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Climate Considerations For Facades, Ajla Aksamija

Ajla Aksamija

Facades are one of the most significant contributors to the energy budget and the comfort parameters of any building, and their designs and performance are essential factors for sustainable, energy-efficient, high-performance buildings. Basic methods for designing high-performance building facades include: orienting and developing geometry and massing of the building to respond to solar position, providing solar shading to control cooling loads and improve thermal comfort, using natural ventilation to reduce cooling loads and enhance air quality, minimizing energy used for artificial lighting and mechanical cooling and heating by optimizing exterior wall insulation and the use of daylighting. This article includes …