Renewing Historic Facades
As the first phase of a $4 billion dollar, 180-acre, 60 building government preservation project in Washington DC, this case study reviews the envelo…
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Optimized Adaptive Re-Use
Contemporary building practice represents a disconnect between traditional manufacturing techniques, that favor straight runs and orthogonal geometri…
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Balancing Visual Comfort and Energy Efficiency
With increasing interest in wellness and human-centric design in workplaces, the design of building enclosures is predicated on optimizing competing …
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Terra Cotta Skins
This paper will address the potential of ornamental architectural terracotta surfaces to mitigate the effects of climate fluctuations that will creat…
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Infinite Panel System
Today, building facades are expected to do much more than merely provide shelter, which is driving the need for higher performing envelope solutions.…
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U-Factor Matters in Hot Climates
It is commonly thought that fenestration U-factor is not a key determinant in the performance of facades in hot climates, and generally the focus of …
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Sustainable Silicone
Silicone materials have a long history in high performance building projects. Known for durability, they can reduce a building’s carbon footprint by …
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Integrated Energy Analysis
Energy codes across the country are progressively getting stricter and increasing the threshold for a baseline building’s energy performance. Califor…
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In Factory Commissioning
Factory inspection visits are vital, yet they unfortunately have a habit of being overlooked. The factory inspection process during the Building Enve…
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Hydrophobic Stainless Steel Surfaces
There is no doubting the longevity of stainless steel building facades. The Chrysler Building and numerous buildings that followed have stood the tes…
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Climate-Oriented Prefabricated Building Envelopes
Facades developed in response to climactic factors increase performance and human comfort while reducing energy loads. A single building envelope wil…
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The Thermal Blanket Concept
This paper tells the story of a Double Skin Facade (DSF), where high performance and multi-disciplinary collaboration saves a library concept of open…
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Deconstructing the Window
Over the years, the industry has relied heavily on the increasing performance of low-e coatings to drive window U-factors (thermal transmittance) low…
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Adaptable Glazing Shields
Today, about 40% of all buildings in the U.S. still have single-pane windows, and ~70% of the existing building stock is estimated to suffer from und…
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DC Water Headquarters Case Study
Facades must be responsive to a myriad of qualities and influences ranging from urban impact and aesthetic character to numerous performance requirem…
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Origami-Inspired Facade Design
To paraphrase Robert le Ricolias, the art of the structure is where to put the folds. Using that inspiration, fundamental concepts from origami, topo…
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Vintage Vinyl
Mid-century through 1980’s buildings with lock-strip or “zipper-gasket” glazing systems are an ever present part of the urban landscape in many citie…
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Curved Forming Panel Facades
The performative and visual aspects of curved forming/bending thin “formable” planar materials is explored. Early tests for deflection indicate that …
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EUI of Building Clusters
Large master planned developments such as Battery Park City in Manhattan, Mission Bay in San Francisco, and Playa Vista in Los Angeles were built ove…
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A Compact, Unitized Double Skin Facade
Driven by an increasing demand for high thermal and acoustic performance, transparency, and low maintenance costs, a number of facade innovations hav…
