Ahmed Halim Hussein / et al/ Engineering Research Journal 171(September 2021/ A16– A34)

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CLIMATE RESPONSIVE FACADES

& ITS KINETIC APPLICATIONS

Ahmed Abdelwahed Mekhamar 1, Ahmed Halim Hussein 2,

Assistant lecturer, 2 Lecturer

1

Architecture Dep., Faculty of Engineering-Mattaria, Helwan University

Abstract
Facade systems have recently been transformed from simple passive elements to
more advanced and complex active systems that are able to act in an adaptive manner
and in response to the surrounding environment through changing buildings facades
behaviour, in terms of spatial configurations or characteristics of its external skin.
Responsive facades can improve building’s energy efficiency through improving
buildings energy savings by their capability to change their behaviour and/or
characteristics through exploiting stimulus-responsive materials and intelligent
control systems that can make a significant and valuable contribution to the success of
the buildings system as a whole.
This paper intends to display a brief overview of the existing different climate
responsive facades strategies through displaying a number of different environmental
responsive facades behaviours as well as goals that can be achieved by the
applications of such responsive facades. Based on the analysis of the illustrated case
studies considered in this paper, responsive behaviour of kinetic facades is
categorized under two main categories in response to two main types of stimuli that
usually buildings are subjected to which are solar radiation and natural air current.
Each one of these types is categorized into other sub categories which vary according
to a number of different factors such as the design strategy, desired function or
applied technology. the applications of kinetic solar responsive facades in this
research is divided into three main types, which are responding through architectonic
building movement, transformable shading systems and integrated kinetic shading
systems with PV cells. While natural air current and wind driven kinetic responsive
facades are divided in to two main types, which are air current responsive facades and
integrated air current responsive facades with wind energy collectors.
Adaptive architecture generally and responsive facades strategies specifically with
its wide range of applications is considered as an emergent and significant research
topic, based on its capability of reducing buildings energy consumption rates
drastically as well as improving the indoor living environments.

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Keywords: Responsive façades, Kinetic facades, Kinetic shading, Solar energy,

Wind energy, Solar responsive facades, Airflow responsive facades.

1- Introduction:
In the last decades, responsive facades applications have been extensively
approached due to the significant role it plays in conserving energy and raising
comfort levels, that’s why many researches have been carried out recently about
different responsive facade strategies and applications.
Building facades are subjected to a wide range of changing external climate
conditions due to their location at the boundary between inside and outside,
conventional building facades typically have static properties, with no ability to
respond to these changes, therefore making the shift to climate responsive building
facades may offer opportunities through taking advantage of the adaptive capabilities
and therefore allows for the transformation from ‘manufactured indoor environments’
to ‘naturally lit & ventilated indoor environments’ [1]. This paper is mainly
concerned about the behaviour of kinetic buildings facades and its responsiveness to
external climate conditions, through the ability to repeatedly and reversibly change
some of its characteristics, features or behaviour over time in order to respond to
changing occupant’s requirements and variable climate conditions, with the aim of
improving the overall building performance and indoor environmental quality.

2. Climate Adaptive Façades as a Mediator:

The recent development that occurred in building design practices have led to the
creation of a countless number of buildings with facades similar to each other,
regarding the used materials, appearance and design approach, creating
uncomfortable indoor environments that are totally isolated from external
environments and totally dependent on both electrical and mechanical systems during
large periods of time to meet the user’s needs. This dependency on both electrical and
mechanical systems, has increased buildings energy consumption rates through the
applications of mechanical ventilation, air heating/cooling systems, lighting systems
and all the other systems needed to provide an acceptable and comfortable indoor
environmental quality, that require not only energy input but also requires advanced
control systems in order to be able to follow the continuously changing ambient
conditions. Such continuous demand leads to the creation of manufactured indoor
spaces covered with buildings facades which acts in most of cases as a barrier that
aims to block any interaction between the buildings indoor and the surrounding
ambient, instead of acting as a mediator between the inside of the building and the
external environmental conditions.
From the above, we can understand that although building envelopes primary
function is to conserve energy and control occupants comfort, with additional
attention during the preliminary design process, climate adaptive facades can have the
ability to maximize occupant’s comfort, through thermal control, air quality &
ventilation, daylight and humidity, while also minimizing buildings running costs and
energy consumption rates to the minimum through reducing the usage of electricity
and even in some situations to transform electrical energy from the different
renewable natural sources rather than only decreasing buildings energy consumption
rates and electrical demand.

