(2) 6 representative works
1. Environmental analysis
Environmental analysis is the analysis of environmental factors that affect the comfort of the building users. The elements include solar radiation, shadow, vision, etc. Facade engineers analyze how much direct sunlight enters the building or shadows are made by other buildings. As a result of this analysis, a shading system that blocks direct sunlight may be installed on the facade, or, on the contrary, if there are a lot of shadows, a building may be built in a sense and a form that can receive as much sunlight as possible. Views are also important factors. Views not only concern with the comfort of inhabitants but also a highly influential factor in the case of pricing a certain room or flat. Typical simulation tools analyzing these tasks include Ladybug and Diva, plug-ins of Rhino Grasshopper software.
2. Structure calculation
The structure of the facade usually hangs from the architectural structure. The facade structure is not the main structure that affects the entire building, but it must bear the weight of the facade itself and nicely carry the generated load to the architectural structure.
The facade engineer also works on calculating these facade structures. The structural calculation of the facade is relatively simple because the combination of loads and the types of loads that work are less(e.g. weight, wind, and snow loads) compared to the architectural structure calculations. Typical computer tools for calculating facade structures include Karamba, the plug-in of Rhino Grasshopper software, or software Solidworks.
3. Thermal calculation
Another calculation that facade engineers do is thermal calculation. The facade is affected by the external environment in all areas. As a result, overall energy performance is highly connected with the energy performance of the facade.
The thermal performance of a facade is determined by the concept of how much heat flows are made through the facade. It is indicated using the term, U-Value. It is used to determine the heat acquisition and loss of the facade, and the energy efficiency performance of the building. Requirements for facade thermal performance are increasing as energy-saving design standards(codes) are strengthened.
Thermal calculations are required not only to obtain the u-value of the facade but also to calculate the shrinkage/expansion rate of the material in response to the heat. Materials shrink and expand as temperature changes, which, if not taken into account, may result in unexpected facade collisions or failures. It is also up to the facade engineer to calculate the shrinkage/expansion of the material and reflect it in the facade design. Typical tools for calculating the thermal performance of facades include Therm and Window from LBNL.
Image sources are from,
parametrichouse.com/ladybug-grasshopper/ ¹
www.neoarchaic.net/resources/grasshopper/field-of-view/ ²
www.karamba3d.com/examples/simple/shell-cross-section-optimization/ ⁴
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