MBS Waldram Tools

MBS Waldram Tools

Daylight/Sunlight Studies & Rights of Light Assessment Within AutoCAD

MBS Waldram Tools

MBS Waldram Tools, Rights of Light Software is an application which runs within of an AutoCAD environment designed to process calculations which cover two areas; daylight and sunlight analysis and right of light. These two areas cover a niche market provided by planners, architects and developers. However both areas have one thing in common - the 3D CAD Model.

The software allows analysis of the above areas by running calculations from a 3D CAD Model based on scenarios the planner, architect or developer provides e.g. what would the impact be if my building was "X" metres high?

The development of this software element has been fuelled partially by the increasingly strict planning guidelines. Recommendations for light levels in new buildings and surrounding properties are provided by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) within a document called "Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight - A Guide to Good Practice', 2011 by P J Littlefair. As many local authorities have adopted this guide, then these recommendations provide a foundation upon which planning permission is granted, or refused, in the UK.

The definition according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) of a ‘Right to Light’ is: "A right to light may be acquired by 'anyone who has had uninterrupted use of something over someone else's land for 20 years without consent, openly and without threat, and without interruption of more than a year.' If a new development reduces the level of light to a window over 20 years old below a certain minimum, the window's owner is entitled to legal remedy, unless the right has been waived by express agreement. Depending on the extent of the injury, this can range from the award of compensation, through cutting back the development, to court injunction to stop the development altogether."

It should be noted that developments with planning permission can still be opposed on the grounds of rights of light, presenting additional risk for developers, with courts generally upholding the rights of residential owners more than commercial developers. It is therefore imperative that rights to light studies are undertaken on all new builds which could impact significantly enough to cause an infringement on surrounding properties. The crucial question to ask is as a developer would you not want to know if the proposed development caused a problem at design stage as opposed to halfway through the construction process?

Minimum System Requirements:

  • Microsoft® Windows® 7 Enterprise, Ultimate, Professional, or Home Premium (compare Windows 7 versions); Microsoft® Windows Vista® Enterprise, Business, Ultimate, or Home Premium (SP1 or later) (compare Windows Vista versions); or Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional or Home edition (SP2 or later)
  • Windows Vista or Windows 7: Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® dual-core processor, 3.0 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
  • Windows XP: Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 1.6 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 1.8 GB free disk space for installation
  • 1,280 x 1,024 true color video display adapter 128 MB or greater, Microsoft® Direct3D®-capable workstation-class graphics card
  • 1,024 x 768 display resolution with true color
  • Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7.0 or later
  • 32-Bit AutoCAD 2007 or newer
  • Install from download or DVD

Please contact David, Charlie or our Office directly for further details and prices...

The process for both daylight and sunlight analysis and rights of light involves 3 stages:

  • Stage 1: Collecting the required data.  Click to open Stage 1

    This has been traditionally undertaken as a desktop exercise whereby information has been pulled together from various sources such as archive photos, existing plans, Ordnance Survey data etc.

    Advances within the world of data collection have enabled the production of the CAD Model required to be done so in a cost effective way from real site information collected by the Geomatics surveyor.

  • Stage 2: Building the 3D CAD model.  Click to open Stage 2

    The model can then be worked up from real data within an AutoCAD environment. It should be noted that a good knowledge of 3D AutoCAD is essential.

    The level of detail required in the model is actually quite small as the only detail of importance is the mass of all the buildings involved and the structural window openings that need to be included in the calculations. Of equal importance is the true 3D location of all the buildings and openings in relation to themselves and the site.

  • Stage 3: Providing the results.  Click to open Stage 3

    Waldram Tools has been developed to provide the means in which to run calculations on the 3D model and present the results both graphically by way of a Waldram Diagram (in the case of daylight and sunlight analysis) and as a contoured plan for Rights of Light and in a tabular form as Excel spread sheets. The Rights of Light Excel output takes the form of an EFZ (Effective Front Zone) table.

Benefits:

  • Automation of a previously extremely labour intensive manual process.
  • Works within an AutoCAD environment using solids, providing a very flexible way of modelling buildings.
  • Results are produced in both visual and tabular form.
  • Meets the guidelines set out by the BRE in their publication.
  • Produces all the required data needed in assessing Rights to Light.

Our Daylight/Sunlight and Rights of Light software package is used mainly by Architects and Building Designers, Building Surveyors and Rights of Light Specialists.

The programme allows the automation of a previously very labour intensive process.

Who uses our MBS Waldram Tools package?

  • Architects & Building Designers  Click to open Architects & Building Designers

    The requirements to achieve planning consent are more restrictive now than they have ever been. When a building is designed it not only needs to be aesthetically pleasing, but efficient and sustainable too. Requirements within the Code for Sustainable Homes, award points for providing ‘well-lit’ spaces, within the Health and Wellbeing Section.

    Buildings must also be designed so that they fit within the space that they reside in, both in design and from an impact assessment on neighbouring properties. MBS Waldram Tools allows you to design cutbacks allowing effective space optimisation.

    Benefits:

    • Meets the guidelines set out by the BRE in their publication, ’Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight - A Guide to Good Practice', 2011 by P J Littlefair.
    • Before and after scenarios can be easily analysed and re-analysed.
    • Design Envelopes can be easily generated.
    • Average Daylight Factors can be calculated quickly and efficiently.
    • The software also allows analysis of sun paths and shadows.
    • Graphical Waldram diagrams and tabular Excel outputs aid visual understanding.

  • Building Surveyors & Rights of Light Specialists  Click to open Building Surveyors & Rights of Light Specialists

    Even if a development has been granted planning permission, the building process can still be halted if it is deemed that the new development is having an impact on neighbouring properties ‘right to light’.

    MBS Waldram Tools provides you with a full suite of tools that can be used to assess the before and after scenario easily and efficiently.

    Benefits:

    • Automation of a previously time and labour intensive process.
    • Before and after scenarios can be easily analysed and re-analysed.
    • Cut Backs can easily be generated.
    • The software calculates and produces the 0.2 Contour.
    • EFZ Tables are produced showing areas of loss.
    • Graphical Waldram diagrams and tabular Excel outputs aid visual understanding.

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