IAAC GSS: DIGITIZE

FACADE DIGITIZATION OF SMART CITIES

The field of dynamic facades is growing rapidly due to the requirement for better environmental performance of buildings, and the recent rise of computational tools as well as open programmability of electronics for framework control. Dynamic facades have the potential to add to the architectural expression of a building by visualizing the changeable aspects of the environment. Since the building envelope , or facade, is in essence the public face of a building, and has therefore a large impact on the perception of the building, thus from an energetic perspective, a shape shifting envelope acts as an even more optimized buffer or mediator between the interior and the exterior environment.

In the studio we visualized a facade system that responds to stimuli on multiple levels in an urban context resulting in better environmental performance and adding an element in the socio-cultural fabric of the city.

THE ORIGAMI FAN

The facade system uses a basic origami fan as an opening and closing mechanism for the facade. The fans are supported by a sub-structure that supports the motion of the fan. The entire fan system is attached to a servo motor that enables the mechanical rotation and has a motion and light sensor attached which acts as the stimuli.

THE STIMULI

The facade system works on two stimuli, that of motion and light. The individual fans of the facade open upon sensing the motion of individuals walking by and open up completely to reveal an artwork behind. The fans also change position during the entire day in response to sunlight providing more or less shade