Looking beyond sustainable design, nicholas always strives to make buildings which contribute positively to the biosphere. This means not simply “keeping things as they are” – which “sustainability” implies – but making a real difference.
Successful building design has a lot to do with orientation.
Where buildings directly face the sun – and particularly in the easterly, southerly and westerly orientations – we advocate for “deep” facades and deliberate shading of the glass line.
Acting together with thermal insulation, “deep” facades maintain areas of shade as the sun moves across the surface, lessening the thermal load.
“Deep” facades are typically castellated, meaning that they change plane or are fitted with grooves and slots.
Shading the glass line is important because glass offers the lowest thermal resistance of any building component.
When in direct sunlight, glass can be heated to 50∞C or more.
When shaded, glass might, in the Middle East summer, experience an external ambient temperature which is considerably lower – perhaps 38-40∞C.
Shading the façade results in lower energy usage for cooling, which also benefits occupants through reduced glare and improved thermal comfort in zones adjacent to the envelope.
We strongly believe that development should be regenerative – improving outcomes for both the environment and for people.
