Research made possible, in part, by a Van Evera Bailey Fellowship awarded by

The Van Evera and Janet M. Bailey Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation,
in collaboration with the Architecture Foundation of Oregon

Portland Building Enclosure Council / 9 July 2009 / Mark Perepelitza

integrated facades
hi h performance
high
f
iinnovations
ti
ffrom N
Northern
th
E
Europe

basic p
premise
- protect / connect
a fundamental aspect of building is to create shelter but we also need to
connect with our environment and society
- rather than relying on energy consuming mechanical systems to create
comfortable interior environments, the building envelope can manage
h
heating,
cooling,
l
ventilation,
l
and
d llighting
h
- this is a very old approach to building, but its
also the future,
future as we strive toward buildings
that generate as much as they consume
- climate/energy situation
role
l off b
buildings
ld
- temperate Pacific NW climate has great potential
areas of Northern Europe have similar climates,
but have also developed advanced strategies
- exterior weather conditions and interior demands are not static, building
envelope
l
needs
d to be
b able
bl to respond
d to dynamic
d
i demands
d
d

addressing
g human needs
-

thermal comfort (temperature and humidity)

fresh air
good
d (d
(day)lighting
)li h i levelsadequate
l l
d
lilight
h with
i h managed
d glare
l
((visual
i
l comfort)
f )
visual connectionsinto and out of buildings
acoustics

- Northern European approach to addressing human needs

supports premisealso shown in observed design strategies

climate context

warm desert climate

cool continental climate

cold desert climate

cold continental climate

cold semi-arid climate

warm continental climate / humid continental climate

warm mediterranean climate

temperate continental climate / humid continental climate

temperate
t
t mediterranean
dit
climate
li t

warm continental
ti
t l climate
li t / h
humid
id continental
ti
t l climate
li t

warm oceanic climate / humid subtropical climate

temperate continental climate / humid continental climate

temperate oceanic climate

cool continental climate / subarctic climate

cool oceanic climate

case study building

deutsche post tower

Bonn, Germany

high transparency + high performance

case study building

deutsche post tower

Bonn, Germany

case study building

deutsche post tower

Location:
Date of completion:
Architect:
h
Building use:
Floor area:
Floor levels:
g
Facade engineer:
Energy concept:
Lighting consultant:
Mechanical consultant:
Facade system:
Other cladding:

Bonn, Germany
2002
Murphy/Jahn
h
h
Corporate office headquarters
65,323 m2 (gross)
40 (+3 for mechanical)
DS Plan
Transsolar
L-Plan
Brandi Consult GmbH
Permasteelisa in collaboration with Gartner
Glazing Pilkington Optiwhite system

Energy use data:

100 kWh/m2/yr (predicted for services & lighting)

Interviews and tour:

25 June 2008, Petra Scheerer, Visitor Services

7 JJuly
l 2008
2008, Thomas
Th
Auer,
A
T
Transsolar
l

case study building

deutsche post
Bonn, Germany

case study building

deutsche post tower

Bonn, Germany

observations
obse
a o s des
design
g strategies
s a eg es
1. massing / orientation
2. window to wall ratio
form and ssurface
rface e
explorations
plorations to use
se transparenc
transparency strategically
strategicall
solid/void interplay

3. scrims, screens, and frits

multi-layer assemblies or on surface of insulated glass unit

4. fixed exterior shading horizontal and vertical

5. technological daylighting strategies
6. dynamic exterior solar control
manual and automated louvers and blinds

