Ordering Space: Types in Architecture and Design

Abstract

Embedded in the culture of modern architecture is the directive that a façade ought to fit tightly around its building, like a well-fitting suit. “False façades,”“façadism,” and the “screen façade” have been derisive terms used by architects and critics to describe buildings whose façades appear either too big or too small for their buildings. Postmodernism changed this, so that façades relatively independent of their interiors were encouraged. The neo-modernism of the last two decades has integrated this “disconnected” façade into the practice of what otherwise is a revival of the system of the heroic period of the movement.     

An approach for the evaluation of energy and cost efficiency of glass façades

Glass façades, particularly in high-rise buildings, increase in energy consumption for heating, cooling and ventilation. This causes too high running cost of mechanical systems. Double skin glass façade is a system that decreases these disadvantages, by providing natural ventilation, preventing solar heat gain, controlling daylight, etc. This paper aims to investigate the appropriateness of double skin glass façades in moderate climate, such as Istanbul, in terms of the energy and cost efficiency when compared to single skin glass façades. For this purpose, an approach is proposed to determine the efficient alternatives. It comprises to generate standard façade alternatives by considering the objectives, constraints and performance criteria, and to evaluate their energy and cost efficiency for both single and double skin glass façades. In conclusion, the most energy efficient double skin glass façade is about 22.84% more efficient than the most energy efficient single skin glass façade is. Additionally, the most cost efficient single skin glass façade is about 24.68% more efficient than the most cost efficient double skin glass façade is.     

Performance and influence of numerical sub-models on the CFD simulation of free and forced convection in double-glazed ventilated façades

Double-glazed façades (DGF) are an attractive option in contemporary architecture and are increasingly used in commercial buildings. They offer some advantages compared with single façade systems but require careful design. The solar-collector-like construction leads to high temperatures in the façade cavities and the possibility of the building overheating. This is undesirable effect, especially in Mediterranean climates. A possible solution for reducing thermal overheating is to use the air channel between the two layers of glass to evacuate the solar radiation absorbed by the façade. A suitable simulation procedure for modeling these façades would be very useful for designing buildings of this type.     

A numerical model to evaluate the thermal behaviour of active transparent façades

Active transparent façades constitute a building envelope component that is becoming more and more common in high-rise office buildings. Many designers have opted for a ventilated façade, claiming that this technology is sustainable, reduces energy consumption and enhances indoor comfort conditions, but these claims have often proved to be wrong. From the thermofluid-dynamic analysis point of view, few design procedures or sufficiently detailed, reliable and easy to use simulation software are available for ventilated façades. A numerical model that has been developed to simulate the thermal behaviour of mechanically ventilated active transparent façades is presented in this paper. The model, developed in the Simulink/Matlab^® environment, simulates the façade in both steady-state and transient conditions and provides the temperature of the different layers of the façade structure and the corresponding heat fluxes as output data. The model has been validated by comparing the simulation results with experimental data obtained in the laboratory. A test has also been performed on a real façade under actual operating conditions. The model performance has resulted to be quite promising. The accuracy of the prediction of the temperature is good, while the simulations of the heat fluxes are slightly less reliable for some operative conditions.     

Building simulation as an assisting tool in decision making: Case study: With or without a double-skin façade?

Implementation of double-skin façades in buildings has been an object of broad application in the recent years. In this presentation, a planned office building in the city-centre of Trondheim, Norway, is used as a case for considering whether a double-skin should be applied to the east façade in order to reduce the heating demand, thus making the double-skin façade a profitable investment. The building is modeled both with and without a double-skin façade with the building energy simulation program ESP-r. This paper describes how a double-skin façade with controllable windows and hatches for natural ventilation can be implemented in the simulation program. The simulation results indicate that the energy demand for heating is about 20% higher for the single-skin façade with the basic window solution compared to the double-skin alternative. However, by switching to windows with an improved U-value in the single-skin alternative, the difference in energy demand is almost evened out. The number of hours with excessive temperatures is, in contrast to other studies on the subject, not significantly higher for the double-skin alternative. However, the predicted energy savings are not sufficient to make the application of a double-skin façade profitable.     

