Research
Facades that move can cut a building's energy use. Do they pay back what it costs to make them, and how can designers know early enough to change the outcome?
Bio-Inspired Responsive Building Facades: Framework for the environmental assessment of functionalized responsive building envelopes
BioBuild, a DFG Research Training Group run jointly by the University of Stuttgart and the University of Freiburg with the livMatS Cluster of Excellence, develops building components that respond to temperature, light and humidity, inspired by how plants and insects move. My project is also Associated Project 74 of the IntCDC Cluster of Excellence, Environmental Assessment for Bio-Inspired Responsive Facades, led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Knippers.
Within this group my role is the environmental side: measuring what adaptive facade components cost the planet to produce, and what they save once they are in use. The results set performance targets for the new material systems being developed across the programme.
Environmental simulation
How actively and passively controlled shading changes daylight availability, solar heat gain and energy demand across climates.
Life cycle assessment
Cradle-to-cradle studies of compliant facade components to EN 15804+A2 in SimaPro, with traceable data and transparent system boundaries.
Bio-based materials
Comparing bio-based and fibre-composite material systems, and defining what regional sourcing means for a component's footprint.
Transferable methods
A step-by-step framework that lets designers compare early-stage adaptive facade concepts on equal terms.
- In preparationA transferable LCA framework for early-stage bio-based compliant facade systemsJournal article
- OngoingFlectoLine life cycle assessmentTwo material variants of one compliant shading system, compared on a shared demonstrator facade · Project