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Envelope as Climate Negotiator: Evaluating adaptive building envelope’s capacity to moderate indoor climate and energy

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... Figure 3. The relationship between energy use and building skin, [13] In order to reduce building energy consumption and environmental damage, building skin performance is very important in design. With the necessary care of the designers, building skin while reduces energy costs due to outdoor climate conditions, can maximizes user comfort determined by factors such as thermal comfort, air quality, daylight, humidity, acoustic and security [13]. ...
... The relationship between energy use and building skin, [13] In order to reduce building energy consumption and environmental damage, building skin performance is very important in design. With the necessary care of the designers, building skin while reduces energy costs due to outdoor climate conditions, can maximizes user comfort determined by factors such as thermal comfort, air quality, daylight, humidity, acoustic and security [13]. ...
... In addition, efficiencies of conventional HVAC controllers are greatly improving, with emerging studies of applied reinforcement learning techniques indicating 4%-11% energy conservation over conventional control for heat-pumps (Ruelens et al. 2015). At the same time, emphasis on adaptive building envelope performance in response to dynamic environments is gaining heightened interest (Erickson 2013;Kolarevic and Parlac 2015;Zamella and Faraguna 2014). The ever-expanding portfolio of dynamic facade technologies exposes great promise to reduce a building's reliance on fossil-fuel based mechanical air conditioning in favor of natural, passive mechanisms that consume significantly less energy and simultaneously improve occupant well-being. 1 While each of these fields is receiving significant interest, there is not yet an explicit effort to link the two areas together for reciprocal 2 Intelligent Adaptive Control (IAC) experimental framework for building envelope integration. ...
... slabs, walls and internal partitions). Therefore in cases where thermal mass is involved in adaptive building envelope operations, the use of these approximate models would probably lead to significant errors in the results, because they do not correctly handle transient thermal energy storage effects (Erickson 2013). These inaccuracies may eventually compromise decision-making based on simulation outcomes, but little information about this issue is reported in literature. ...
... However, the DBEM process aggregates hourly outcomes obtained from independent simulations into the overall test time interval. If there are discontinuities in the feedback loop, the result is inaccurate prediction of the transient thermal energy storage effect [5,29]. In addition, the DBEM process requires post-processing to stitch the independent simulation outcomes together, increasing the complexity associated with managing CABE operation scenarios. ...
Article
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This research presents a multi-objective optimization (MOO) framework to support the climate-adaptive building envelope (CABE) design decisionmaking process using a parametric behavior map (PBM). Unlike static shading, CABE systems include dynamic operations that significantly affect their performance; thus, well-informed strategies for scheduling dynamic operations should be integrated to analyze CABE performance. In this study, two conflicting objectives were pursued: minimizing cooling load and maximizing daylighting performance during the summer season in a hot and humid climate (Houston, Texas). Variables in the CABE performance optimization process were defined as dynamic operation schedules having either parametric linear or non-linear relationships between the degree of openness of the CABE model and certain weather stimuli (i.e., solar radiation). Two CABE models were tested with the PBM by integrating a parametric non-linear function that efficiently conducted the optimization process in a large search space. The outcomes of this optimization study included Pareto-front solutions such as optimal CABE performance and their dynamic operation scenarios. These optimal operation scenarios were determined based on the CABE design options available and user's desired objectives; in some cases, static scenarios were found to be superior. Ultimately, combining PBM with a MOO framework will contribute to the field of performance-based CABE design by supporting architects and engineers and facilitating better decisions through well-informed dynamic operation scenarios.
... This integration method allows for the accurate prediction of space temperatures by providing feedback from the building systems module at certain time steps to the load calculations for subsequent time steps (via the heat and mass balance simulation module) (see Figure 3) [26]. Thus, when the hourly results of DBEMs are simply added together, there are discontinuities in surface and construction node temperatures and the effects of transient thermal energy storage are not properly addressed [12,27]. The DBEM approach for short-term CABE performance evaluation cannot properly represent thermal characteristics at each time step, resulting in inaccurate outcomes. ...