Estimation of mould growth levels on rendered façades based on surface relative humidity and surface temperature measurements

Many façades made with thin rendering on thermal insulation have problems with biological growth. In this study, surface temperature and surface relative humidity were monitored over a 20-month period on test house façades with different constructions (thermal inertia), surface colour and compass directions. This data were used to test three theoretical indices of biological growth with the aim of indicating the potential of mould growth on different types of rendered façades. The results show that thin renderings on thermal insulation have significantly higher surface humidities compared to façade constructions with higher thermal inertia, and therefore have a higher potential for mould growth. The colour is the most important factor for the surface humidity levels on south-facing façades (in the northern hemisphere) as darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation and therefore have a higher average temperature. On a north-facing façade the heat storage capability of the façade and its effect on the surface temperature is most important.     

Simulation of buoyancy-induced flow in open cavities for natural ventilation

Solar heated open cavities including solar chimneys and double façades were studied for enhancing natural ventilation of buildings. A commercial CFD package was used to predict buoyant air flow and flow rates in the cavities. The CFD model was validated against measured data from the literature and good agreement between the prediction and measurement was achieved. The effect of the cavity width of solar chimneys and double façades on the buoyancy-induced ventilation rate was investigated. It was found that there existed an optimum cavity width for maximising the buoyancy-induced flow rate and the optimum width was between 0.55 and 0.6 m for a solar chimney of 6 m high. The ventilation rate in a double façade of four-storeys high generally increased with cavity width but decreased with floor level from bottom to top. Integration of photovoltaics into a double façade increased the ventilation rate while reducing its variation from floor to floor.     

Vertical greening systems and the effect on air flow and temperature on the building envelope

The use of horizontal and vertical greening has an important impact on the thermal performance of buildings and on the effect of the urban environment as well, both in summer and winter. Plants are functioning as a solar filter and prevent the adsorption of heat radiation of building materials extensively. Applying green façades is not a new concept; however it has not been approved as an energy saving method for the built environment. Vertical greening can provide a cooling potential on the building surface, which is very important during summer periods in warmer climates. In colder climates evergreen species create an external insulation layer and contribute to energy savings and loss of heat. In this study an analysis of the effect on air flow and (air and surface) temperature of vertical greening systems on the building level is presented. An experimental approach was set up to measure the temperature (air and surface) and the air flow near and on different types of green façades and a living wall system to evaluate the influence of wind velocity and its effect on the thermal resistance. A comparison between measurements on a bare façade and a plant covered façade has taken, in the beginning of autumn, to understand the contribution of vegetation to the thermal behaviour of the building envelope.     

Schalldämmung und Schall‐Längsdämmung von Fassadenkonstruktionen im Prüfstand – Erkenntnisse für die bauakustische Beratung in der Praxis

Airborne sound insulation and flanking sound insulation of façade constructions (Curtain wallings) in the test stand – findings for acoustic consulting in practice. Based on serial and single measurements for the determination of the weighted sound reduction index and of the normalized flanking sound insulation in horizontal and in vertical transmission direction of façades effects of the measurement procedure and of constructive façade details onto the measurement result are shown. For the performance of measurements of the weighted sound reduction index of façade constructions the possibility of the utilization of German standards DIN ENISO140‐3 in a test stand for wall constructions or of the in field procedure of DIN ENISO140‐5 in a test stand for the determination of the flanking sound insulation of façades is possible. Because the two measurement procedures lead to measurement results with systematically differences for the same façade construction, next to the formal aspect of the communicability of the two measurement procedures the mounting situation of façade elements in the test stand is taken into account. The influence of constructive details of the façade construction and their detailed effect on the determined weighted sound reduction index and/or the determined normalized flanking level difference is supposed to be shown due to carried out measurements of different façades. To that size, kind and order of the glazing, carrying out of façade molliums and façade transoms as well as construction of the façade connecting element as a single‐element for the determination of the normalized flanking sound insulation of a façade construction are taken into account.     

Empirical thermal comfort evaluation of single and double skin façades

In this paper, the topic of thermal comfort for buildings with double skin façades and single skin façades is demonstrated and discussed. A long-term monitoring was performed in 280 office rooms distributed over 28 buildings in Germany. The survey methods were based on sensor measurements and data simultaneously gathered from questionnaire given to office users. The authors take into consideration the operative temperature, vertical gradient temperature, draught rate, radiation asymmetry, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration. The aim is to determine the individual sensory perception of the indoor environment and compare it to the actually measured indoor climate in buildings with double skin façades and single skin façades. In regards to the thermal comfort results, in general, it is shown that double skin façades buildings have slight advantages in relation to single skin façades buildings.     

