Archinect - News

Zigzag facades found to be the coolest wall solution for lowering energy consumption in new Columbia study

2024-08-12T15:46:00-04:00

Corrugated facade patterns were shown to reduce surface temperature on structures by up to 3.1°C (5.6°F) in a new experiment from a team of researchers at Columbia University. Their research into a scalable FinWall model, first published this spring in Cell Reports Physical Science, provided insights into a less common radiative cooling (RC) solution for walls to complement more popular techniques, such as white roofs affecting areas of the building envelope that receive considerable less heat stress from the ground.

Furthermore, "building simulations indicate that a mid-rise apartment building equipped with FinWalls can save 24% (or 10%) annual energy versus the same building with high-emissivity walls (or low-emissivity walls) in the US," the paper states. The product allows for retractable fins containing alternatively emissive and reflective surfaces to be deployed in order to "seamlessly transition between the cooling mode and the heating mode by adjusting [their] orientation....

SHoP’s Uber headquarters 'breathes' with smart accordion-style windows

2022-05-26T11:47:00-04:00

New York-based SHoP has completed work on the Uber Headquarters in San Francisco. The 423,000-square-foot project is divided into two buildings ranging between six and eleven stories, linked by two suspended walkways.

Photo © Jason O'Rear

The scheme’s star attraction is its active “breathing” façade composed of full-height windows. The computer-controlled system sees windows open and close in an accordion shape, with operable windows strategically placed at specific locations on the façade in response to wind and sun patterns. In addition to satisfying the building’s ventilation needs, the moving façade offers an ever-changing street scene throughout the day.

Photo © Jason O'Rear

Inside, the building’s perimeter is lined by a series of circulation and gathering spaces known as the Commons. The zones form a buffer area between the unconditioned atmosphere on the exterior and the controlled temperatures in the core workspaces, while “bringing the ...

Tour Zaha Hadid's "stacked vases" tower in Australia

2016-07-14T12:49:00-04:00

Imagine blending the veiny facade of 8 Spruce Street and the jaunty offset of the New Museum with Zaha Hadid's signature grace, and you might get something like the 54-story, 70,000 square meter 600 Collins Street, a tower that is reminiscent of a stacked series of ridged vases. The four principal segments of the tower each denote a different part of the program while simultaneously integrating access to public transit and creating civic space.

“The design has been defined by Melbourne’s rich and diverse urban landscape, reinterpreted in a contemporary solution driven by the logical division of its overall volume that will enhance the city’s public realm with generous communal spaces,” said Zaha Hadid Architects’ Michele Pasca di Magliano. “We are honored to be working with our partners in Melbourne to deliver this project for the city.”

Here's a video showing site context:

Full Metal Jacket

2016-02-07T15:37:00-05:00

Although aluminum siding is available that resembles wooden clapboards, the recently built or renovated homes with metal facades of Kings County, N.Y., tend to have a funky, artistic sensibility. The idea is not to mimic traditional construction, but to be proudly metallic.

Kaya Laterman talks with architects, architectural designers, homeowners and neighbors on the cutting edge of a new Brooklyn trend.

Hole, no: Archinect's comparison of exterior facades

2015-08-20T09:07:00-04:00

There's a thin line (or radius, in this case) between what enhances a design and what simply makes it look like it's trying too hard. In the case of buildings with circular openings on their exterior facades, the effect is often visually arresting, but is it good architecture? The COR building in Miami is arguably a blend of both: its proposed highly sustainable wind turbines, mounted in the circular openings of the exterior facade, make it stand out on the skyline as well as on energy-savings meters. Compare this to the Dream Downtown Hotel in Manhattan (see below), which is...well, it doesn't have wind turbines in its holes, let's put it that way.

However, the Dream Downtown Hotel is aiming for an altogether different effect, which it achieves brilliantly. Thanks to the combination of stately steel and outsize circular holes, it's quite visually attractive without being ostentatious.

Presumably, guests would want to stay here because it's interesting without tipping over into Las Ve...