Adaptive Facades

Although their potential for high environmental performance is largely accepted, adaptive façades have not yet become widespread in practice. Most of the current examples are developed by engineer-to-order design processes, as project-oriented, custom, and complex solutions. More simple and reliable solutions are needed to support the reuse of technical solutions between projects and increase the feasibility of adaptive façades. Therefore, this research aims to develop a procedure to design adaptive façades whose parts are based on engineered standard products with the least number of parts and layers. The research is initiated through the generation of concepts for designing adaptive façades to be manufactured using standard products. From several concepts, 'redesigning dynamic adaptive façades' has been selected for further investigation, as it pursues the goals for a solution determined for this research. A preliminary case study is conducted to redesign an adaptive façade to be manufactured with standard products. Its process steps are captured and analysed, and the steps that need improvement are revealed. To systematise and improve the captured redesign process, façade design and product design methodologies are analysed in the context of adaptive façade design. Redesign and reverse engineering processes used in product design are adapted and merged with façade and adaptive façade design processes, and a 5-phase adaptive façade redesign procedure is outlined. Each phase is developed based on mature tools and methods used in product and façade design. An iterative loop of development, application test, and review process is carried out for development of the process steps. Thus, a redesign procedure is generated by the combined application of DFMA and TRIZ in the synthesis of reverse engineering and redesign processes. Consequently, the application of the redesign procedure is demonstrated through a case study. The case study revealed that the procedure has the ability to generate a façade redesign that has a higher constructability index than the reference façade.

Adaptive façades can be described as being able to express changes in form and function, and these changes are associated with desired aspects of building performance. Perhaps the best place to search for innovations in adaptive façades is in nature, where every organism has evolved multiple adaptations to survive in stressful environments. These strategies can be classified as dynamic or static depending on how they are induced by environmental stimuli. Translating strategies that control multiple parameters in biological organisms to the design of multi-functional biomimetic adaptive façades shows great potential. Given this, the research here explores dynamic and static mechanisms in nature to develop the design of a multi-functional biomimetic adaptive facade to improve thermal comfort in naturally ventilated buildings. A specific case study is designed from the principles of the morphological and physiological adaptations found in the barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii). These include: the form of the cortex; the morphology of areoles and spines; and plant responses to stressful conditions through opening and closing stomata. These adaptations are translated into a design of a multi-functional biomimetic adaptive façade. An environmental analysis for the case study is conducted with a defined performance target to improve thermal comfort in naturally ventilated school buildings. Simulations demonstrate there is a 51.5% improvement in 'ASHRAE55-2010 90% Acceptability Limits', and 67.5% in '80% Acceptability Limits' when incorporating the multi-functional biomimetic façade, as compared to traditional construction. The study demonstrates the performance potential of design generation from mechanisms in nature in the development of multi-functional adaptable facades.

The façade is the key element in a building to control energy use and deliver comfort, while acting as a filter between external conditions and internal requirements. A successful façade design should be capable of adapting to changes in the external and internal environments and be multi-functional to regulate multiple variables. However, while many adaptive façades have been developed, most adapt to only a single variable, with few dealing with multi-functionality. Nature offers an array of organisms with adaptations allowing them to survive under multiple environmental stresses. However, the identification and translation of these multi-functional adaptations in nature to an adaptive building façade remain a challenge. This research aims to develop a framework for designing multi-functional biomimetic adaptive façades. The framework comprises of: (1) the identification of boundary conditions for a climate and building typology; (2) selection and mapping of multi-functional dynamic and static processes of organisms; and (3) design generation for multi-functional biomimetic adaptive façades. The mapping of organisms classifies a number of multi-functional adaptations in nature and their adaptive functional features. These include their morphological, physiological and behavioural properties, adaptation levels and dynamic and kinetic processes responding various physical stimuli. This study then provides a framework that others can follow in the creation of multi-functional biomimetic adaptive façade design.

The aim of the research is to examine and evaluate the effect and performance of adaptive and dynamic façades in the context of the indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency. These parameters are achieved by controlling the levels of solar radiation and by calculating shading element sizes for sun control in response to environmental changes. In order to ensure the systems autonomy the semi-transparent PV modules has been used as panel's material. The method is applied to the case study of a reference office building with a fixed glazed façade windows-to-wall ratio in hot arid climate zone of Algeria.

Adaptive building technologies have opened up a growing field of research aimed at ensuring indoor comfort while reducing energy consumption in buildings. By focusing on flexibility over short timeframes, these new technologies are, however, rarely designed for sustainability over their entire lifecycle. This paper aims to address an information gap between the research field of architectural Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the state of the art of adaptive facades, by presenting an analysis of the main aspects in traditional and adaptive facades that are relevant to understanding whether parallels can be drawn between available LCA databases. The literature is reviewed following an inductive method based on a qualitative data collection aimed at answering a list of research questions, and a deductive method starting from the descriptions of adaptive building envelopes. The findings highlight four main points: i) where and how adaptivity is integrated, ii) the design targets that are...

