Innovative Façade Solutions: The Architecture of tomorrow has many Facets and Faces

Facades not only give Buildings their characteristic Appearance, they also have to meet increasingly high technical Standards and be energetically Sustainable.

According to a Study by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany, Buildings cause around 35 Percent of final Energy Consumption and one third of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Germany. This Value is sometimes even higher in other Countries. The Façade of the Future counteracts Climate change and ideally combines physical, energy-technical and Design Aspects. The Construction Industry and Science are faced with the great Challenge of optimally exploiting the potential of Building Envelopes through intelligent and cross-trade Planning. Promising Research approaches and innovative Façade Solutions from practice already exist.

BIQ - The algae Facade

In the Wilhelmsburg district of Hamburg, the Residential Building BIQ was built in 2013 as a flagship Model of sustainable Architecture. It has a bioreactor Façade that Supplies the Building with Energy. In panel-shaped Panels microalgae are grown in it, which produce biomass and heat through Photosynthesis. Subsequently, they are harvested and recycled for Biogas Production. In addition to the Biomass, heat is generated which can be used for Heating and hot Water.

This holistic regenerative Energy Concept sets new Standards in sustainable Building.

Innovative Photovoltaic Modules from Research

The Future of sustainable Architecture lies in Solar Power Generation. Many Facades offer the best conditions for the integration of Photovoltaic Modules due to their large Area. Unfortunately, for budgetary reasons, the Technology is rarely included in Building Design. Research and Development therefore pursue the ambitious Goal of reconciling Economic and ecological Aspects. For Example, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have developed an innovative Process in Module Production under the name of TPedge, which replaces cost-intensive film lamination in the manufacturing Process.

A wafer-based Solar Module can be produced in Serial Production within one Minute. By Comparison, the Standard Method takes 16 minutes.

Today, 70 Solar Modules of the innovative Pilot Project decorate the exterior Façade of a Laboratory Building of the ISE in Freiburg/ Germany.

A Solar Cell with a view

Another pioneering Method for sustainable Energy is currently being researched by Scientists at Michigan State University. They are looking for a way to use Windows of Buildings for the Production of Solar Energy. Last year, they introduced a Technology for Transparent Solar Cells that could transform Glass Facades into Power Plants. The researchers focused their attention on a Part of the light Spectrum that can not be perceived by the Human Eye. So they could Develop a Solar Concentrator, which, placed on a Windowpane, produces Electricity and is invisible to Humans. The Technology is still in its infancy, but in the Future an Efficiency of 20 percent should be possible.

Sustainable Façade Solution based on the Example of the new Building of the Spiegel Publishing House

Although the Client achieves Energy Efficiency through the large-Area closing and Insulation of Wall Surfaces, the feel-good Factor remains in the path of these gloomy Buildings. An intelligent Division of closed and glazed Facade Surfaces is therefore the ideal Solution. This was impressively achieved by the Architects of Henning Larsen Architects when planning the new Spiegel Publishing House at Ericusspitze in Hamburg. The outer, glazed Building shell looks like a "Window to the City", which can also be used for Multimedia Projections. The thermal insulation Glazing is Energy Efficient and Protects against overheating in Summer and cooling in Winter.

The interior Wall of the imposing Building is 35 percent closed and therefore energetically sustainable.

The closed-cavity Facade

The Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt features Germany's first closed-cavity Façade, a double-skinned Building skin with a completely enclosed Space.

The Ventilation of the Room and the Separation of Outdoor and Indoor Climate improves the Energy Efficiency. A Sunscreen, which is placed between the two Layers, adapts to the existing lighting Conditions and ensures that the Indoor Climate is cool in Summer and does not cool down in Winter. As a Result, Heating and

Air Conditioning are rarely used. That in turn increases sustainability. But the double Shell also has a Drawback: The Discs pollute because of Condensation.

Since the new Facade Type is completely self-contained and can not be opened, the Maintenance of parts of Buildings such as the Sun Shading Motor is a Challenge

in addition to cleaning. But there are already promising Ideas for Optimization.

take Chances

These Examples show that all Innovative Façade Solutions will pursue a central Goal in the Future: sustainability and Energy Efficiency.

The Potential is as great as the Building Envelopes themselves. Now it's Time to make the most of the Opportunities.