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3. Climate Kinetic Responsive Façade Types:

Normally, climate responsive façades act in response to external ambient factors
in the purpose of providing acceptable indoor environmental conditions which can be
described in terms of thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustic performance and
visual performance, as the way building façades respond to external factors can have
huge influence on the human comfort and satisfaction in multiple ways.
Climate responsive façade can have many different classifications according to
its control types, used materials, movement strategies, applied technologies, etc. while
in this research kinetic responsive facades are categorized based on the affecting
stimuli which is in this case, the climatic factor it is responding to, at which its
behavior is based on an occurrence of change in heat, light, or air current. This
research is mostly concerned about exploring and clarifying the two most significant
environmental responsive façade types, which are solar responsive facades and
natural air current (wind driven) responsive facades. (fig,1)
The first type is the solar responsive facades which continuously adapts to
external solar radiation in the form of the amount of daylight that needs to be
balanced continuously during the day in order to provide both thermal and visual
comfortable indoor conditions, as well as the thermal gain from solar radiations which
continuously change throughout the day and throughout the year and is one of the
most affecting factors on passive heating and cooling design. The second type is wind
and air current responsive facades, as air current and wind are considered to be a
significant environmental factor that is needed to be taken into consideration in
buildings design as it can significantly affect occupants comfort as well as building
performance [2].

Solar Kinetic Responsive Wind Driven Kinetic Responsive

Facades Facades

Responding through Whole Building Air Current Responsive Facades

Movement

Transformable Shading Systems Integrated Air Current Responsive

Facades with Wind Turbines
Integrated Kinetic Shading Systems
with PV Cells

3.1 Solar Kinetic Responsive Facades:

Solar responsive facades are responsive to the variable amount of solar radiation
that buildings are subjected to most of the times in different formats, and can usually
be achieved through the control of solar heat, solar light or both. In order to achieve
this, different strategies can be implemented in the dynamic façade design such as,
kinetic movement whether of the whole building or only parts of it or through the
common applications of external kinetic shading strategies.
Another significant purpose of solar kinetic responsive facades applications can
sometimes be generating electrical energy from solar energy in order to decrease
buildings demands and to improve buildings overall performance through the
complete or partial dependence on energy harvested from natural and renewable
resources.

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 Responding through Whole Building Movement:

This type of movement is considered to be complicated as sometimes the design

requires the whole building or some parts of it to move or rotate. An example of the
whole building kinetic movement is Heliotrope solar house in Germany, (Fig.1a)
which is the world’s first energy positive solar house, the building is mounted on a
pole, and it is set to rotate around 180 degrees through the day, in response to the
preferred solar orientation. Despite the fact that the fixed solar panels installed on the
top of the building produce the energy needed to make it a positive solar house, we
are mostly interested about the kinetic motion strategy of the whole structure of the
building that rotates so as to direct windows towards the sun in winter while during
summer the building rotates to provide shade [3]. A different type of motion can be
found in the Sharifi-ha House in Iran (Fig.2b), at which the building facade is
composed of three movable boxes with a new and innovative structural system [4],
this system allows the three parts of the house to individually and dynamically
respond to solar radiation and occupants needs, through sliding & rotating to provide
different angles of solar exposure throughout the day.
One of the most recent and significant examples clarifying the innovation in
creating buildings that moves is the Quadrant House in Poland (Fig.1c). The idea
behind the design was to provide part of the house with the ability to move and to
react according to the movement of the sun during the day and the year. The terrace of
the house is designed to rotate independently with different angles, and the control
system is fully automated in direct response to the sun and solar radiation, in order to
provide higher levels of shade in summer and to allow more sunlight penetration
during winter [5].

 Transformable Shading Systems:

