Enhancing transparency and efficiency in exterior design for buildings

Enhancing transparency and efficiency in exterior design for buildings

Get the Scoop: How Industry Pros are Juggling Transparency and Energy Efficiency in Modern Architecture

Don't worry, mate, this is a no-hold-barred tour through the buzzing world of architecture and construction! How do these bigwigs in the biz tackle transparency while keeping their structures as energy-efficient as a well-oiled machine? Let's dive in!

A zinger of a sesh went down at Schuco's swanky showroom in Milton Keynes, where the who's-who of architects and engineers gathered to spill the beans on facade design. The topics on the table? Transparency, solar performance, and that darn embodied carbon, which is a bitch to deal with.

Sanna Wennberg, associate partner at Simpson Haugh, kicked things off by highlighting the importance of transparency in design, with a sprinkle of sustainability and a dash of human-centric wizardry. She delved deep into the challenges of straddling the line between transparency and privacy, underlining the transformative impact it can have on living and working spaces.

Next up was Stefan Trifonov, Schuco UK's head of engineering. He put the focus on daylight management, stressing the need to adapt to the shifting angles of the sun and advocating for horizontal shading systems over traditional vertical fins. Want a cool example? Check out 70 Great Bridgewater Street in Manchester, where a slick unitized facade system was employed, along with mullions designed to accommodate architectural fins that eliminated thermal bridging.

Aneel Kilaire, associate facade consultant at Ramboll, shared his concerns over achieving operational energy, overheating, and acoustic targets for residential developments. He fired some shots at the current regulations, questioning their ability to balance energy savings and embodied carbon. He also pondered whether the additional embodied carbon in a project would ever be paid back as the grid decarbonizes.

Stuart Hosier, national specification manager at Schuco UK, shared Schuco's plan of attack on the carbon control front: Design to Decarb, Built to Decarb, Operate to Decarb, and Recycle to Decarb. When talking about the Built to Decarb stage, Hosier highlighted the importance of getting the material choice right to reduce embodied carbon in facade systems.

The crowd was treated to the introduction of three aluminum grades from Schuco, including low and ultra-low carbon options. Hosier showed off the sustainability gains they achieved through innovative design and recycling and even pointed out how material and component tracking within systems can allow Schuco to track material EPDs.

Ben Knight, director at dMFK Architects, showcased projects like Salters Hall, Chancery House, and York House in London. Salters Hall, a 1970s building by Basil Spence, underwent a facelift, complete with replaced facades, added extensions, and a new entrance pavilion. The design blended neoclassical elements and a brise soleil-inspired glazed entrance, all while respecting the building's heritage.

York House took center stage, showcasing a unique brick lattice facade that emphasized the building's evolution. The presentation drilled down into the meticulous design, coordination, and construction processes required to make the facade system sing in harmony with the original structure.

Each case study tackled common challenges such as understated entrances and poor visual connections, which were addressed by renovations that maximized natural light, created visual connections, and added new communal spaces.

To wrap things up, Mark Stonell, associate director at Buro Happold, chimed in on the shift from traditional building envelopes to contemporary glass configurations. He spelled out the new challenges, like energy consumption, embodied carbon targets, and fire integrity that require a return to more solid configurations.

Stonell offered solutions like passive and active techniques such as double-skin facades, closed cavities, and dynamic and static shading. He also shed light on new materials and technologies like nanogels, fibre resins, and electrochromic glass, which could help meet energy performance targets while maintaining transparency.

In the end, it's all about finding a sweet spot between energy efficiency, sustainability, and transparency. These renegades in the industry are using the latest tools and trends to get the job done, and we couldn't be more stoked to follow their journey!

So, if you missed this jam-packed technical sesh, get your inbox ready and subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss the next one!

P.S.

Here are some nifty tricks even we didn't know about:

1. Use computational tools to analyze facade designs for better energy efficiency and daylighting.
2. Make smart choices with materials to minimize embodied carbon without sacrificing aesthetics.
3. Integrate innovative methods like aerodynamic shading devices, green spaces, and renewable energy systems.
4. Adapt existing structures through retrofitting while maintaining design integrity.
5. Harness AI and computational design tools to optimize building performance and reduce embodied carbon.

Keep those eyes peeled for more architectural badassery!

1. In the world of architecture and construction, the latest news often includes advancements in technology that help architects and engineers optimize building performance, reduce embodied carbon, and improve transparency.
2. At the technological forefront of the industry, industry professionals are using computational tools to analyze facade designs for better energy efficiency, daylighting, and even employing innovative materials like nanogels, fibre resins, and electrochromic glass to maintain transparency while meeting energy performance targets.

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