Article
This research presents a new method for evaluating the energy performance of climate-adaptive building envelopes (CABEs) called parametric behavior maps (PBMs). There are three main challenges when evaluating a CABE for energy performance that are not overcome by the currently accepted process: 1) representing complex three-dimensional dynamic geometry; 2) generating various candidate CABE control scenarios by integrating environmental factors and their thresholds; and 3) representing a CABE's time-varying behavior within a single building energy model (BEM). To overcome these challenges, the PBM method was developed. This method makes two key contributions to the field of performance-driven building design. First, it is capable of generating hourly CABE operation scenarios to evaluate CABE performance using a single BEM, regardless of dynamic operation and any geometric complexity. Second, the PBM method is superior at handling the effects of thermal energy storage with dynamic operations than is the currently accepted process. The reliability of the PBM method was validated by comparing indoor temperature profiles obtained from a PBM and the existing method. The new method enables designers to integrate the energy performance of a CABE system with multiple control scenarios, ultimately improving the building design process.
... The architect is now able to design an envelope that maximises indoor environmental quality, including acoustics, daylight, air quality, humidity, security, and thermal control; while minimising operational costs by controlling daily temperature variations as well as by making use of solar and wind energy. The building envelope is part of the BMS, an active system competent of responsiveness and self-adjustment for the reduction of energy use and the control of indoor environment conditions [7]. ...
Article
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The building envelope has a key role to play in achieving indoor comfort for the occupants and building energy efficiency. A dynamic, active and integrated solution -- able to achieve the optimum thermal performance, harness energy from renewable resources and, integrate active elements and systems -- is the most promising and innovative strategy for the building envelope of tomorrow. To achieve an effective and sustainable building envelope with a dynamic behaviour, considerable efforts in research and development are necessary. This paper endeavours to present a broad review of design, research and development work in the field of Dynamic Adaptive Building Envelope (DABE). Based on detailed studies, the characteristic features, enabling technologies, and the overall motivations that have tendered to the advancement of DABE are discussed. In spite of its positive aspects, the study reveals that the concept of DABE has not yet been well-applied and needs much more exploration. Various challenges need to be resolved and advanced research undertaken to bring it to maturity and acceptance.
... The thermal Comfort ranges based on these surveys lied between 24 and 31°C. Studies by many researchers [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] on thermal comfort and passive cooling techniques for hot humid climate has been reviewed in this research and proved to provide a better indoor thermal environment and reduce the dependency on energy consuming cooling systems (air conditioning) in an effective and efficient way. ...
... The architect is now able to design an envelope that maximises indoor environmental quality, including acoustics, daylight, air quality, humidity, security, and thermal control; while minimising operational costs by controlling daily temperature variations as well as by making use of solar and wind energy. The building envelope is part of the BMS, an active system competent of responsiveness and self-adjustment for the reduction of energy use and the control of indoor environment conditions [7]. ...
... However, interfaces between adaptive components, the environment and the user can be limited by the narrow range of devices currently employed. There is potential to develop more elaborate systems able to modify characteristics such as surface form, insulation, porosity and transmissivity, which are considered fundamental qualities of any given adaptive building envelope (Erickson, 2013). In addition, the Colombian context is ideal for such explorations due to the variety of climates, the relative availability of resources and the interest amongst new generations of designers. ...
Conference Paper
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Adaptive Building Skins is a field of research that has received growing attention in the last few years, since it proposes to combine and complement both, active and passive design technologies into the building envelope. Furthermore, their designs apply principles of adaptability, transformability and evolution, in order to cope with the constantly changing nature of climate. Most of the research in this field has been conducted for the temperate and seasonal climates, characteristic of European and North American regions. However, little information is available on the application and viability of adaptive building skins for tropical climates. As emerging economies flourish in different countries of South Asia, Central Africa and South America, new opportunities for the use of these types of building envelopes start to materialise. This paper presents a structured literature and case-studies review of current developments in the field, with particular attention to the Colombian context. The distinct geographical features of Colombia allow the existence of a great diversity of climates. Traditionally, these conditions have influenced the development of different passive design strategies for building skins. This paper concludes with a reflection on arising opportunities, where existing methods can be combined and enhanced with alternative concepts that respond to local and available recourses.