This type can be demonstrated through either traditional manually operated

shading systems or modern mechanical systems that has a wide range of innovative
applications and movements, such as (rotational, retractable, sliding, active
daylighting and self-adjusting kinetic applications). One of the first architects who
applied the concept of kinetic shading in buildings facades design in a magnificent
and innovative way was Jean Nouvel, who created a modern mashrabia-like screen
placed on the south facade of the iconic building Institut du Monde Arabe (Fig.2a).
Being inspired by the architecture of the middle east, the architect created a novel sun
screen composed of a huge number of responsive metallic brise soleil units that are
automatically controlled so as to modulate daylight penetration and solar heat gain
throughout the day [6].
A more common application of kinetic responsive solar radiation shading systems
can be found in Melbourne’s Council House 2 building (Fig.2b) constructed in 2006.
At which the west façade of the building is completely covered by a large number of
vertical kinetic timber louvers that are controlled by photocells which tracks the sun’s
path and changes the louvers rotation angle accordingly [7] in order to provide the
most appropriate indoor day lighting levels and thermal conditions. One year later in
Austria, Kiefer Technic Showroom building (Fig.2c) was constructed, which is
considered to be another significant building with an innovative folding responsive
façade. The external façade is composed of aluminium panels that can be both
automatically and individually controlled so as to open and close through vertically
folding and has the ability to change its form continuously throughout the day in order
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to reach the most desired indoor lighting and thermal conditions [8].
Another vertical kinetic shading system was applied on the external facades of the
Q1 building, ThyssenKrupp's Headquarters (Fig.2d), while this time, the innovative
sun shading facade is composed of stainless steel lamellas made of horizontal
cantilevered slats, which are all connected to a central stud that have the ability to
twist independently, and rotate through a certain range of angles (from 0º to 90º), for
the sake of enabling daylight control without blocking the view [9]. While in Kuggen
building, a rotational kinetic shading strategy is applied through the installation of a
solar tracking movable sun screen that is installed to rotate around the top floors of
the circular building [10]. the rotating sun screened was designed to be a photovoltaic
shade screen, and its motion is responsive to the sun ray’s movement around the
building throughout the day (Fig.2e).
One last example of applying kinetic shading strategies in building facades is the
iconic building Al Bahar Towers in Dubai (Fig.2f). At which the building’s
responsive façade is a remarkable example of origami shading, the building façade is
composed of a unique shading screen composed of a group of origami shaped
triangles, placed two meters outside the buildings’ exterior on an independent frame
[11]. Each one of the triangles is coated with fiberglass and is folded in a multi axis
direction and programmed to move in response to the movement of the sun.

 Integrated Kinetic Shading Systems with PV Cells:

Installing kinetic shading features on external buildings facades helps in

improving indoor quality through decreasing thermal load gains & regulating daylight
penetration during the day as well as improving building’s overall performance. while
installing kinetic features with solar energy collection has more goals further than the
improvement of indoor quality and building performance, as it seeks to efficiently
decrease buildings energy consumption through generating electricity from renewable
sources (solar radiation), and in some cases the system can be connected to the main
utility grid in order to sell energy if the collected energy is more than the buildings
own consumption. This type of shading usually relies on installing integrated
photovoltaics, and is considered as a more efficient solution due to its ability to
change its orientation unlike the common portable panels usually installed at the top
of the buildings.
In 2012, two buildings in two different countries approached the concept of
integrating shading elements with photovoltaics cells through two different
applications, the first building is the Energy & Environment Innovation Building in
Japan (Fig.3a), the whole south & west façades are covered by a solar envelope that is
composed of almost 4570 kinetic photovoltaic panels, that open and close with
different angles in response to the solar radiation amount in different seasons [12].
The other building is the RMIT Design Hub in Australia (Fig.3b), the building facade
is composed of two layers at which the inner skin is composed of double glazed
façade while the outer skin is an automated operable sun shading circular cells made
of sandblasted glass and have been designed so that they can be replaced by
photovoltaic cells [13].
Another example of the kinetic shading strategies with solar energy collection
applications in buildings facades is the adaptive photovoltaic novel prototype cells at
the Adaptive Solar Façade (House of Natural Resources), these cells combined
together creates a self-supporting solar collection facade that can be applied on a wide
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range of existing buildings facades as an external layer so as to enhance its

performance [14]. Externally installed solar panels on buildings facades can be linked
together to a single mechanical driver which can help in continuously adjusting the pv
panels orientation towards the sun. (Fig.3c). This can sometimes result in up to 40%
savings and improve buildings efficiency in comparison to fixed static panels.

3.2 Wind Driven Kinetic Responsive Facades

Wind driven kinetic responsive facades are systems that respond to surrounding
natural air current and wind, in order to provide high rates of natural ventilation to the
inside of the buildings as well as to maintain high indoor air quality. Certain types of
facades have also the ability to perform other functions such as controlling water
vapour rates, odours and pollutants that usually accumulates inside poorly ventilated
indoor spaces. Wind driven responsive systems goals can be achieved through either
kinetic movement of façade elements in order to facilitate natural ventilation process
& provide appropriate thermal conditions in the inside of the buildings, or through
generating electricity by converting wind energy into electrical energy, which is
applicable in only some cases and types of buildings and its applications are usually
less common.

