102 results

  • Form as Energy

    All too often, high-performance building envelopes are considered in terms of new materials and technologies that push specific systems to improve

  • The First Triple Certified Facade

    Johnson Controls (JCI), a leading provider of intelligent building technology solicited the design of a 35,000sm headquarters for its Asia-Pacific

  • Exploring Heritage: Building on the Past

    Welcome to this edition of the SKINS newsletter, which is all about carbon! As guest editor this month, I am representing FTI’s embodied carbon (EC) working group. This issue highlights several important topics relative to embodied and the trade-offs with operational carbon.

  • Localized Rigidification of PCM Envelopes

    This is an experimental and computational exploration of structural systems that transform between states of rigidity and flexibility. The goal is to

  • Adaptive Building Envelope featured image

    Adaptive Building Envelope

    Designing a multi-functional building envelope as an architectural façade, environmental interface and solar collector is a multi-objective…
  • Algorithmic Patterns for Facade Design featured image

    Algorithmic Patterns for Facade Design

    Recently, building envelopes have been exhibiting complex shapes and patterns, a trend supported by current digital technologies. Likewise, the…
  • Next normal: Advanced composites for a changing industry

    This issue of SKINS will attempt to introduce you to composite materials in an accurate, useful and fairly in-depth way. But it’s only an introduction; it’s a start but by no means a rigorous exploration of the full potential of this remarkable material technology.

  • Prototyping with Ultra-Thin Glass featured image

    Prototyping with Ultra-Thin Glass

    This paper proposes system concepts and fabrication methods for the use of ultra-thin glass in facades. It documents the team's research on…
  • Catalytic Conversion featured image

    Catalytic Conversion

    Nowadays, the power of images is seductive. Bold and complex facades often have an innovative appearance but superficial tectonic depth;…
  • Shape Memory Alloy Activated Shading featured image

    Shape Memory Alloy Activated Shading

    A novel shading device for facade application was developed by combining innovative geometry elements (twisting cylinders) with a smart use of…
  • Facade Expansion Joint Systems

    As awareness around the seismic performance of buildings grows, it is becoming increasingly necessary to integrate seismic expansion joint cover

  • Facade Games

    This paper provides an overview of a course focusing on the façade as taught to architecture students over a twenty-year period. The need for this

  • Behind the Surface

    The architectural facade, like clothing for a building's form, serves as both an aesthetic expression and a protective veil, concealing the inner…
  • Academic Wood Tower Choreography featured image

    Academic Wood Tower Choreography

    With an ever-growing interest in mid- and high-rise mass timber construction, this paper highlights the insights and lessons learned across global…
  • Efficiency-Driven Facade Optimization

    As overall project schedules continue to contract and rising costs impact our design decisions, the importance of the design-assist phase for facades

  • Geometric Patterns as Architectural Forms

    Facade design is a key component of architectural expression, and increasingly a key design consideration due to growing importance of factors like: