Facade design has significant impact on daylight. This paper presents a facade based on origami: kaleidocycle rings that can be morphed enhancing daylight performance in residential spaces, which complies with both LEED V4 and... more
Facade design has significant impact on daylight. This
paper presents a facade based on origami:
kaleidocycle rings that can be morphed enhancing
daylight performance in residential spaces, which
complies with both LEED V4 and Daylight
availability. Daylighting analysis was integrated using
Grasshopper, Diva and Genetic optimization for a
south-oriented living room facade in Cairo, Egypt,
through two phases. First phase dealt with base cases
of specific typology. Second phase was conducted
using parametric optimization process. Results
demonstrate that Kaleidocycle rings of 30 cm size and
64 rotation’s angle reached results that exceed LEED
v4 requirements while passing Daylight availability
standards.
Modern envelope technologies and architectural trends often encourage the adoption of large glazing surfaces. Light shelves are then proposed to reduce glare complaints, while providing better indoor daylight distribution. In this paper,... more
Modern envelope technologies and architectural trends often encourage the adoption of large glazing surfaces. Light shelves are then proposed to reduce glare complaints, while providing better indoor daylight distribution. In this paper, the benefits of light shelves over the illuminance levels in office buildings in Toronto are evaluated. The useful daylight illuminance was used as the metric of analysis in this study. Annual simulations for buildings with different window-to-wall ratios were compared. Moreover, the effects of different window shapes, faç ade orientation and external obstructing elements were investigated. Results show that in the context of analysis, light shelves increase the useful daylight illuminance values mainly in the first 6 m from the windows and provide a more homogeneous distribution of the daylight. Window-to-wall ratios above 35% consistently result in increasing glare risks. This study indicates that narrow full-height windows provide better daylighting compared to shorter but wider windows. The west orientation shows higher useful daylight illuminance compared to the south-facing ones, although light shelves are far less beneficial when applied to windows but not facing south. Finally, the illuminance levels in buildings with different obstruction angles of the faç ade are presented in order to provide a comprehensive analysis about the benefits of adopting light shelves in office buildings in the urban context of Toronto, Canada.
The potential of exemplary organic and inorganic Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as façade integrated storage is tested. The impact of two PCMs on heat flows is assessed in comparison with water and concrete. The simulation-study employs a... more
The potential of exemplary organic and inorganic Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as façade integrated storage is tested. The impact of two PCMs on heat flows is assessed in comparison with water and concrete. The simulation-study employs a transient Modelica simulation model of a test cell featuring the Solar Energy Balanced Façade (SEBF). It is shown that, when compared to water, PCMs of identical volume change the seasonal energy balance in winter and summer by only ± 4%. Other than water, the PCMs maintain this effect even if the storage volume decreases. Due to spatial constraints, this can support the integration of thermal storage in façade design considerably. Preliminary results indicate that designing thermal storage in façades with PCMs must not only consider the latent heat storage capacity, but also take into account the combined effects of latent heat capacity, melting point, conductivity, and dead load. The application of PCMs promises to foster the integration of the technology of SEBF into façades, but the necessary deliberate selection of, and design with, PCMs requires further research.
In the hot and humid climate of Malaysia, most of the commercial and institutional buildings are designed as fully air-conditioned. This is the main factor of high energy usage and running cost. The ideas of combining natural ventilation... more
In the hot and humid climate of Malaysia, most of the commercial and institutional buildings are designed as fully air-conditioned. This is the main factor of high energy usage and running cost. The ideas of combining natural ventilation with double skin facade (DSF) system in building design in tropic climates remain controversial. This paper discuss the viability of DSF to provide natural ventilation as an energy efficient solution for existing buildings in hot and humid environment by referring to two simulations paper by Haas, Wong & Amato (2007) and Wong (2008), using software such as VisualDOE and Airpak. Computer simulation was used to investigate various DSF concepts used in existing buildings and the behavior of airflow and thermal exchange through cavity and surrounding environment. The internal thermal comfort levels were analyzed and compared; for developing the guidelines of the best DSF configuration to be used in existing buildings in the tropics. The aim of this paper is to identify whether the suitable DSF concepts are economical alternatives for retrofitting the existing buildings, by maximizing the use of natural ventilation and providing the desirable thermal comfort.
The paper, by analyzing some recent projects (located mainly in the period 2010-2012), wants to draw an outline of some of the most encountered technological solutions for the design of expressive architectural surfaces made with metals... more
The paper, by analyzing some recent projects (located mainly in the period 2010-2012), wants to draw an outline of some of the most encountered technological solutions for the design of expressive architectural surfaces made with metals materials. An eye toward realizations that draw inspiration from a relatively recent past, occasionally introducing innovative elements, sometimes tracing solutions already seen. Solutions that may be useful for two reasons: to better understand which direction is going the design of metal surfaces in order to identify innovative solutions for the façade layout and to identify appropriate technological solutions for the requalification of the building envelope for the smart cities of our latitudes.
Facade design has significant impact on daylight. This paper presents a facade based on origami: kaleidocycle rings that can be morphed enhancing daylight performance in residential spaces, which complies with both LEED V4 and Daylight... more
Facade design has significant impact on daylight. This paper presents a facade based on origami: kaleidocycle rings that can be morphed enhancing daylight performance in residential spaces, which complies with both LEED V4 and Daylight availability. Daylighting analysis was integrated using Grasshopper, Diva and Genetic optimization for a south-oriented living room facade in Cairo, Egypt, through two phases. First phase dealt with base cases of specific typology. Second phase was conducted using parametric optimization process. Results demonstrate that Kaleidocycle rings of 30 cm size and 64 rotation’s angle reached results that exceed LEED v4 requirements while passing Daylight availability standards.
