Lab_6 1_ES Solar_ Analysis Assisi_Street_Rome Giacomo_Nicolò

The solar analysis involves my apartment located on the 7^th floor of a building in  7, Assisi street, at the corner with Tuscolana street in Appio Latino Area.  The building, composed of 6 faces, is L- shaped and appears isolated since it’s flanked by  low-rise buildings only on the side which faces on Assisi Street. It stands out for its height: 9 floors, each one made up of three apartments; even if the 3 last floors of the north-east side degrades into terraces. The south-west side faces on Tuscolana street, while the south-east one watches on Assisi Street; the Tuscolana train station is opposite the two north-west side façades, although one of these is blind as well as the north-east side of the building. The conditions of sun-lighting depend on the presence of high buildings ( 7-8 floors) right in front of the south-east/west side (between Tuscolana and Assisi street). Instead, the other façades are completely free from obstacles. Vegetation is not so relevant because consisting in just few and small trees in Assisi Street. My flat is made up of a living room, a kitchen and two bedrooms which are all exposed to south-east (Assisi Street), instead of the bathroom , the entry and one more bedroom which look at north-west (Tuscolana train Station). The pictures below were taken on the 15^th of March, 2014 at different times : 10.45 a.m. , 12.00 p.m, 2.00 p.m, 3.00 p.m,  17.30 p.m,  watching the building corner between Assisi and Tuscolana street from the opposite one. (between Veturia and Tuscolana street)

We can see that the south-east and south- west façades are well illuminated in the morning around 10.45 a.m, except for the lower part of the first one which is overshadowed by a tree and  the building standing on the opposite side of the Assisi street. At midday both of them are almost fully lit up since the sun is high in the sky and it reduces the shadows. Then in the early afternoon (2.00-3.00 p.m) the south-east façade is in shadow and the south-west one keeps on being illuminated,  but in the same time it starts being overshadowed by the buildings in front of it in Tuscolana street. At last, at 5.30 p.m,  also the south-west façade is  almost completely overshadowed. The remaining façades are completely in shadow all day long, because of their own exposition.

The shadow study has also been executed in two other days of the year: in the solstice of winter ( on the 21^st of December) and in the solstice of summer (on the 21^st of June). In summer it’s possible to observe that,  the south-east façade is completely illuminated from the very first hours of the morning. On the contrary in winter it is more in shadow because of the lower position of the sun and starts being well lit up from the middle of the morning, except for the apartments of the last floors, as mine, which enjoy more light. The situation of the north-west façades is different since they are always in shadow, as in summer as in winter, due to their own exposition but especially to the L-shape of the building that creates shadows with its blind façade over the one windowed. Nevertheless, a little part of it manages to be lit up in summer for a few hours close to the sunset.

After having studied the sun lighting we can conclude making some  simple considerations about living in the apartment. The exposition to south-east and the position of the flat on the 7th floor make the living room, the kitchen and the two bedrooms very warm and illuminated. This is certainly a positive aspect in winter but it becomes  unpleasent  in summer due to the lack of shading. Instead the opposite side (north-west), being almost always in shadow, is cool in summer but in winter is quite wet and cold.