office. The innovative system was compared with a traditional single layer fabric roller blind under different shading control strategies, 3D fabrics demonstrate the potential of increasing Daylight Autonomy while providing better uniformity and better connection with the outdoors due to a higher openness factor. The shading effect created by the 3D geometry of the textile can increase the openness factor while restricting glare.