7. natural ventilation
8. double skin facades

(2nd generation)

i
improved
d iinsulation,
l i
shading
h di in
i cavity
i

9. semi- or un-conditioned atriums

-

applicability
li bilit ffor climate
li t and
d project
j t ttype
combinations and variations
performance potential and issues associated with each strategy

massing / orientation
d
design
observation
b
1

SOKA BAU
Wiesbaden
Germany

Housing Amsterdam

window to wall ratio

d
design
observation
b
2

window to wall ratio

design
g observation 2

Philological Library Berlin

window to wall ratio

design observation 2

scrims / screens / frits

d
design
observation
b
3

scrims / screens / frits

design observation 3

fi d shading
fixed
h di
design observation 4

daylighting
design observation 5

operable
shading
design observation 6
German vernacular windows

German baseline shading systems

operable shading
design observation 6

operable shading
design
g observation 6

operable shading
d i observation
design
b
i 6

vernacular windows Copenhagen

natural
ventilation
design
g observation 7

operable window systems baseline for German office buildings

natural ventilation
d
design
observation
b
7

double skin facades

design observation 8

semi-conditioned atrium
design
g observation 9

transparency

energy data generated by COMFEN utilizing EnergyPlus for 20 foot deep perimeter zone in Portland, Oregon climate conditions
the idealized case assumes minimal loss/gain at opaque walls and does not include natural ventilation

operable exterior solar control

Effective Applications
pp
- although significant barriers are known including cost, durability, and
maintenance for some configurations, dynamic facade strategies have the
potential for significant
p
g
performance
p
advantages
g over static systems
y
- performance varies by climate, orientation, building type, and building scale
- to be justified, benefits must outweigh issues

Anticipated Performance Benefits

- annual and peak energy savings
- human factors thermal and visual comfort,
visual connections
- program requirements and design intentions

operable exterior solar control

Evaluating
g Effectiveness Studyy Parameters
- simulation tool: COMFEN 2.1 / EnergyPlus 3.0
- output: annual and peak energy use
- window configuration
view windows from 3 to 8 ft above floor
daylight window from 8 to 11.5 ft above floor
window-to-wall ratio: 60%

- space dimensions
13 ft floor-to-floor
15 ft wide x 30 ft deep

- four facade configurations

case 1:
case 2:
case 3:
case 4:

automated exterior venetian blinds

fixed 30 inch exterior horizontal
shade + case 3
automated interior blinds in
d li ht zone + case 4
daylight
(baseline) manual interior venetian blinds fixed at 45

Example of COMFEN monthly energy results

operable exterior solar control

Parametric Studyy Preliminaryy Results
- relative values are telling, not absolute values

South

Ext. auto blinds

Fixed ext.
ext shading
Int. auto DL blinds
Int. manual blinds

Wesst

- simulation of dynamic systems are challenging due to numerous

variables,, including
g control systems
y

Ext. auto blinds

Fixed ext.
ext shading
Int. auto DL blinds
Int. manual blinds

35%
29%
27%

34%
33%
26%

45%
25%
21%

Houston

38%
23%
19%

Minneapolis

Improvement
from base case

advanced g
glazing
g / frames
Overall Window System Thermal Resistance
- U-value for typical
yp
to veryy good
g
U.S. aluminum with thermal break:
0.50 to 0.35 (R-2 to 3) Btu/hr ft2 F
- European U-value range: 0.24 to 0.21 (R-4 to 5)
generation (2
( years?):
y
) 0.12 ((R-8))
- Next g

Btu/hr
/ ft2 F

Frame Materials
- Typical: aluminum with thermal break
- Improved: wood (U-0.19 to 0.12) Btu/hr ft2 F
fiber reinforced polymers (FRP)

Glazing Assemblies
- Typical: Insulated double pane, low-e coating, air in cavity
- Improved:
I
d Inert
I t gas ((argon)) or vacuum iin cavity,
it alt.
lt edge
d spacer
- Multi-pane units: glass, film, or rigid plastics

More info from LBNL

- http://windows.lbl.gov/adv_sys

wood curtainwall
double skin assemblies

case studies

ultra low energy buildings

Federal Environmental Agency

g
y
Dessau, Germany
Sauerbruch Hutton
Zibell, Willner, & Partner Engineers

SOKA BAU
SOKA-BAU
Headquarters, Wiesbaden, Germany
Thomas Herzog
Ingenieurbro Hauslauden

