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 …
33 results
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European Facade Networks
The European climate and energy targets for 2020 demand significant improvement of the energy performance of buildings since one third of the end-use…
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Rammed Earth & Wildfire
California is set to be drier and more drought prone with climate change. Wildfire and the subsequent loss of life and housing is a huge challenge. C…
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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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Build Test Iterate Repeat
The global increase in atmospheric temperature rise combined with the rapid growth of previously underdeveloped climate zones presents a growing need…
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Active and Energy Autonomous Window
Reducing GHG emissions related to energy use in buildings is a prominent obligation given their impact in terms of climate change. In this light, ene…
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Performance of Compact, Closed Cavity, Double-skin Curtain Wall
A proposed design for a compact, closed cavity, double-skin curtain wall system in the Marine climate of the West Coast raises questions of potential…
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Lightning Protection as Building Envelope
A building’s envelope mitigates the effects of meteorological phenomena – including lightning – upon the structure and its occupants and contents. Th…
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Carbon Lean Facades
With net zero and carbon neutral mandates on the near horizon, New York City has pushed the green building envelope by leveraging incentive-based pro…
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Facade Engineering for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
What does the fourth industrial revolution mean to the design and engineering of facades of the future? We are experiencing a global technological re…
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Modern Heritage and Facade Improvements
Approximately 80% of our total building stock is from the 20th century. During the last decades, along with an increasing appreciation of modern arch…
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Architectural Shape Optimization
This paper explores the architectural shape optimization of typical housing typologies: slab and high-rise residential buildings to reduce primary en…
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Environmentally Responsible Wood Cladding
This case study focuses on the solutions provided for the Bell Museum at the University of Minnesota. Our design team worked with the client to creat…
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Predictive Modeling in an Automated Building Facade
Computer simulations of an automated dynamic facade in a passively heated and cooled building by using predictive modeling of short-term future weath…
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Carbon-Dioxide-Inhaling Facade
3.5 billion years ago, cyanobacteria created the foundation for life on Earth by producing the oxygen basis for our atmosphere. Should we once again …
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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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Fire Safety in High Rise Exterior Facades
One of the most complex yet least understood areas where fire can spread is at the perimeter of a building. Fire can not only spread from floor-to-fl…
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The Versatile Envelope Garden
Facades play an integral role in defining the experience of modern life. As rising populations gravitate from rural to urban communities, they bring …
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Green Wall Rainscreen
Green Wall applications are growing in popularity around the world. Often thought of as a decorative element they provide much more than aesthetic ap…
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Thermal Performance of Closed Cavity Facades
Closed cavity facades (CCF), a configuration of Double Skin Facade (DSF), consists of a double-glazed unit on the inner layer and single glazing on t…