• Air Current Responsive Facades

The first and most common type of kinetic air current responsive applications for
environmental and sustainability purposes, is the type that responds to surrounding air
current through the kinetic movement of building integrated facade elements, such as
the case in the San Francisco Federal Building (Fig.4a), the natural ventilation main
concept was to take advantage of the strong winds oriented towards the north-west
façade during summer. Windows of all floors above the 5th floor are automatically
controlled in response to wind speed and air current direction [15], to create what can
be described as a living skin that facilitates natural ventilation throw allowing the
intake of fresh air directly to the inside of the building through the day. While during
night, all windows are automatically opened to flush out the accumulated heat and to
allow the night cold air current to cool the inside of the building.
Just like San Francisco Federal Building, Manitoba Hydro Place (Fig.4b), was
also designed from the beginning to depend on natural ventilation and to provide 100
% fresh air during the year through creating a highly energy efficient building. The
envelope of the building is composed of an inner glazed facade and external double
glazed façade with operable windows. [16] Windows located on the external facade
are motorized so as to help in modulating the thermal conditions through natural
ventilation, while windows located on the internal façade are manually operated for
natural air intake according to occupant’s preferences.
Another significant example is KfW Westarkade, Frankfurt, Germany (Fig.4c).
the design concept was to provide the building with natural ventilation independent of
the ambient conditions and external weather, so beside the buildings orientation, the
outer skin is composed of a double-layered wind-pressurized façade consisting of
windows which are closed in winter, at which the pressurized air inside the cavity
wall acts like a thermal barrier and helps in providing the internal spaces with better
thermal conditions. While in summer windows are opened, to allow the air flow
through the façade and into the inside of the building. [17]

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 Integrated Air Current Responsive Facades with Wind Turbines:

The second and less common type of wind driven responsive strategies
applications in buildings facades is wind energy harnessing through converting wind
and air current energy into mechanical or electrical energy in order to decrease the
reliance on non-renewable energy sources, as well as to decrease buildings energy
consumption rates and increase buildings efficiency. Although a wide range of
buildings have applied the idea of independently attaching wind catchers, turbines and
cooling towers with different types and shapes externally to buildings, only few has
actually integrated such concepts within the skin of the building façade itself through
exploiting the concept of building mounted wind turbines. Some examples of these
applications are clarified in this section.
One of the most interesting examples of this type of applications is the
distinguished six yellow wind turbines installed at the top of CH2 Melbourne City
Council House 2 (Fig.5a), that acts as a landmark in Melbourne city, Australia. The
installed turbines which are integrated at the top of the building façade, doesn’t only
help in generating electricity from prevailing wind energy during the day, but also
helps in extracting and exhausting the accumulated heat from the inside of the
building during night [18]. Another example for wind energy collection façades is the
Strata Tower in south London (Fig.5b), the tower front elevation is slightly concaved
and oriented towards the south-west winds so as to channel and capture the maximum
possible wind and air current, with three five special curved shape bladed (nine-meter
diameter) wind turbines integrated at the top of the tower. The building was originally
estimated to provide almost 8% of the total building’s electrical energy needs [19].
While both of the above mentioned case studies has integrated wind turbines with
different types to the top of their buildings facades, a totally different design solution
was adopted in Greenway Self Park building (Fig.5c), at which the technology
applied for harnessing wind energy in the building is based on installing lightweight
aluminum vertical axis wind turbines that are installed vertically along the southwest
corner of the building. One of the benefits of applying such system is that each one of
the installed wind turbines has the ability to rotate independently and can also capture
wind from different directions, which helps in increasing its efficiency and energy
production rates. [20]
In the following part a number of 6 tables are represented, that clarifies and
summarizes all the case studies discussed in the paper for both of the solar and wind
driven kinetic responsive facades.

