Dynamic Façade Technology for Sustainable Architecture

Sustainable building involves considering the whole life of buildings, taking into account environmental quality, functional requirements and future needs, as well as, the thoughtful integration of architecture with electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering systems. The façade should blend into the built environment around the building, making the whole building landscape coherent, unified and in harmony with the urban context. Buildings façades are important in defining the quality and value of a sustainable building. The façade acts as a climate moderator and can be used to control the amount of daylight, air infiltration, solar radiation and noise. This in turn produces the internal environment which has a direct effect on the well-being of the occupants and hence their work performance. Intelligent façade allow a dynamic response to weather changes, as well as being responsive to occupancy demands. Dynamic response capabilities play a key role in maintaining occupants’ well-being in the building under different operating conditions; determining how the weather variation will adversely affect responses at different areas of a building. The new façade technology may have self-cleaning, self repair properties and sensors. Issues related to the development of the technologies are discussed.