Glass as Filter for Energy: New Ideas in Curtain Wall, Window Wall and Storefront
Driven by two distinct influences, a new generation of glass building enclosures now has a unique trajectory -- toward higher performance and sustainability. One of those forces is the work by building teams who effortlessly blend design analysis with the creation of novel system solutions. “We’re seeing a mix of façade design and sophisticated analytics, which help clearly establish the required performance, the expected benefits of the façade itself, and key metrics serving the aims of design teams, contractors and owner-operators,” says John Ivanoff, an associate principal with Buro Happold on its Facades and Specialty Structures team
In project examples around the country and in collaborative “hackathons” bringing together various AEC disciplines in the design phase, novel daylighting and thermal simulation tools allow fine-tuned evaluation of predicted enclosure performance, says Brad Pfahler, an associate with architecture firm Studio Ma, Phoenix.
A second and equally forceful inflection for glass-intensive systems such as curtain wall comes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this article, you should be able to:
+ EXPLAIN the use of curtainwall elements for active daylight control and energy harvesting, such as electrochromic and PV glazing and advanced daylight controls.
+ LIST considerations for glass wall system thermal and energy performance, including frame details, edge specifications, and transition designs.
+ DESCRIBE considerations in the selection, design and installation of glass curtain wall, storefronts and window walls, including double facades, low-e glazing, and glass interlayers.
+ DISCUSS the performance tradeoffs and energy use implications of building orientation, glass area and type, façade horizontal projections, and other shading systems.
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