Invert Auto-Shading
Allowing sufficient amount of natural light while avoiding excessive sunlight penetration is often hard to achieve with static facade systems due to …
234 results
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Prototyping with Ultra-Thin Glass
This paper proposes system concepts and fabrication methods for the use of ultra-thin glass in facades. It documents the team's research on ultra-thi…
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Digital Lifecycle of Building Envelopes
“The digital transformation will change everything” – with this quote in mind a deep look into the current facade business will be given with a speci…
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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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Transitions Between Diverse Envelope Systems
The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California features an extremely diverse set of facade systems within one…
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Seismic Movements
A common building upgrade to add value to existing commercial real estate is the renewal of the entrance lobby. The lobby facade is replaced to give …
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Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Steven Holl Architects designed two new buildings in the Museum District in Houston, Texas. Knippers Helbig is the facade consultant of both projects…
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Glass and Electromagnetic Eavesdropping Protection
Glass is a key component in building design. Benefits of utilizing Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) within a building facade are well understood, includ…
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Silicone Spandrel Glass Opacifiers
Curtain wall design commonly uses insulating glass units for vision and spandrel glazing to provide better visual harmonization of building facade gl…
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Case Study: Kao Ho Hospital Development, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
U-shaped annealed profiled glass, or U channel glass is used in both the interior and exterior glass façade for decades, as it has long and durable s…
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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…
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Structural Silicone Glazing
The recent 50 year anniversary of the first use of silicone sealant in a 4-sided structural silicone glazing application marks a sustainable and prov…
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Kinetic Shading Systems
This study focuses on experiments in kinetics and architectural skins. More extensively, it introduces a solution for environmental design issues and…
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Anisotropic Effects in Architectural Glass
Iridescence effects, quench marks, leopard marks… The names given to optical anisotropy in toughened and heat-strengthened glass are diverse and wide…
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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 …
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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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Working With Big Data
Big data is having a noticeable impact on enclosure engineering design. With continuing advancements that liberate the geometrical form and the incre…
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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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Data-Driven Shading Systems
Analyzing the energy performance of complex building envelopes, determining the need for sun protection, and assessing the effectiveness of shading d…
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HydroSKIN
Building envelopes cover a considerable part of the urban exterior surfaces, and to therefore have a significant leverage effect on the climate resil…