An Evaluation Study of Shading Devices and Their Impact on the Aesthetic Perception vs. Their Energy Efficiency

Sunlight control tools, such as shading devices, are used to improve buildings' thermal and visual conditions. One of the concerns about using shading devices is their potential to harm the visual appearance of buildings. This study aims to study the aesthetic perception of different shading devices while concurrently evaluating their energy performance. Augmented reality was used to place virtual shading devices onto a building's façade at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). One hundred two students from JUST evaluated eight shading devices on a seven-step semantic differential scale. Participants comprised 49 students from Architecture and Design College and 53 students from other colleges. The energy efficiency of shading devices was tested using DesignBuilder. The results revealed that certain types of shading devices were perceived as more aesthetically pleasing than others. Architecture students and non-architecture students showed significant differences in their affective responses. Regarding shading devices, shape-morphing and horizontal-louvres devices are the most preferred by participants, while egg-crate devices are the least recommended. Regarding energy efficiency, results showed that the tested shading devices improved buildings' energy efficiency by 7% (vertical fins) to 17% (egg crate) compared to the base case and did not negatively impact their visual appearance.