Book reviews

Whilst there have been numerous categorisations of high-rise buildings according to their function, architectural style, height or structural strategy, historically little work has been undertaken to classify them based on factors affecting their energy performance — their shape and form, façade, attitude to natural lighting, ventilation strategies, etc. These factors have been influenced by regulatory changes, developments in technology and materials, changes in architectural thinking and economic and commercial drivers. Developments such as the New York Zoning Law of 1916, the postwar innovations in curtain wall façades and the energy crises of the 1970s have all impacted on the way tall buildings of the time were designed and operated. These events also had a significant impact on the quantity of energy and the way in which it was consumed in tall buildings of the time. This paper examines the history of energy use in tall buildings, from their origins in North America in the late nineteenth century to the present day. In doing so, it categorises tall buildings into five chronological ‘generations’, based on their energy consumption characteristics.     

Read|Write: Table + Chair

The Table + Chair project forms part of a series of closely related architectural interventions that also included the production of a new entry façade for the School of Architecture reception offices at Ohio State University. The work entailed the production of a table and chair that were to be used by students in the process of fillingout official paperwork while waitingto meet with school administrators and counselors. These paper "forms" would become the written code of the students' education—their program—and in many ways would determine the course of their education. This presented an opportunity to fabricate furniture that explored the effects of the cross-contamination of material presence with informational patterns by using digital technologies.     

Evaluierung und Optimierung einer doppelschaligen Fassade mit Hilfe von Simulationen

Bei großflächig verglasten, mehrgeschossigen Bürogebäuden liegen doppelschalige, hinterlüftete Glasfassaden nach wie vor im gestalterischen Trend. Die Konstruktionsdetails der Fassade haben einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die sommerliche Überhitzung der Luft im Fassadenzwischenraum (FZR), in dem auch der Sonnenschutz platziert ist. Es empfiehlt sich daher, die Details einer doppelschaligen Fassade im Hinblick auf die sommerlichen Temperaturverhältnisse zu optimieren. Die üblichen Methoden einer standardmäßigen bauphysikalischen Planung sind für eine derartige Optimierung nur sehr bedingt verwendbar. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird anhand des Projektes Neues K & H Bank‐Gebäude in Budapest exemplarisch aufgezeigt, wie mit Hilfe von moderner Simulationstechnik die Ausbildung einer doppelschaligen Fassade evaluiert und anschließend optimiert werden kann. Evaluation and optimization of a double skin façade with the help of computational simulations. Natural ventilated double skin façades still prove to be trendy design choices for multi‐story office buildings with large glazed surfaces. The construction design details of these façades have a significant impact on the summer overheating of the air in the façade cavity, in which the shading is positioned also. Therefore it is recommended to investigate and optimize the parameters of the double skin façade concerning the summer temperature conditions. The usual methods of standard building physical planning have limited application possibilities for optimizing these kinds of systems. Therefore in the following article through the example of the K°&°H Bank, Budapest, we are going to explain how the modern simulation techniques can support the constructional design of double skin façades first by evaluation, then subsequently, by optimization.     

Supple Skins: Considering the Relevance,Scalability, and Design Strategies for Façade System Resilience

Resilience has become the umbrella term for the ability of the built environment to resist and respond to a broad range of natural and man-made disasters. Typically, these address a spectrum of issues in the built environment at the scale of urban habitat. Exploring the significance of resilience with respect to building systems and especially the building skin presents an opportunity to examine façade systems from a different perspective and reveals unexpected links between the physical scales that comprise buildings and urban habitat. Design considerations (principles, factors, and strategies) for resilient façades are then proposed.     

Balancing energy and daylighting performances for envelope design: A new index and proposition of a case study in Hong Kong

The upkeep of existing buildings has a great role to play in reducing the carbon emissions of the built environment. Fac,ade upgrade represents one of the most effective interventions to improve both thermal efficiency and aesthetic appeal of existing buildings. Double Skin Fa c,ades( DSFs) have much to offer due to their use of solar and w ind energy to passively heat and cool indoor spaces,whilst guaranteeing freedom and flexibility in the aesthetic design of the refurbished building. How ever,DSFs also bear an increase in the embodied energy and carbon due to the additional materials required for the extra skin throughout all life cycle stages.In this article,life cycle assessment( LCA) and dynamic energy modelling have been combined through a parametric approach to obtain figures for the w hole-life cycle carbonassessment of 384 different configurations of an innovative,timber-made DSF for UK low-carbon refurbishments. Additionally,the structural design of the fac,ade w as also investigated through a structural optimisation procedure w hich takes into account all relevant loads and ensures minimal use of the structural material.Results show that operational savings outw eigh the embodied impacts and therefore the proposed DSF is a viable and effective solution for net carbon-negative refurbishments. The operational energy modelling also contributes to the characterisation of DSFs thermal behaviour in temperate climates.     

