Adaptive facade, the active connection between indoor and outdoor

Sammanfattning: This study explores the connection between the indoor and outdoor environment and how through the use of shading devices they affect each other. The chosen location for the study is a well-known street in the urban context of Copenhagen. Through different façade and shading evaluations, this thesis aims to investigate the possibility of achieving desired visual and thermal comfort levels for the indoors, while the designer also actively influences those comfort metrics for the outdoors. Parametric design strategies were used with the aid of the software Grasshopper for Rhino, and climate based dynamic simulations were carried out with Radiance and Energy Plus for daylight and thermal analysis respectively. According to indoor daylight levels and operative temperature the shading system was optimized through the use of an evolutionary solver. Four different solutions were simulated and analysed. Firstly, by changing the façade’s window to wall ratio (WWR), secondly by using a static venetian blind, thirdly by having the same venetian blind operable and finally by using a sun-tracking fenestration system. For both dynamic solutions the option of closing the shading outside of occupancy times was explored, to increase daylight on the street canyon. The results show a clear relationship between the indoor and outdoor environment regarding thermal and visual comfort. The use of a dynamic façade system shows a possibility to actively influence both environments.