Arup Fitzrovia
Phase 2 Headquarters London
Sheppard Robson

Wessex Water
Operations Center Bath, UK
Bennett Architects
Buro Happold

Heelis National Trust

Headquarters Swindon, UK
Feilden Clegg Bradley
Max Fordham

case studies

double skin buildings

Het Kasteel
Housing - Amsterdam
HVDN

Deutsche Post Tower

Headquarters Bonn, Germany
Murphy Jahn Architects
Transsolar / DS Plan

PRISMA
Office Building Frankfurt, Germany
Auer Weber Architects
T
Transsolar
l

NORD/LB
Headquarters Hannover, Germany
Behnisch Architects
Transsolar / Ingenieurbro Gierke

Lufthansa Aviation Center

Frankfurt, Germany
Ingenhoven Architects
Werner Sobek / Baumgartner / HL Technik

RWE Headquarters
Essen, Germany
Ingenhoven Architects
Buro Happold / HL Technik

case studies

double skin buildings

London City Hall

Research Headquarters - London
Foster & Associates
Arup

Mnchner Tor
Office building Munich, Germany
Allmann Sattler Wappner
Transsolar / Schmidt Reuter Partner Office

KfW Headquarters
Frankfurt, Germany
Sauerbruch Hutton
Transsolar

Deutsche Messe
Headquarters
H
d
t
Hannover,
H
G
Germany
Thomas Herzog
Ingenieurbro Hauslauden

GSW Headquarters
q
Berlin
Sauerbruch Hutton
Arup / ARGE

case studies

low energy buildings

DWS Carr Mainzer Landestrae

Office / Housing - Frankfurt
Bothe Richter Tehrani Architekten
Ingenieurgesellschaft Ridder und Meyn

Jakob Kaiser Haus 2

Schweger + Partner
S h idt R
Schmidt
Reuter
t Ingenieurgesellschaft
I
i
ll h ft

Philological Library
Berlin
Foster & Associates
Schmidt Reuter, PIN Ingenieure

Nordic Countries Embassies

Berlin
Berger + Parkkinen / 3XN
IGH, Ingenieurgesellschaft Hpfner

restad College
Sports facility Copenhagen
3XN
Sren Jensen A/S

case study
st d b
building
ilding

umweltbundesamt
Federal Environmental Agency
Dessau Germany
Dessau,

case study
st d b
building
ilding

umweltbundesamt
Federal Environmental Agency
Dessau Germany
Dessau,

case study building

umweltbundesamt
Project name:
Location:
Date of completion:
Architect:
Floor area:
Floor levels:
Energy
gy concept:
p
Mechanical consultant:
Facade system:

Federal Environment Agency

Dessau, Germany
2005
Sauerbruch Hutton
40,000 m2
4
Zibell,, Willner & Partner
Zibell, Willner & Partner
Ertte Stahl-und Metallbau GmbH
(Metal and Glass curtain wall) Brakel-Aero GmbH

POE user survey:

Energy use data:

none
73.1 kWh/m2/yr (see attached energy certificate)

Interviews and tour:

1 July 2008, Heiko Weissbach, Sauerbruch Hutton Architects, Berlin

3 July 2008, Birgitt Heinicke, Assistant to UBA President, Dessau

case study building

case study building

umweltbundesamt
umweltbundesamt

case study
t d building
b ildi

umweltbundesamt

case study
t d building
b ildi

umweltbundesamt

conclusions
co
c us o s ?
- beyond performance, building envelopes designed
to respond to dynamic interior & exterior conditions
can make better buildings through connections
- Northern European strategies, such as operable
exterior solar control, are relevant for the Pacific
Northwest,
h
b
but are best
b used
d selectively
l
l
- performance potential relies not just on welldesigned and integrated systems
systems, but also
commissioning and proper operations

more information
http://betterbricks.com/design/integratedfacades

questions / comments
mperepelitza@zgf.com