Directions for the design of energy efficient kinematics in adaptive solar building envelopes

Abstract

The development of adaptive building envelopes is receiving increasing interest in contemporary architecture, as it strives to cope with several requirements such as energy saving and harvesting (or mitigating environmental actions), improving performance and, finally, aesthetics. Actual implementation fundamentally concerns external “skins” (i.e. adaptive façades), but internal “skins” (e.g. adaptive ceilings) may also be developed. The engineering aspects related to the above developments are quite complex and involve different behavioral models to be merged within the adaptive strategy. In the present paper, a study is presented that concerns the conception of an adaptive origami-like solar skin. The main design issues in managing the kinematics of the envelope are then identified and the envisaged solutions, to be developed in the next stage of the research, are discussed.

Keywords

• building façade
• adaptive skins
• morphing skins
• optimization
• energy harvesting