Due to climate change, heatwaves have increased their frequency, intensity and extent. In particu-
lar, in cities the phenomena is exacerbated due to the urban heat island effect. More than half of
the global population lives in urban areas. As a result, adapting the built environment to these
changing climatic conditions is becoming a priority. To address this need, the present research aims
to evaluate how different retrofit strategies influence outdoor and indoor thermal comfort during
heatwaves, bridging two aspects which are usually studied separated. The Acquabella district in
Milan is used as a case study.

The study includes a review on thermal comfort metrics, followed by an assessment of which metrics
are most suitable for comparing outdoor and indoor thermal comfort. An RC thermal model of a
facade was developed to identify the parameters who were mainly influencing the heat transfer,
which were then used to define the retrofit scenarios to be tested. The scenario considered include
two different aspect ratios, cool facades, external and internal insulation, and their combinations.
The outdoor microclimate was simulated with Envi-met, while indoor thermal conditions with
EnergyPlus. The outputs from Envi-met were used as boundary conditions for EnergyPlus.

The simulations outcomes revealed a strong correlation between the buildings and street geometry
and the varying impact of facade retrofitting on outdoor thermal comfort. Cool facade showed
a marked negative effect on outdoor thermal comfort particularly in courtyards, where inter-
reflection phenomena occurred more intensely. Nevertheless, cool facades also achieved the greatest improvement in SET, with a reduction of about 0.25°C. Across all scenarios, the wider street canyon consistently gave a better performance. While most existing studies focus exclusively on either the indoor or outdoor effects of facade retrofitting, the findings of the present study demonstrate the importance of assessing both, as interventions on the facade affect the two environments simultaneously and, in some cases, in contrasting ways.

Ceiling fans offer a low-energy solution for improving thermal comfort in offices, yet their ability to provide collective comfort, serving multiple occupants, remains underexplored, especially when airflow is diffused by desk layouts.

This thesis examines whether office desks can diffuse ceiling fan-induced airflow and expand the comfort zone. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining CFD simulations, lab-based airspeed measurements, and human-subject experiments to assess airflow distribution and perceived comfort across multiple desk configurations and fan speeds.

Results show that desks redirect downward airflow horizontally, increasing airspeed at seated height (0.85m). While higher air speeds lowered thermal sensation votes, comfort levels did not increase. At 28°C and 49.2% RH, participants preferred an average airspeed of 0.49 m/s without group control. With group-selected fan speeds, preferences varied between 0.49–0.78 m/s, indicating diverse comfort needs.

This study investigates the provision of personalized air velocity for occupants in open-plan offices during summer, aiming to enhance comfort and productivity while conserving energy. By addressing dissatisfaction arising from limited control over environmental conditions, this research proposes a solution integrating individualized airspeed and distribution control within open-plan offices in temperate maritime climates.

Building upon the significant energy consumption associated with Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, this research underscores the potential for energy savings by locally increasing the airspeed instead of cooling the air. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of individual control in enhancing workplace satisfaction and productivity. Employing a theoretical framework of perceived control, the study delineates environmental and perception domains crucial for effective implementation.

Through interviews and theoretical analysis, a design framework is developed, focusing on control, performance, and robustness. The study identifies essential design factors and criteria, distinguishing between must-have and optional elements. Notably, user preferences and environmental constraints shape the design process, highlighting the need for tailored solutions.

Key findings underscore the significance of user-centric design, considering factors like noise, draft avoidance, ergonomic placement of controls, and device flexibility, ensuring compatibility with the office layout’s adaptability.

This research contributes to the advancement of personalized environmental control systems, offering insights applicable to various workplace settings and climatic conditions.

The main focus of this thesis is on a thin glass sandwich panel combined with a three-dimensional printed core pattern. The core pattern provides stiffness to the panel, but it also influences the daylight transmission. The goal of this research is to design a façade system which can dynamically improve the daylight performance, effectively control the illuminance inside the building together with preventing disturbing glare.

The research first evaluates the theory behind thin glass, the structural sandwich structure and how the design of a façade panel correlates with its visual comfort. The properties of existing dynamic systems are evaluated, together with exploring other possible dynamic systems that can be integrated in the panel.

The resulting system, a hexagonal core pattern with integrated inflatables, is evaluated on its structural performance and daylight performance using analyses executed in the grasshopper model. This is further expanded by studying the structural performance of more complex core geometry using Diana Finite Element analyses. From the results of these evaluations, a design strategy is created which is able to find the optimal properties of the inflatable façade system.

This design strategy is then applied to a case study, to show both the design of a single façade panel, as well as the full façade system of the whole building. The final result is the design strategy for the dynamic inflatable façade system.