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Solar Kinetic Responsive Facades

Table 1: Responding through Whole Building Movement
Project information Kinetic Strategy Façade image & Details

The Heliotrope solar

Name Heliotrope Solar House cylinder floor slabs
are connected to a
Year 1994 vertical mechanically
Location Germany rotating tube, giving
the building the
Architect ability to rotate in
Ralph Disch
response to solar
radiation.
Refrence [21]

Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Mechanical mechanism

Type motor &rotating
Building movement for
Design Purpose shading & generating
energy
Reinforced concrete base
Element Material
& wooden Floors (Building Plan) a
Name Sharifi-ha House The Building volume
can open and close
inresponse to solar
Year 2013 radiation through the
Location Tehran, Iran movement of the
motorized sliding and
Next Office - Alireza rotating mechanism
Architect
Taghaboni of the three clarified
Refrence [22], [23] rectangular blocks.

Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Motorised mechanism &

Type BMS control
Building Movement
Design Purpose
Shading

Element Material Steel structure b

(Building 3D model)

Name Quadrant House A section of the

building pivots up to
90 degrees, while
Year 2018 the structure control
Location Katowice, Poland system is automated
and integrated with
Architect Robert Konieczny, KWK safety sensors due to
its location in the
Refrence [24] ground floor.

Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Fully automated - possible

Type manual control
Building Movement
Design Purpose
Shading
Monolithic technology -
Element Material
concrete (Building Plan)
c

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Solar Kinetic Responsive Facades

Table 2: Transformable Shading Systems
Project information Kinetic Strategy Façade image & Details
Institut du Monde A metal shading sun
Name Arabe screen with kinetic
geometric panels is
Year 1987 installed, composed
Location Paris, France of a large number of
sophisticated folding
Jean Nouvel
Architect photo sensitive
sliding shutters that
Refrence are automatically
[25]
controlled.
Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Central Control - Hydraulic

Type Actuators
Shading by External
Design Purpose
Façade Elements

Element Material Glass, Steel a

(Panel Elevation)
Council House 2
Name Vertical integrated
Building timber louvres are
contolled to swivel
Year 2006 horizontally up to 90
Location Melbourne, Australia degrees in direct
Mick Pearce, response to solar
Architect radiation to optimise
DesignInc.
daylight penetration.
Refrence [26]

Responsive to Solar Responsive

Central Control - Light
System & Control
Sensors - Hydraulic
Type
Actuators
Shading by External
Design Purpose
Façade Elements

Element Material Cycled Timber

(Panel Plan) b
Kiefer Technic
Name Perforated aluminum
Showroom horizontal panels
are individually and
Year 2007 centrally controlled
Location Gleichenberg, Austria to fold and retract in
the ver tical direction
Ernst Giselbrecht & in response to solar
Architect
Partner radiation.
Refrence [27]

Responsive to Solar Responsive

Central Control - Light
System & Control
Sensors - Motor based
Type
Actuators
Shading by External
Design Purpose
Façade Elements

Element Material Aluminum

(Panel Section) c

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Solar Kinetic Responsive Facades

Table 2: Transformable Shading Systems
Project information Kinetic Strategy Façade image & Details
Q1 building,
Name ThyssenKrupp's the 400,000 stainless
steel shading panels
Headquarters
at the external skin ,
Year 2010 are automatically
Location Essen, Germany controlled to rotate
JSWD Architekten & horizontaly and also
Architect Morel independantly to
redirect daylight and
Refrence [25], [28] to provide shade in
response to solar
Responsive to Solar Responsive radiation.

Light Sensors- Motor

System & Control
based Actuators - Central
Type
Control
Shading by External
Design Purpose
Façade Elements

Element Material Stainless Steel d

(Panel Plan)

Name Kuggen Building A curved ex ternal sun

screen mesh installed
at the building's
Year 2011
external skin, are
Location Sweden supported on a metal
GERT WINGÅRDH, JONAS track surrounding the
Architect EDBLAD circular top floor plan
of the cylindrical
Refrence [29] building.

Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Light Sensors -

Type Central Control
Shading by External
Design Purpose
Façade Elements

Element Material Metal Track & Sun Screen

(Building Plan) e
Name Al Bahar Towers The origami shaped
triangular shading
units are installed at
Year 2012
the building external
Location Abu Dhabi, UAE facade, at which each
Aedas Architects unit is composed of a
Architect group of six adjoining
panels that folds and
Refrence [30] unfolds automatically
inresponse to solar
Responsive to Solar Responsive radiation.