One of the requirements of architectural buildings is to reduce the negative effect it has in the surrounding environment. In designing programs has been successfully applied the concept of biological facades. Interpreting the architectural façade in an analogy with the biological organism 's skins, it has been represented a multiple-choice catalogue with different functions which are half full filled by technological facades in architecture. Such a situation allows and leads to promising and innovative concepts. Biological organisms have different strategies to adapt with internal and external changes. The skin and the outer shell of these organisms plays an important role in disconnection and connection of the structures that are used to protect them, to adapt to temperature, lightning, humidity etc. The focus of this research paper is to make an analogy between intelligent biological skins and technological skins. According to the analysis of different adaptive skins, in this research we have proposed an adaptive façade system in the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism in Tirana that reacts towards climate. This system will provide better condition with optimal comfort parameters for different activities that might take place there using, by reducing the energy consumption.

Adaptive building technologies have opened up a growing field of research aimed at ensuring indoor comfort while reducing energy consumption in buildings. By focusing on flexibility over short timeframes, these new technologies are, however, rarely designed for sustainability over their entire lifecycle. This paper aims to address an information gap between the research field of architectural Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the state of the art of adaptive facades, by presenting an analysis of the main aspects in traditional and adaptive facades that are relevant to understanding whether parallels can be drawn between available LCA databases. The literature is reviewed following an inductive method based on a qualitative data collection aimed at answering a list of research questions, and a deductive method starting from the descriptions of adaptive building envelopes. The findings highlight four main points: i) where and how adaptivity is integrated, ii) the design targets that are...

A Building is affected by many things (weather, function, human needs, etc.), and also it is affected by the static and dynamic forces so that the building can adjust the complex system of the building. A multifunctional façade module system can adapt to various climates and monitor the real-time energy combustion and different kinds of things (weather, function, human needs, etc.) and control it through multiple sensors. The façade components not to save energy consumption but also improve the building façade aesthetics. The system monitors the sunlight orientation and the winds, rain penetration, and photovoltaic units. So the architect can change the techniques of design of building and design multifunctional façade.

This paper exploits the hygroscopic properties of wood and its passive response to fluctuation of relative humidity to develop a framework for programmable actuation in adaptive building façade design. This responsive shape shifting mechanism is specifically employed for the embedded actuation of dynamic shading configurations. Utilizing the hygroscopic properties of wood in adaptive shading devices embraces passive motion with a low-cost and low-tech approach, as a response to rapid climatic changes. Using physical experiments and image analysis, changes in the deflection and angle of curvature of wood samples in response to fluctuation in relative humidity were measured and tracked. A set of controlled hygroscopic parameters affecting the motion response of wood were deduced, including the fixation position, fixation type, and percentage and location of isolated areas of wood samples, thus achieving more control of response behavior and multiple shading percentages. A parametric script was developed using Grasshopper graphical algorithm editor and Ladybug environmental plugin to simulate shading configurations for the identified control parameters in the summer and winter solstices for an adaptive façade prototype.

Adaptive Building Technologies have opened up a growing field of architectural research aimed at improving the overall building performance, ensuring comfort while reducing operational energy consumption. Focusing on flexibility over short timeframes, these new technologies are however rarely designed within the broader frame of sustainability over their entire lifecycle. How sustainable these zero energy technologies really are is yet to be established. The purpose of the research is to develop a flexible easy-to-use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool to support creative innovation and sustainable design choices in the early concept and design stages of Adaptive Building Technologies. This paper reports on the results of the first step of the research, providing a mapping in terms of structure and contents of the parameters involved in the design of these technologies. Addressed from a holistic point of view, the elements of the system were defined though a qualitative approach: rele...

Adaptive Building Technologies have opened up a growing field of architectural research aimed at improving the overall building performance, ensuring comfort while reducing operational energy consumption. Focusing on flexibility over short timeframes, these new technologies are however rarely designed within the broader frame of sustainability over their entire lifecycle. How sustainable these zero energy technologies really are is yet to be established. The purpose of the research is to develop a flexible easy-to-use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool to support creative innovation and sustainable design choices in the early concept and design stages of Adaptive Building Technologies. This paper reports on the results of the first step of the research, providing a mapping in terms of structure and contents of the parameters involved in the design of these technologies. Addressed from a holistic point of view, the elements of the system were defined though a qualitative approach: rele...