Multi-functional Facade Module

Abstract

The building sector is responsible for more than one third of resource consumption globally. Concerning the new construction, new regulations have been set, which impose that by 2020 all new buildings constructed within the EU should reach nearly zero-energy levels. The building envelope plays a strategic role in the energy and environmental performance of the building, significantly affecting the levels of indoor comfort. The increasing necessity of sustainability in built environments is leading to the need of the adaptive façade adoption. The façade is no longer a mere static element offering just a shelter for users. The future building skin is required to respond dynamically, being able to react to non-continuous, ever-changing climatic conditions, occupant comfort and energy efficiency requirements. It is apparent that building facades need to be transformed to fulfill adapted roles of high performance integration and façade elements need to be designed to provide the necessary flexibility needed in terms of energy flow and thermal comfort.
Companies like “Rollecate”, which is a facade construction company in the Netherlands with worldwide projects have grasped this change and are interested in creating new products, which reflect the current trend of adaptivity. This graduation project started with the existing research project “Future Adaptive Facades and Components” with the question from “Rollecate” about the direction the facade industry is heading to. “Rollecate” wants to know what the future of adaptive facades is and how this is translated into a new product or a modification of an existing one that could be developed soon and be relevant for the building sector in the next five years and on.
The aim of the research project is the development of a Multi-functional Façade Module (MFM) that consists of several functionalized layers that could be separately assembled depending on the architectural design of the building and the corresponding climate. Moreover, the proposed design is modular, which gives the possibility to be altered easily throughout its lifecycle, thus being also adaptive to future technological innovations. In order to evaluate it, this facade system is tested for an office building in Amsterdam, Netherlands with the main objective of providing thermal comfort to the occupants, whilst minimizing the energy consumption.
In the framework of a decade-long research activity on Advanced Integrated Façades (AIF), MFMs show a considerable potential for building envelopes, being one of the most promising Responsive Building Elements (RBE) in terms of energy reduction potential. In addition, the results of this research project prove that MFMs are performing well, offering considerable energy savings. They are a promising facade concept for future applications, offering not only an adaptive but also a sustainable solution to the construction of office buildings. Nevertheless, there is still space for future improvement, as well as further research and development as explained at the end of this research project.