Brown, G. Z.Wood, D. J.Brown, A. G. P.2011-01-212011-01-211989https://hdl.handle.net/1794/109417 p.Computer-based techniques for Environmental design tend to be analytical. They are aimed at the Engineer who takes a previously designed building and then analyses the environmental performance of the building so as to be able to give performance requirements for servicing plant. Thus the building has been designed by an architect using experience and some broad background knowledge of environmental performance, but it is usually not until the analysis stage is reached that the building's environmental performance is accurately assessed. A sunlight design program (application) has been written to address this problem. This program is aimed at the designer and should allow them to assess quickly the sunlight characteristics of their building. The intention has been to produce a tool which is easy to understand and use: a tool which is interactive and in which data can be changed easily. Thus the tool can be used to check the effect ofdesign changes on sunlight performance. The tool is meant to be both an aid to design itselfand to the understanding of the environmental performance ofbuildings. This paper describes the application and the use of it by architectural students. lVe describe the application, assess it and evaluate its educational value by comparing students' estimations ofsunlight perfonnance in their own buildings with performance predicted by it. We look at how students interact with the program to modify their design in response to this interaction and report on their evaluation of the application during a controlled exercise.Articleen-USDesign toolsSunlightDesign educationArchitecture -- Environmental aspectsPresentation