To lessen our influence on the environment, we are moving towards solutions that can meet our needs of shelter, nutrition, mobility, communication, and health with little to no energy or resources. In the construction industry, adaptive façades have gained attention for their capacity to adapt to changing conditions. These façades can modify their state in response to varying factors such as temperature and sunlight. This adaptability offers potential benefits in energy efficiency and occupant comfort, making them significant in architectural advancement. Despite being promising, these technologies are seldom used in buildings because they consist of numerous components and intricate mechanisms that can hinder their overall lifespan. To find more straightforward solutions for these systems, designers and researchers have focused on Smart Materials in combination with passive strategies. Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), in particular, have found applications in diverse designs owing to their dual functionality as temperature sensors and actuators. SMAs have the remarkable ability to ‘remember’ their original shape and can revert to it when subjected to specific temperatures. This unique trait enables them to serve as both sensors, by detecting temperature changes, and actuators, by initiating shape changes in response to those shifts. However, current SMA-based sunshade designs do not provide visual contact with the exterior, as they continuously block the occupant’s field of view. This work aims at lowering the mechanical complexity of SMA-based sunshades while maintaining thermal comfort and visual contact with the exterior. The first part highlights the significance of precise control strategies for effective sunshade designs. The research emphasizes the importance of tailored control methods aligned with climate conditions. The conclusion underscores that an optimal sunshade design must balance cooling demand reduction, thermal comfort maintenance, and opening hours. Mechanical designs should minimize components while ensuring maximal stroke capabilities. The mechanical design of the counterAKT system exhibited promising stroke results despite not reaching the 200% benchmark. Further research avenues are suggested for textiles and Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs). Integration of findings from both materials is essential for realizing a complete working counterAKT system. Nodal thermal modeling provided insights into the major factors influencing SMA temperature in the counterAKT system. Solar radiation and convective heat transfer were identified as key contributors. The conclusion recommends future research to shift reliance from outdoor air temperature to solar radiation by enhancing emissivity, reducing convection losses, and concentrating solar radiation on the SMA. Finally, The system’s feasibility is demonstrated through a small-scale prototype, affirming its practical viability and potential applicability.

Although glass is a known material for centuries, extensive usage and today’s technology –with modern construction methods– made glass one of the most valuable materials of the present and future. Witnessing an immense progression and a broad innovative boost in the construction field, creating the perfect link between indoor and outdoor environments.

Given the growth of the world’s population and its constant need to improve the way of living, the demand for new flat glass production, and the replacement of the older ones are rising. However, what is happening at the end-of-life of such architectural glass waste coming from the construction and demolition sector? Α significant amount of post-consumer flat glass waste is generated, which is either down-cycled into low-value applications or discarded at the end of the life cycle, aggravating the existing problem of glass recycling whilst resulting in a significant impact on the ecological footprint.

Glass is a readily recyclable material, that can be remelted and reformed indefinitely into articles with the same quality and properties as the original one, nominating it as a perfect candidate in the transition efforts for a low-carbon environment. Even though the glass packaging industry is a successful recycling market, the same is not true for the floating glass industry, which occupies a more complex position. The vast majority of the remaining waste is rarely recycled into the same product, due to the lack of an organized recycling scheme, the incompatibility of different glass recipes, and the contamination rates of glazed products that could lead to risks in the total production line.

Among the down-recycled or landfilled glass, there is a great proportion of high-value float glass, pointing out the large potential in upgrading the glass recycling process from a linear chain to a circular one. The main scientific contribution of this research is the development and experimental verification with the aim of casting technique, not only new design concepts and engineering their fabrication following the design criteria, but also an ideal recycling collection system for cullets coming from the C&D sector while utilizing tools to check the product’s performance and assessing its life cycle impact to the environment.

The casting method, as a more flexible process, that easily shifts between different recipes, and is less energy-intensive than float line, proves feasible for the fabrication of 100% recycled panels out of post-consumer flat glass waste. These findings are introduced by means of closed-loop alternatives that extend their service life, establishing at the same time the foundation for a circular life-cycle of architectural glass, while can assist as guidelines for further exploration. These components are monolithic elements with higher thickness, compared to the conventional thin-walled glass to tolerate a higher contamination rate, intended for building envelope applications. Their format is adopted and explored through a strategic approach of a translucent composite product, which is made out of specific glass waste layering arrangement between different purity grades of cullet in such a manner to form an advantage tensile strength on the recycled panel, which is transferred on the surfaces and reinforces the object.

Grasping the boundaries of glass recycling, which has been continuously stretching, in the last years, only some primary attempts have been made by TU Delft. These are referred on the fabrication of 3-dimensional strong glass components or glass panels emphasizing the aesthetic result always with the method of casting, unveiling the ambitious potential of glass upcycling for the building sector.

Identifying the scientific gap, the focus of this research is the proper mapping of the current situation of glass recycling, and the identification of the most promising glass C&D waste through experimental research by contacting melting and tools that have not been utilized before. The experimental analysis of the new concept concentrates on the development of the composite panel and the thermal shock testing in uneven temperatures, as the strength of recycled glass has already been investigated previously. Additionally, this concept will be assessed for further analysis and understanding of the whole effectiveness of the proposed supply chain of this recycling method, which is carried out for the first time.

The development of the new composite panel and its experimental evaluation displayed strong findings for further exploration. This thesis set-up could be a promising strategy for float glass recyclability but also in this product’s performance, for transcending the main barriers of flat glass refusal owing to either impurities or different glass synthesis, while it is aligned with the 2050 Dutch policy of zero waste in the construction field and the European guidelines linked to the sustainable movement. Recovering discarded glass in cast glass products opens new paths to reintroduce such waste back to the supply chain, as a closed-loop approach.