ABSTRACT
This paper presents an approach to design and evaluate the environmental performance of Adaptive Complex Façades (ACF) used for retrofitting buildings. The method here proposed couples Octopus, an optimization algorithm, with Kangaroo, a parametric design add-on, and ClimateStudio, an environmental performance analysis software. The aim is to design three-dimensional parametric envelopes with dynamic adaptive characteristics that improve buildings performance, in terms of reducing solar exposure while keeping both the daylight sufficiency and indoor thermal comfort at good levels for indoors. The proposed ACF consists of a metallic frame where an elastic mesh is anchored at four parameterizable and movable points to allow the mesh to be moved, opened, or closed, throughout the year. Compared to the case study with no ACF, the optimization showed a 37% reduction of the annual solar exposure, illuminances in the range of 300 to 2000 lux (vs 650 to 5350 lux), and PMV of ~1.6.
