facade systems.

I have decided to use the homeostatic facade system on the museum glass facade that faces the river. The technology was designed by Decker Yeadon, and the system opens and closes itself in response to the amount of light that enters the building. When sunlight hits the silver-coated elastomers, an electric charge is sent across the surface which causes the material to deform. When there is an excessive amount of sunlight, the material expands to provide shading. Alternatively, when the building is not hit by a great deal of natural light, the material contracts to allow more light into the building. This facade system really activates the building to be a 'living' thing, which goes really well with my theme of 'environmental responsiveness.' 

THE BIOMIMICRY STORY

Decker Yeadon's facade system was inspired by muscles, and by homeostasis in biological systems. The actuator that runs the system is similar to muscles. Homeostasis in organisms allows them to regulate their internal conditions such as temperature. Decker Yeadon's facade regulates a building’s climate by automatically responding to environmental conditions. This makes them attuned to local conditions and they use locally available materials and energy.

(http://www.asknature.org/product/0c2046bdbcb82fbcec31c8b4030f6e6b)

http://yazdanistudioresearch.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/kinetic-facade-products/

I really liked the facade system on the Q1 Headquarters building in Germany and wanted to incorporate a similar system in my research centre facade. The 'metal feathers' are controlled by user input and sensor data, so they move and breathe, being open for maximum solar exposure or completely closed. 

Sketch of the configuration of the perforated metal panels.

The different angling of the metal elements also creates an interesting aesthetic. The forms are reminiscent of the rigid rockface and site contours, reinforcing the building's connection with the site.

The research centre will be designed to have a double skin, so that the grid with the perforated metal panels will be the exterior skin that wraps around an inner glass core. This will achieve a 'chimney effect' for the building to allow circulation of air between the skins, which regulates indoor temperature.