Comparative Analysis between Different Proposed Responsive Façade Designs for Reducing the Solar Radiation on the West Façade in the Hot Arid Region

Authors: Merna H. Ibrahim

Abstract:

Designing buildings which are sustainable and can control and reduce the solar radiation penetrated from the building facades is such an architectural turn. One of the most important methods of saving energy in a building is carefully designing its facade. Building’s facade is one of the most significant contributors to the energy budget as well as the comfort parameters of a building. Responsive architecture adapts to the surrounding environment causing alteration in the envelope configuration to perform in a more effectively way. One of the objectives of the responsive facades is to protect the building’s users from the external environment and achieving comfortable indoor environment. Solar radiation is one of the aspects that affects the comfortable indoor environment, as well as affects the energy consumption consumed by the HVAC systems for maintaining the indoor comfortable conditions. The aim of the paper is introducing and comparing between four different proposed responsive façade designs in terms of solar radiation reduction on the west façade of a building located in the hot arid region. In addition, the paper highlights the reducing amount of the solar radiation for each proposed responsive facades on the west façade. At the end of the paper, a proposal is introduced which combines the four different axis of movements which reduces the solar radiation the most. Moreover, the paper highlights the definition and aim of the responsive architecture, as well as the focusing on the solar radiation aspect in the hot arid zones. Besides, the paper analyzes an international responsive façade building in Essen, Germany, focusing on the type of responsive facades, angle of rotation, mechanism of movement and the effect of the responsive facades on the building’s performance.

Keywords: kinetic facades, mechanism of movement, responsive architecture, solar radiation

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6324731

References:

[1] IPCC, 2007, "Adaptation and Mitigation Options", The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Switzerland.
[2] Modin, H., 2014, “Adaptive building envelopes”, MSc. Thesis, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Building Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
[3] Addington M., Schodek, D., 2005,”Smart materials and technologies in Architecture”, Architectural Press, Oxford.
[4] Sterk, T., 2005, “Building upon Negroponte: a hybridized model of control suitable for responsive architecture. Automation in construction, El Sevier United States of America.
[5] Cody B., 2012, “Form follows energy”, xia-international-online Website, October 2015, http://www.xia-online.de/zeitschrift/aktuelle-ausgabe/.
[6] Velikov, K., Geoffrey, T., 2015, “Building Envelopes: Renewable Energies and Integrated Practice”, Routledge, France.
[7] Meagher, M., 2015, “Designing for change: The poetic potential of responsive architecture”, Frontiers of Architectural Research, Vol.4, United Kingdom, P.159-165.
[8] Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, 1999, “The Arab Republic of Egypt: Initial National Communication on Climate Change”, Egypt.
[9] Weather Spark Website: “Average Weather for Cairo, Egypt”, March 2021, https://weatherspark.com/y/96939/Average-Weather-in-Cairo-Egypt-Year-Round
[10] Thyseenkurpp 2021 Website, “Quarter”, March 2021, https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/company/quarter
[11] Inhabitat Website,“Germany’s Q1 Building Boasts a Dazzling Facade of 400,000 Metal “Feathers””, March 2021, https://inhabitat.com/germanys-q1-building-boasts-a-dazzling-facade-of-400000-metal-feathers/jswd3/
[12] ThyseenKrupp Website, “Energy Efficiency”, March 2021, https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/quartier/en/responsibility/energy-efficiency/