Visual and acoustic performance of shading devices – real scale laboratory measurements

There are several physical parameters that are taken into consideration when determining the level of agreeability of an enclosed space. For instance, when choosing the louvers for a room there are a multitude of criteria that might be considered such as colour, material or the degree of opacity. However, these apparently small fixtures may have a significant impact also on other apparently unimportant factors like the sound pressure level and the reverberation time. This paper aims to present different types of devices used to control the way daylight enters a room, from both the illuminance level and the acoustical point of view. During the experimental campaign, five of the most common types of louvers were examined regarding their main role of blocking the light and moreover their influence on the reverberation time and sound pressure level in the analysed chamber.