Exploring the synergy of building massing and façade design through evolutionary optimization

In performance-based architectural design optimization, the design of building massings and façades is commonly separated, which weakens the effectiveness in performance improvement. In response, this study proposes a hybrid massing-façade integrated design generation and optimization workflow to integrate the two elements in an evolutionary design process. Compared with the existing approaches, the proposed workflow emphasizes the diversity of building design generation, with which various combinations of building massing forms and façade patterns can be systematically explored. Two case studies and a corresponding comparison study are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed workflow. Results show that the optimization can produce designs coupling the potential of building massings and façades in performance improvement. In addition, the optimization can provide information that supports early-stage architectural design exploration. Such information also enables the architect to understand the performance implications associated with the synergy of building massing and façade design.     

Mapping defect sensitivity in external mortar renders

This paper presents and discusses a probabilistic approach to the definition of different levels of defect sensitivity in cementitious mortar renders, applied in façades. The proposed methodology is based on fieldwork carried out in the South of Portugal, in which a visual assessment of 150 façades was made. In this work, the degradation level of six independent parts of the façade is registered as well as the most probable causes of defects. The aim is to produce risk charts mapping degradation patterns that can be used as a tool to enhance the durability of mortar rendered façades.     

Holistic study of a timber double skin faade: Whole life carbon emissions and structural optimization

The upkeep of existing buildings has a great role to play in reducing the carbon emissions of the built environment. Fac,ade upgrade represents one of the most effective interventions to improve both thermal efficiency and aesthetic appeal of existing buildings. Double Skin Fa c,ades( DSFs) have much to offer due to their use of solar and w ind energy to passively heat and cool indoor spaces,whilst guaranteeing freedom and flexibility in the aesthetic design of the refurbished building. How ever,DSFs also bear an increase in the embodied energy and carbon due to the additional materials required for the extra skin throughout all life cycle stages.In this article,life cycle assessment( LCA) and dynamic energy modelling have been combined through a parametric approach to obtain figures for the w hole-life cycle carbonassessment of 384 different configurations of an innovative,timber-made DSF for UK low-carbon refurbishments. Additionally,the structural design of the fac,ade w as also investigated through a structural optimisation procedure w hich takes into account all relevant loads and ensures minimal use of the structural material.Results show that operational savings outw eigh the embodied impacts and therefore the proposed DSF is a viable and effective solution for net carbon-negative refurbishments. The operational energy modelling also contributes to the characterisation of DSFs thermal behaviour in temperate climates.     

Condition assessment of building façades based on hazard to people

Abstract

To make periodic inspections of the buildings is useful to quantify the extent to which deficiencies are severe or not, in order to facilitate decision making and prioritize interventions. In previous works by the authors is proposed a scale of gravity of damages in buildings, with the aim of being of widespread and of common use among professionals. This scale is applied through the direct assignment (DA) methodology, based on the generic definitions of each degree. It is demonstrated and characterized the existence of certain level of variability among technicians, when assigning gravity values using DA methodology, due to the fuzzy condition of the attribute to be evaluated. The main goal of this paper is to propose a methodology to assign values of gravity, based on hazard for people of detachments from the façade, by using measurable parameters and mathematical functions. The final objective is to reduce the level of variability among inspectors when assessing the condition state of a building façade. The proposed methodology is named system of evaluation of façades (SEF). The methodology can be also extended to the assessment of other building systems as structures or roofs and other type of infrastructures.     

Optimised design of energy efficient building façades via Evolutionary Neural Networks

Buildings are required to be more and more energy efficient, in order to comply with restrictive requirements of building regulations and energy certifications. Optimisation algorithms have shown to be effective in identifying good solutions for the design of efficient building services. In this article Evolutionary Neural Network Design (ENN-Design) has been adopted to drive the design of a typical façade module for an office building. This application is significant, since façades play a major role in the definition of the energy performance of buildings. Both single-objective and multi-objective optimisations have been carried out. The aim of the article is to introduce an innovative approach for improving the performance of building envelopes by means of a reasonable amount of calculation time.