Gensler Research Project, Environmentally Responsive Facades
This research project aims to develop a tool or tools to improve Gensler's ability to study alternative facade designs and their impact on a proposed building energy consumption, with a particular emphasis on dynamically responsive facades that react in real time to changes in their exterior environment.
Goals & Objectives
- The rapid generations of Alternative Building Facades.
- The ability to perform a valid comparative Analysis of those alternatives.
- Equip Gensler staff with the tools needed to explain and educate clients on the performance of those alternatives and select the most appropriate outcome.
Scope
This research will investigate and develop an improved work-flow for the better integration of thermal and ventilation concerns into the design of building skins at Gensler with the aim of reducing overall energy consumption.
Justification
With forty percent of the energy consumed in the United States by residential and commercial buildings, facades are a major component in the quest for energy efficient buildings.
Current approaches to the design of facades incorporate static elements such as sunshades for solar deflection, or operable windows to utilize natural ventilation, the performance of which is based on annual averages of climatic conditions. Since weather is continuously changing, environmental conditions are dynamic and these methods never provide the optimum solution at any given time or place. Responsive facades improve on this by reacting appropriately in real time to the immediate environment thus increasing the buildings overall energy performance