Reducing cooling load on all glass buildings is a common challenge. Double skin facades tackle this issue but are costly and carbon intense. Check out the ACT facade (by Priedemann, Frauenhofer, Schueco, Transolar and Warema), a lower cost and carbon solution that works well on new construction and refurbishment.
In architecture maximum transparency of the façade has always been an ideal. From gothic churches to modernist designs still today architects strive for highly transparent envelopes.
With contemporary regulations and energy efficiency demands this goal is again hard to achieve. A classical façade solution would react by reflecting unwanted solar radiation by exterior shading. The ACT (Active Cavity Transition) Façade in contrast works on the principle of absorbing the solar radiation, reducing heat reflection into the urban context and extracting it for further use within the building. The ACT Facade consists of an interior blind that creates a cavity between the textile and the exterior glass layer. This interstitial space becomes the first part of the exhaust air ducts through which the spent office air is extracted. In this way, the space acts as a buffer – heat from the sun is absorbed by the inside solar screen and routed up through the cavity. This extracted heat energy can for example be used for heat recovery or to support dehumidification. At the same time, the low mass and room side low-e coating of the blind provides lower surface temperatures and improved user comfort though low heat radiation. The inner glare protection screen is rail-guided, and operates dependent upon the quantity of solar exposure in the space. The transparency of the screen material is graded according to the requirements, thus helping to provide filtered daylight with low glare. Through simply re-arranging conventional components, the system results in a highly efficient façade especially suitable for high-rise buildings. Creating a pure and transparent exterior aesthetic with lower installation and maintenance costs. This design’s minimal built-up raises the internally usable space compared to double-skin or closed-cavity facades. Priedemann implemented The ACT Facade already in several projects including the Festo high-rise, a DGNB Platinum (similar to LEED Platinum) certified all glass office building.
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