... slabs, walls and internal partitions). Therefore, in cases where thermal mass is involved in adaptive building envelope operations, the use of these approximate models would probably lead to significant errors in the results, because they do not correctly handle transient thermal energy storage effects (Erickson 2013). These inaccuracies may eventually compromise decisionmaking based on simulation outcomes, but little information about this issue is reported in the literature. ...
Article
Full-text available
Adaptive building envelope systems have the potential of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the energy flexibility of buildings, while maintaining high levels of indoor environmental quality. The development of such innovative materials and technologies, as well as their real-world implementation, can be enhanced with the use of building performance simulation (BPS). Performance prediction of adaptive facades can, however, be a challenging task and the information on this topic is scarce and fragmented. The main contribution of this review article is to bring together and analyse the existing information in this field. In the first part, the unique requirements for successful modelling and simulation of adaptive facades are discussed. In the second part, the capabilities of five widely used BPS tools are reviewed, in terms of their ability to model energy and occupant comfort performance of adaptive facades. Finally, it discusses various ongoing trends and research needs in this field.
... This method captures switching of instantaneous solar gains, but fails to account for effects of delayed thermal response due to capacitance. Using a similar technique in cases where thermal mass is involved in RBE operation, without respecting transient thermal energy storage effects during their transitions, would probably lead to significant errors in the results (Erickson 2013). The discrete nature of this method also introduces problems in modelling RBEs with intermediate states, and hysteresis effects during transitions. ...
Conference Paper
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Modelling and simulation can play an important role for design support and product development of responsive building elements (RBEs). There is, however, limited guidance on how to model such adaptable construction elements in an appropriate way. This paper investigates two different strategies for representing the dynamic aspects of RBEs using whole-building performance simulation tools. Simulations are performed for two case studies: (i) a coating with variable emissivity/absorptivity properties, (ii) a storage wall with switchable insulation. The results show that a simplified simulation strategy is not always capable of accurately capturing the relevant physical phenomena in RBEs. Especially when thermal storage effects are involved, the adaptation needs to take place during simulation run-time, to prevent significant errors in the results.
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The attitude of architecture to nature through its history is not new. Architects consider nature as the master source of their inspiration for design. The last twenty years have witnessed a deep understanding of the characteristics of the natural forms depending on their organization according to fractal geometry. Many contemporary architects tested using the characteristics of natural forms in design, focused their Manifestation of such properties through imitating morphological, functional and structural properties associated with nature form. The research problem is determined as: "Lack of knowledge in Identifying the characteristics of the natural form in contemporary architecture", so the research aims to: "Identify characteristics of the natural form in contemporary architecture". After explaining the morphological, functional and structural characteristics of natural form, to determine the measurement indicators which are used to compare the case studies selected, the research concluded that they have been using morphological not functional or constructional properties with the exception of mass customization which is used in all selected projects.
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The attitude of architecture to nature through its history is not new. Architects consider nature as the master source of their inspiration for design. The last twenty years have witnessed a deep understanding of the characteristics of the natural forms depending on their organization according to fractal geometry. Many contemporary architects tested using the characteristics of natural forms in design, focused their Manifestation of such properties through imitating morphological, functional and structural properties associated with nature form. The research problem is determined as: "Lack of knowledge in Identifying the characteristics of the natural form in contemporary architecture", so the research aims to: "Identify characteristics of the natural form in contemporary architecture". After explaining the morphological, functional and structural characteristics of natural form, to determine the measurement indicators which are used to compare the case studies selected, the research concluded that they have been using morphological not functional or constructional properties with the exception of mass customization which is used in all selected projects.
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