Exploring Gaps and Trends in the Algorithmic Design of Building Facade Shading Systems for Daylight Control: A PRISMA-Based Systematic Review

As socio-economic advancements raise living standards, the demand for comfortable indoor environments has increased, highlighting the important role of daylighting in enhancing thermal and visual comfort. Shadings, as well-known building facade elements, encourage efficient energy usage, can offer multiple health benefits to users and help create more efficient working spaces by solving potential issues of glare and heat through daylight control. To solve multi-objective design challenges of shadings, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) emerges as a contemporary solution. To have a better understanding of GA in shading design, this study developed a systematic review of the literature examining shading design via GA in the Scopus index, based on the systematic review process, PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Once the selection criteria and the performance criteria were established, 23 publications of literature were included in the review. The performance criteria for shading design reviewed in the publications include functional aspects related to visual and thermal comfort, user interaction, aesthetics, energy efficiency and environmental performance. The gaps in research and emerging trends suggested that there was a growing interest in using algorithmic design methods, especially GAs, to meet the multifaceted challenges of shading design. This paper aims to contribute valuable insights into the development of innovative shading solutions that effectively balance user comfort and energy demands, ultimately advancing the field of sustainable architectural design. This study highlights the critical need for further exploration in the algorithmic design of shading systems and offers more effective solutions to contemporary challenges of sustainable space design.