System & Control Sensors - Central Control -

Type Hydraulic, Linear Actuators

Shading by External
Design Purpose
Façade Elements

Element Material PTFE - Fiberglass

(Unit Elevation) f

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Solar Kinetic Responsive Facades

Table 3: Integrated Kinetic Shading Systems with PV Cells
Project information Kinetic Strategy Façade image & Details
Energy & Environment
The south west
Name Innovation Building facades covered by a
grid of externally
Year 2012 rectangular solar cell
Location Tokyo, Japan panels have the
ability to rotate
Architect Yoshiharu Tsukamoto vertically inorder to
maximize the direct
Refrence daylight penetration.
[31]

Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Light sensors - Central

Type control (BMS)
Shading & generating
Design Purpose
energy

Element Material Photovoltaic cells

(Pa nel Secti on) a
Name Each single sun
RMIT Design Hub
shading circular cell
in the sun shading
Year 2012 screen is fixed to
Location Melbourne, Australia either a horizontal or
vertical aluminium
Architect Sean Godsell Architects axel from the middle
at which every cell is
Refrence [32], [33] controlled & has the
ability to rotate
Responsive to Solar Responsive individualy .

Light Sensors - Central

System & Control
control - motor based
Type
acutators
Shading & Generating
Design Purpose
Energy
Sandblasted glass
Element Material
& PVC (Uni t El eva ti on) b
Adaptive Solar Façade,
Name External integrated
House of Natural
square shaped PVC
Resources panels have the
Year 2015 ability to change its
Location Zürich, Switzerland orientation through
rotating individually
Architect ETH Zurich’s Research in different directions
,controlled by silicon
Refrence [14] soft acutators and
cantilever brackets.
Responsive to Solar Responsive

System & Control Light sensors - Central

Type control (BMS)

Design Purpose Generating energy

Element Material Photovoltaic cells

(Uni t El eva ti on) c

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Wind Driven Kinetic Responsive Facades

Table 4 : Air Current Responsive Facades
Project information Kinetic Strategy Façade image & Details

San Francisco Federal Prevailing winds

Name
Building directed towards the
buildings northwest
Year 2007 facade, enters and
Location California, USA circulate air through
Brandon Welling, Jon the office open
Architect spaces and channels
Ghera Smith Group
fresh air through the
Refrence [34] building's breathable
skin.
Wind & Air current
Responsive to
Responsive
System & Control Central Computer -
Type Mechanical

Design Purpose Natural Ventilation

Element Material Glass Façade Windows

(Window section) a
Name Manitoba Hydro Place An ex ternal building
double facade with
integrated windows
Year 2009 that are automaticaly
Location Manitoba, Canada controlled at the
Smith Carter Architects & external facade and
Architect Engineers manually operable
windows on the inner
Refrence [16], [35] wall, add to the
natural ventilation.
Wind & Air current
Responsive to
Responsive
System & Control Central Computer -
Type Mechanical

Design Purpose Natural Ventilation

Element Material Glass Façade Windows b

(Double facade section)

KfW Westarkade The wind pressurised

Name
external double skin
façade is like a ring
Year 2010 surrounding the
Location Frankfurt, Germany building with a large
Sauerbruch number of dynamic
Architect HuttonHamiltons, controlled flaps that
Laboratory Taghaboni can offer natural
Refrence ventilation when
[36]
desired, independent
Wind & Air current of the external
Responsive to
Responsive climate conditions.
System & Control Central Computer -
Type Mechanical

Design Purpose Natural Ventilation

Element Material Glass Façade Windows c

(Double facade plan)

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Wind Driven Kinetic Responsive Facades

Table 5: Integrated Air Current Responsive Facades with Wind Turbines
Project information Kinetic Strategy Façade image & Details
CH2 Melbourne City
Name The spinning vertical
Council House 2 axis rooftop micro
turbines, are located
Year 2006 on the north facade
Location Melbourne, Australia at which main rotor
shafts are being
Architect DesignInc positioned transverse
to the wind direction.
Refrence [26]

Responsive to Wind Responsive

System & Control

Auotomatic Control
Type

Design Purpose Generating Energy

Cement render system

Element Material
(back of turbines) (Turbine Elevation) a
Strata SE1 Tower
Name The three horizontal
axis wind turbines
with 5 aerodynamic
Year 2010 blades fitted to a
Location London, United Kingdom rortor are oriented
BFLS (formerly Hamiltons) towards the direction
Architect LaboratoryTaghaboni of the prevailing
winds.
Refrence [19], [37]

Responsive to Wind Responsive

System & Control

Auotomatic Control
Type

Design Purpose Generating Energy

Element Material Structural Steel b

(Turbine Elevation)

Name Greenway Self Park Vertical axis wind

turbines integrated
to the corner of the
Year 2010 building, are stacked
Location Chicago in two double helical
columns, it has low
Architect HOK wind velocity and can
eploite wind from
Refrence [20], [38] any direction.

