Design Methods for High-Performance Building Envelopes

Practical information on designing sustainable,
energy-efficient building facades

As energy and other natural resources are being depleted, it has
become clear that technologies and strategies that allow us to
maintain our satisfaction with interior environments while
consuming less of these resources are major objectives of
contemporary facade design. Sustainable Facades focuses on
the strategies and approaches for designing sustainable,
high-performance building facades, and provides technical guidance
for architects and designers.

This timely and useful guide presents strategies and technical
guidelines for designing environmentally sensitive,
energy-efficient facades based on scientific principles. It
provides climate-specific approaches for minimizing energy
consumption, analyzes the thermal behavior of different facade
systems and materials, and illustrates with case studies how these
approaches have been implemented on architectural projects. It also
discusses emerging facade technologies, materials, and systems.

Topics covered in this unique and indispensable guide
include:

• Climate-based design approaches for high-performance
  facades


• Characteristics of sustainable facades: energy efficiency,
  thermal behavior, and moisture resistance


• Designing for thermal comfort, lighting and glare control, and
  acoustic quality


• Emerging technologies in facade design, including smart
  materials, double-skin facades, and facades as energy
  generators


• Case studies on building orientation and facade design,
  tectonic sun exposure control, external shading elements, and
  more