Shading the façade

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.

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Successful building design has a lot to do with orientation.

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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.

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Acting together with thermal insulation, “deep” facades maintain areas of shade as the sun moves across the surface, lessening the thermal load.

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“Deep” facades are typically castellated, meaning that they change plane or are fitted with grooves and slots.

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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.

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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.

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We strongly believe that development should be regenerative – improving outcomes for both the environment and for people.