Taxonomy of Sustainable, Responsive and Adaptive Façades

“Shading devices

Various solar shading devices with different materials, shapes, sizes and orientations were identified in the case study buildings; some were stationary and others dynamic; some were parallel to the large glass windows to block out the sun while others were perpendicular to provide shading. Shading was generally achieved with a second layer made of translucent materials, or perforated or punched metals. Movable panels tracked the sun’s position not only for shading but also for views and natural light. Some buildings {1, 2, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35, 36} had movable panels or horizontal louvers that rotated around their axes automatically, according to the sun’s position; this is called axial movement {27}.

In one building {31} the facade elements close and open with sliding and retracting movements and could maintain several positions between fully open or fully closed. In one case {32} the elements were made of flexible strips and their sliding and retracting movement helped to achieve a metamorphic facade. The sliding motion has also been used for moving the entire shell (walls and roofs) in order to have closed or open spaces {33}. Folding technique is also used in the kinetic facades where perforated panels as the second layers fold up mechanically according the solar position {28, 29}. In two buildings {40, 41} shading devices in the form of panels unfolded automatically or manually to block intense sunlight or strong winds; another {30} had roller blinds to do the job.

Sun screens are designed as a second layer for shielding facades, in the form of translucent, perforated, or punched panels; or as enclosing metal mesh screen with various densities in different directions. Some screens were made of glass {3, 5, 17} while one {7} was made of textile stretched on three-dimensional support system around the building.

The new self-shading facades are composed of 3D elements which are designed according to the sun’s angles and movement to shade the building facade at all times. These facade elements have many different forms with inclined surfaces or curved geometries and different depths; and are designed by using parametric design software which can model optimized elements to block out direct solar radiations. {6, 8, 9, 10, 14}

Horizontal and vertical panels or louvers as fixed or dynamic elements are designed in the cavity of DSFs as shading devices, with axial, folding or sliding movement. The materials which are used as panels in the cavity are translucent, or opaque with rectangular or curved shapes. The panels track the sun’s movement automatically and computerized Building Management systems control the movement of the kinetic facade elements to provide environmental comfort. {34, 35, 36} Balconies and terraces act as an environmental buffer that protects the building from climate extremes in both summer and winter. {4, 23, 19, 16}”