Double skin façade cavities; A parametric study

Harris Poirazis, Division of Energy and Building Design, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University

Since the nineties there is a strong interest in office buildings with highly glazed facades. Many have been built worldwide and even more are being built. However, their energy efficiency and quality of indoor environment are often questioned. The proper integration of Double Skin Façade systems can be a promising solution for improving the building performance while maintaining the “highly glazed” building concept. In order to accomplish successful building integration of Double Skin Façades it is essential to establish the necessary knowledge regarding the possibilities and limitations of the system.

The aim of this study is to investigate and determine the design parameters, which are crucial for the performance of a double skin facade. The design parameters studied were the mode of the façade, the geometry of the cavity, the glazing properties, the position of shading devices inside the cavity and the ventilation strategy. The simulations were carried out for selected climatic conditions, in order to study the system’s performance for different periods of the year.

Results were obtained regarding the inner surface (pane) temperatures and air temperatures at different heights of the Double Skin Facade cavity. The glazing type was proved to be one of the most important design parameters influencing the system’s performance. The geometry of the cavity was also proved to be crucial for the airflows (and the heat extraction) for the naturally ventilated façades, while the position of shading devices can influence in some cases the inner surface temperatures and thus the quality of the thermal environment.

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The Authors

Harris Poirazis Lund University Education: High school: 2nd high school of Thessaloniki University: Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) Polytechnic School of Xanthi Degree: M. Sc. in Environmental Engineering (February 2002) M... Read more