Responsive to Wind Responsive

System & Control

Auotomatic Control
Type

Design Purpose Generating Energy

Element Material Lightweight Aluminuim c

(Turbine Plan)

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4. Discussion:
The first type of the illustrated case studies in the illustrated case studies, is the
movement of the whole building or only particular buildings parts in response to solar
radiation, such type of movement has been implemented in the early design stages of
kinetic responsive design applications. Although this type of responsive behavior
implements a dynamic structural system mechanism and needs a complex operating
system, still it has proven to be successful in most of the existing case studies and
efficiently responsive to the ambient environmental conditions, as well as adding an
iconic & aesthetic value to buildings in most of cases.
The second type of solar responsive facades is the applications of transformable
shading systems which is the most common applied strategy in most of the responsive
buildings facades applications. Many architects and designers have applied such
strategy but with different technologies, materials and applications, many examples
for such applications in buildings are available, but only some case studies have been
mentioned in this research as examples for clarification of the wide range of complex
shading systems and applications.
While the third and last clarified strategy of solar responsive strategies is
considered to be an emerging design field with the intention of generating energy
(from solar radiation) and has proved its efficiency through a number of recent
applications in buildings facades mainly through integrating dynamic photovoltaic
cells. In most of cases this types depends on the implementation of high cost complex
operating & control systems to create innovative solar building skins that have the
ability to be installed on different existing external buildings facades.
On the other hand, it has been noticed that natural air current and wind driven
responsive systems relatively new applications are also oriented to fulfill similar
environmental goals but through responding within different range of behaviors
according to the nature of affecting stimuli. There is a number of design
considerations regarding wind effects and the study of temperature differences that
have an influence on determining the appropriate type of implemented responsive
behavior. Centrally controlled openings and windows can be integrated within
responsive buildings external façade skin for regulating natural ventilation intake,
also creating pressurized ventilated mediated space between the external double skin
façades can help in providing comfortable indoor thermal conditions & continuously
regulating indoor ventilation rates.
Unlike solar responsive facades, generating electrical energy from wind energy
through responsive facades integrated elements is not a commonly applied design
concept. only few applications have actually tried to harness wind power or generate
electricity through applying kinetic wind driven responsive concepts within buildings
façades, as generating electrical energy from wind as a renewable source of energy
usually requires the applications of wind turbines and its integration within external
building’s façade skin, that requires both high construction and maintenance costs, as
well as the operation considerations that are needed to be taken into consideration as
clarified in Table 6 below.

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Table 6: Classification Summary

Project Name Design Goals Kinetic Response Operation Considerations
•Visual comfort •180 degrees building •Dynamic buildings movement
Heliotrope Solar •Thermal comfort rotataion arround central requires innovative structural
Responding through Whole

House •Energy Positive Solar load-bearing column solutions and mechanical

Building Movement

Home systems.
•Thermal comfort •Openness & closure of •Requires Complex and high
Sharifi-ha House building volume through cost operating systems.
turning boxes
•Thermal comfort •Segment of the house is
Quadrant House able to rotate 90 degrees

Institut du •Thermal comfort •Metal sun screen •Considerable attention for

Monde Arabe composed of photo material selection is required
sensitive sliding shutters to achieve performance and
Council House 2 •Visual comfort •Integrated vertical louvres operation efficiency.
Solar Kinetic Responsive Facades

Building •Thermal comfort swivel horizontally to 90 •Different kinetic movement

degrees typologies implemented in
Transformable Shading Systems

Kiefer Technic •Visual comfort •Centraly controlled each building is decided

Showroom •Thermal comfort horizontal folding according to design concept
aluminum panels and targeted building
Q1 •Visual comfort •Horizontal rotation of performance.
ThyssenKrupp's •Thermal comfort stainless steel shading •Operating shading strategies
Headquarters louvers & panels may sometimes require the
•Visual comfort •A curved rotating external integration between manual
Kuggen Building •Thermal comfort sun screen mesh and automated systems to
achieve occupant’s
•Visual comfort •Geometric panels slides to satisfaction.
Al Bahar Towers •Thermal comfort create folding and
unfolding mechanism
Energy & •Visual comfort •A grid of vertically rotating •Periodical surface cleaning is
Environment •Thermal comfort rectangular solar cell panels required to maintain the
Integrated Kinetic Shading
Systems with PV Cells

Innovation Bldg •Solar energy generation performance efficiency.

