Glare assessment in a daylit workplace from a physiological perspective

Designing the buildings that facilitate optimum utilization of daylight is desirable for its many benefits [1], [2] yet challenging due to other intrinsic properties of daylight responsible for over-heating and discomfort glare [3]. Discomfort glare has been studied for several decades, although current empirical glare models are unable to account for the inter-individual differences in glare perception[4]. The complex and multidisciplinary nature of the phenomenon involves the fields of ophthalmology, lighting engineering, neuroscience but these fields remain quite disconnected from one another, which further adds to the slow progress in understanding this phenomenon [5], [6]. It is, therefore, necessary to incorporate interdisciplinary approach to anticipate what creates or influences the perception of discomfort glare from daylight. We aim to contribute to furthering this understanding by evaluating the discomfort glare perceived by the users in relation to eye morphology, with a dedicated focus on the macular pigment (MP) in the retina (Figure 1), an ocular characteristics shown to influence visual performance [4]. Figure