39 results

  • A burning question

    In recent decades the use of unitized glazing systems has become increasingly common especially for high-rise construction. The opaque panels in

  • Climate-Oriented Prefabricated Building Envelopes

    Facades developed in response to climactic factors increase performance and human comfort while reducing energy loads. A single building envelope

  • Vintage Vinyl

    Mid-century through 1980’s buildings with lock-strip or “zipper-gasket” glazing systems are an ever present part of the urban landscape in many

  • The Thermal Blanket Concept

    This paper tells the story of a Double Skin Facade (DSF), where high performance and multi-disciplinary collaboration saves a library concept of

  • Origami-Inspired Facade Design

    To paraphrase Robert le Ricolias, the art of the structure is where to put the folds. Using that inspiration, fundamental concepts from origami,

  • Integrated Energy Analysis

    Energy codes across the country are progressively getting stricter and increasing the threshold for a baseline building’s energy performance.

  • In Factory Commissioning

    Factory inspection visits are vital, yet they unfortunately have a habit of being overlooked. The factory inspection process during the Building

  • Hydrophobic Stainless Steel Surfaces

    There is no doubting the longevity of stainless steel building facades. The Chrysler Building and numerous buildings that followed have stood the

  • EUI of Building Clusters

    Large master planned developments such as Battery Park City in Manhattan, Mission Bay in San Francisco, and Playa Vista in Los Angeles were built

  • Deconstructing the Window

    Over the years, the industry has relied heavily on the increasing performance of low-e coatings to drive window U-factors (thermal transmittance)

  • DC Water Headquarters Case Study

    Facades must be responsive to a myriad of qualities and influences ranging from urban impact and aesthetic character to numerous performance

  • Curved Forming Panel Facades

    The performative and visual aspects of curved forming/bending thin “formable” planar materials is explored. Early tests for deflection indicate that

  • Adaptable Glazing Shields

    Today, about 40% of all buildings in the U.S. still have single-pane windows, and ~70% of the existing building stock is estimated to suffer from

  • A Compact, Unitized Double Skin Facade

    Driven by an increasing demand for high thermal and acoustic performance, transparency, and low maintenance costs, a number of facade innovations

  • Infinite Panel System

    Today, building facades are expected to do much more than merely provide shelter, which is driving the need for higher performing envelope solutions.

  • Balancing Visual Comfort and Energy Efficiency

    With increasing interest in wellness and human-centric design in workplaces, the design of building enclosures is predicated on optimizing competing

  • U-Factor Matters in Hot Climates

    It is commonly thought that fenestration U-factor is not a key determinant in the performance of facades in hot climates, and generally the focus of

  • Terra Cotta Skins

    This paper will address the potential of ornamental architectural terracotta surfaces to mitigate the effects of climate fluctuations that will

  • Renewing Historic Facades

    As the first phase of a $4 billion dollar, 180-acre, 60 building government preservation project in Washington DC, this case study reviews the