[BIFE ENG ver.] The function of the facade 1/3

1) Protection from the external environment

 

Protection from ext. envioronment

The facade is the first membrane where the building meets the outside environment. Protection from the outside environment is the most fundamental requirement associated with the nature of architectural behavior because the original reason for a human to construct buildings is to protect oneself from harsh external environments. So what kind of external environment does the facade protect its interior habitant from? The first problem is heat and cold. No matter how hot or cold the outdoor is, the indoor temperature should be kept constant. In other words, the facade must minimize heat loss or acquisition, reducing the response to external environments, even if they change from time to time.

 

The second item that the facade should protect inhabitants from is outside rain or wind. If it’s pouring while walking down the street, the first thing you do is to find a place to stay for a while. Likewise, one of the most basic roles of buildings is to keep inhabitants safe from rain and wind. The facades that prevent rain and wind are the airtight, moisture-proof, and waterproof membranes of the entire building. Airtightness is the tightness of the air, the moisture-proof is to prevent moisture, and the waterproof is to prevent water. But blocking air and water is not an easy job. This is because air and water can quickly penetrate inside by air pressure difference between inside and outside even if there is only a small gap.

 

2) Inlet of the external environment

 

The inlet of ext. environment

Earlier, we looked at the facade's capabilities to protect inhabitants from external environments. However, the facade must minimize the impact of the external environment, also at the same time, some of the external environments must be brought indoors. There are three main cases when we make openings in the facade to communicate with the external environment. The three are lighting, ventilation, and, of course, access.

 

What conditions do you see first when choosing a house? Probably sunlight and ventilation. Both conditions are essential to maintain a pleasant indoor environment. The occupant must be able to properly control the interior environment through the openings. This means that occupants should be able to control sunlight which is essential for activities, and if the air is stuffy, they should open the windows to mix the outside air with the inside air.

 

 These facade openings are essential to maintaining the indoor environment, but they are also vulnerable parts. Therefore, when designing an opening, it is necessary to prevent leaks of air and water and to take care of insulation. It is easy to see how vulnerable the openings are by touching them around the window frame in the winter. If the details of the openings are not carefully planned, you can feel the cold air penetrating inside with your palm.