A STUDY INTO THE DESIGN AND MAINTAINABILITY CONSIDERATIONS OF MODERN INTEREACTIVE RESPONSIVE FACADES

Abstract

The introduction of LEED and Green Mark standards has triggered a race towards building sustainability, leading to a rush in implementing ground breaking technologies and elaborate architectural features. Responsible for nearly 70% of a building’s energy consumption, and therefore receiving the most attention, is the building’s façade. From the innovative and visually intriguing automated “umbrella” shades of the Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, to the technically advanced retractable blinds of the Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome in Singapore, traditionally static façades are evolving into the most dynamic element of modern buildings.

Such advanced features are only made more complex by trends of using materials with lower embodied energies such as wood, or lightweight, factory fabricated and specially finished stainless steels. Unfortunately, the reality revealed in a case study is that a Green Mark Platinum certified building such as Solaris @ One North is not immune to gross neglect and rapid deterioration. Failure to incorporate maintainability in the increasingly complex built environment will only set the industry up to be blindsided by its own perceived progress.

Potential pitfalls of maintenance can be averted with an elevated understanding of the quality assessment, defects and good handling practices for wood and stainless steel materials. A Façade Design Maintainability Worksheet is also proposed and validated with a hypothetical application onto a development’s design planning phase.