252 results

  • Modeling Megapanels featured image

    Modeling Megapanels

    Large format, steel-stud framed “megapanel” facades with rainscreen cladding create uniquely complicated requirements for digital documentation and 3…

  • Heat-actuated Auxetic Facades

    Highly transformable materials can be used as adaptive exterior shading systems by leveraging the relationship between external stimuli (heat) and re…

  • Lithic Revival featured image

    Lithic Revival

    The recently completed Capital One Hall performing arts center located in the Washington DC metro area is defined by a pleated exterior of glass and …

  • Adaptive Facades featured image

    Adaptive Facades

    Facade engineering aims at appropriately balancing the demands imposed by the context and the capabilities inherent to the materials, the geometries …

  • The Evolution of AEC Professional Silos featured image

    The Evolution of AEC Professional Silos

    Healthcare projects in northern California require specialized knowledge to navigate regulation, technological advancements, and project execution du…

  • 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 …

  • Architectural Shape Optimization featured image

    Architectural Shape Optimization

    This paper explores the architectural shape optimization of typical housing typologies: slab and high-rise residential buildings to reduce primary en…

  • Stainless Steel 101 featured image

    Stainless Steel 101

    This paper presents a summary of the industry advances beyond T304 and T316 austenitic stainless steels. The greater availability of precipitation ha…

  • Localized Rigidification of PCM Envelopes featured image

    Localized Rigidification of PCM Envelopes

    This is an experimental and computational exploration of structural systems that transform between states of rigidity and flexibility. The goal is to…

  • Nested Density featured image

    Nested Density

    Projecting imagery onto building facades is not only becoming a marketing necessity for successful urban spectacles but is also altering social urban…

  • Influence of Facade Materials on the Acoustic Environment featured image

    Influence of Facade Materials on the Acoustic Environment

    Urban noise pollution is a major environmental health problem. International organizations are making efforts to prevent health damage due to high le…

  • EUI of Building Clusters featured image

    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…

  • HydroSKIN featured image

    HydroSKIN

    Building envelopes cover a considerable part of the urban exterior surfaces, and to therefore have a significant leverage effect on the climate resil…

  • The Craft of Building Enclosures

    This paper will provide case studies of two high-performance building envelopes in the San Francisco Bay Area where the fabrication of bespoke façade…

  • Two Sides to Sustainability & High-performance featured image

    Two Sides to Sustainability & High-performance

    High performance can be defined as “a building that integrates and optimizes all major high-performance building attributes, including energy efficie…

  • Facade with Innovation featured image

    Facade with Innovation

    Shanshui City and Star Bund Center can be considered as representative projects of RFR Shanghai recently Both provide creative solutions for complex …

  • Historical Evolution of Responsive Facades featured image

    Historical Evolution of Responsive Facades

    Responsive facade system is considered a major component of high-performance building envelope that is capable of responding to environmental stimuli…