•Visual comfort •Circular PV cells that •Implementation of smart
RMIT Design Hub •Thermal comfort rotate around either control & operating systems
•Solar energy generation horizontal or vertical axis are required.
Adaptive Solar •Visual comfort •Dynamically rotating PVC •High cost of Initial PVC
Façade, House of •Thermal comfort panels installation.
Natural Resources •Solar energy generation
•Natural ventilation •A building's breathable •Temperature differences
San Francisco
Air Current Responsive Facades

•Improved air quality skin allows prevailed wind between external & internal
Federal Building
& fresh air to the indoors environments may require
•Natural ventilation •Double facade with both different operation plans.
Manitoba Hydro
•Improved air quality automated & manually •The integration between
Wind Driven Kinetic Responsive Facades

Place
operated windows mechanical and natural
•Natural ventilation •Wind pressurized ventilation systems is required
KfW Westarkade •Improved air quality external double skin façade to guarantee occupants
thermal comfort.
CH2 Melbourne •Wind energy generation •A spinning vertical axis •Surrounding urban context &
City Council rooftop integrated micro buildings heights can lead to
Air Current Responsive Facades with Wind

House 2 turbines air current turbulence which

affects the operation of wind
•Wind energy generation •A three horizontal axis turbines.
Turbines

wind turbines integrated at •wind turbines Installation

Strata SE1 Tower
the upper part of the may lead to vibration & sound
building pollution problems.
•Wind energy generation •Vertical axis wind turbine •Wind turbines integration
Greenway Self integrated to building's requires complicated
Park corner & stacked in 2 structural solutions.
double helical columns •High cost maintenance

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Based on reviews of representative case studies in this research, it was found out
that different facades implemented wind turbines with different shapes, sizes and
technologies. These applications are usually highly complicated and might be
sometimes problematic, it needs to be installed at certain calculated heights in order to
be certain that it will be able to catch sufficient air current and wind speed to work
efficiently, also other considerations such as the vibration resulting from the
movement of blades and turbines, sound pollution and structural loads needs to be
taken into consideration. Unfortunately, it was claimed by a large number of
researchers, designers and occupants, that some of the existing and clarified wind
turbines applications within external buildings facades and rooftops in this research
has some major downsides. Some of the recent claims have stated different reasons
for the inefficiency of wind turbines applications in façade design, such as the three
wind turbines installed at the top of the Strata Tower that was claimed by buildings
residents that it rarely moved since the completion of its construction [39].
One of the expected reasons of wind turbines integration in building’s façades
inefficiency is the relatively low height of wind turbines applications as the friction
caused by the ground and surrounding built environment produces turbulence which
slow the flow of air current and accordingly affect the efficiency of energy generation
[40], other mentioned reasons are usually referring to problems associated with sound
proofing issues resulting from the vibration of buildings integrated wind turbines.

5 Conclusion:
The proposed classification in this paper is based on the analysis of a wide range
of international case studies at which, it can be concluded that the majority of
environmental kinetic responsive facades applications has two main significant goals,
the first is to help in enhancing indoor environments through improving different
comfort factors which can be described in terms of improving indoor air quality,
thermal comfort levels, natural ventilation & improving daylighting quality, which
would lead eventually to decreasing buildings consumption rates and increase
buildings efficiency. While the second goal goes far and beyond the desire to decrease
buildings energy consumption rates, as this goal seeks to exploit the available natural
energy sources such as solar radiation and wind, through implementing responsive
elements in buildings facades that can respond in kinetic manner in order to help in
generating electricity from ambient renewable sources rather than creating buildings
that only depends on nonrenewable energy as its main source of power.
Many researches have been carried out about different climate responsive kinetic
strategies. However, it was found from the discussion above that there is a current
deficiency in the applications of energy generations through kinetic elements
integration within building facades whether in solar responsive facades which has the
potential of applying further innovative solar radiation collecting technologies, or in
wind energy collection through applying wind turbines in buildings façades, that was
shown to have many downsides which sometimes are major deficiencies that may
even lead to its deactivation. this gives designers and researchers the chance to further
investigate such significant field of study through further experimenting new
innovative strategies and modified applications.

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