Assessment of natural lighting levels in studio classrooms of architectural departments using the dialux EVO12 tool

Natural light plays a crucial role in shaping the ambiance and functionality of interior spaces in all types of buildings. The architectural studio buildings are where students practice their daily architectural design activities. Lighting is more important for work and comfort than in regular educational classrooms because of the time taken and the particular focus this activity requires. This research discusses the effects of natural light on architectural studios in AYBU, Amasya, and Samsun universities. The study examines how natural light achieves users' comfort levels in the three university buildings. The method uses the DIALux tool to model the building in a 3D model and run a simulation on working days during the educational year. This simulation aims to obtain the levels of lighting and illumination and compare them with the design standards between universities. In addition, the research explores the improvements that can reduce the amount of light entering rooms, namely solar refractors. The results showed that natural lighting levels at Amasya University are very high in architectural studios, which causes glare and thus hinders the educational process. This is due to the location of the rooms in the east of the building and the large size of the windows. The AYBU, a laboratory building, has been reused as an educational building for the Department of Architecture. Light levels are higher in the summer and lower in the winter, but can be remedied. Samsun University, a tobacco factory, was converted into an educational building, and part of it was allocated to the Department of Architecture. It was the best among the three universities in terms of lighting. Studios only suffer from the lack of light entering rooms at some times of the year, mainly in the winter. Solar breakers have been proposed as a solution to improve lighting levels. It is because Samsun University used it, but it is fixed, and this causes a lack of lighting in the winter. The test implemented for Amasya University and AYBU has yielded acceptable results. It gives us an indication of the possibility of using it as an architectural solution, but you need to specify the specifications of the solar refractors for each university in terms of shape, size, and manufacturing material, and it is preferable to use them mobile with a solar light sensor.