NOVEMBER 1998
Some buildings have turned into highly efficient machines in order to save energy. But these optimized buildings are far from always pleasant to use. Engineers have meticulously analysed the functions a building must satisfy and have adapted the design accordingly. Often everything goes smoothly until the use of the building changes. The building cannot cope with an unexpected increase in the number of employees or the introduction of new equipment. The result is a sick building.
Smart architecture couples green efficiency to high quality in use.
One of modern architecture's achievements is the use of large areas of glass, but recent environmental requirements have made transparency more difficult. With conventional glass facades, the advantages of daylight admission are outweighed by excessive energy wastage. Eco-tech architects have therefore developed new facade systems, in which the climate control system is integrated into a transparent facade that behaves as a filter between the internal and external environment. The outward appearance of the building is dictated by the functions of the skin: ventilation, light admission, cooling, heating, energy generation, thermal insulation and acoustic insulation.
But architecture can be smarter still. The next step is to interpret not just the outer layer but the whole building as a system that adapts to external conditions. Such living systems are not static products but can take various configurations according to the season and the use of the building. They combine a high degree of comfort and user experiential value with high energy efficiency. Staff increases can be compensated not only by raising the activity of the 'breathing' skin but also by adjusting parts of the building such as atria and sun-room.
If we are to have better buildings, the buildings themselves must be capable of adapting quickly and effectively to changes in the use and fluctuations in the external climate.