Brazilian Solar Architecture: An Analysis of Mesp Daylighting System

The Ministerio da Educacao e Saude (MESP) building, located in Rio de Janeiro and designed by Lucio Costa, Affonso Reidy, Carlos Leao, Jorge Moreira, Ernani Vasconcelos and Oscar Niemeyer, is an example of Modern Architecture in tropical climate. This work deals with an evaluation of the solar shading devices. To develop the analysis, winter and summer solstices simulation and the three possible brise-soleil positions (45 °,-45 ° and 90 °) which were made with the ECOTECT software. Solar incidence evaluation in all building is possible from the results of a typical floor. Also daylighting availability evaluation, quantitative simulations were generated. MESP building is still an example of architecture adapted to climate, but simulations show that it would be also necessary solar protection in southeast facade. However, some local measurements would be necessary to confirm simulation results. The absence of shading devices lead to energy consumption for cooling.