LCA of Passive Smart Windows: A framework for assessing and comparing the environmental impact of Auto-Responsive glazing

The building sector is increasingly acknowledging the necessity to mitigate its environmental impact in response to the challenges posed by climate change. Adaptive facades specifically are used to develop a dynamic control of the envelope’s properties, modifying their behaviour in response to outdoor conditions and indoor stimuli. Thermochromic...

A method for human-centered appraisal of façade design for serviceability

In the wake of the climate crisis, the building industry faces a unique challenge - to strike a balance between global sustainability challenges and the high standards of human comfort. A building’s façade plays an important role in reducing operational carbon emissions in a building, while maintaining acceptable levels of indoor comfort. In...

Impact of occupant façade interaction on thermal comfort during the cooling season

Our planet is currently facing significant challenges such as overpopulation, climate change, and resource depletion, leading to severe environmental degradation. The construction industry, in particular, has played a major role in aggravating these issues. The increase in carbon emissions has contributed to rising global temperatures,...

Living walls: A strategy to limit maintenance

This research is about the problems related to the maintenance of living wall systems. The literature review and interviews with living wall manufacturers have shown that the irrigation system is the source of many problems. The irrigation system is an essential part of a living wall system. This ensures that the plants get water and are...

Resilience-based Facade Design Framework: A case study on facade systems under seismic and heat hazard

With the increasing number and diversity of disruptive events imposed on the built environment, it is becoming more important to identify a system's resilience. Quantifying resilience is crucial because it enables effective preparation, recovery, and adaptation to the uncertainties that lie ahead. This study focuses on the resilience of building...

Decision-making framework for enhanced thermal resilience of façade-retrofits

Climate extremes are becoming increasingly frequent and intense worldwide, with greater pressure on ecosystems, the built environment, and humankind. Heat waves, in particular, are overheating indoor spaces and thermal comfort as one of the major comfort requirements of buildings is disrupted or, in the most extreme situations, lost. In extreme...

Facade User Archetypes: Exploring the potential of self designed facade-user Archetypes in personalization of external shading systems in office buildings

Building envelopes are extremely significant in providing adequate indoor environment. They have tremendous impact on the energy requirements of buildings. The design methodology associated with building envelopes primarily addresses optimization for improving indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency of the buildings. This process does...

Human-Window Interaction in open-plan offices: Guiding occupants to improve window operation through window feedback systems

Occupants are often unaware of window opening strategies that can enhance their well-being and reduce energy consumption. Window feedback systems that indicate when to manually operate a window have become a strategy for enhancing the indoor climate, occupant’s satisfaction and energy efficiency. These systems are recognized for providing the...

Stand-alone Serviced Façade Panel

This thesis focuses on the design and implementation of a flexible, adaptable, and modular integrated unitised façade panel. The panel integrates air-to-air building services technologies for ventilation and/or heating and cooling, driven by electricity, to enhance user comfort under different climate conditions. The primary objective is to...