Façade is one of the most important factors in certain building types, that can completely transform the occupant experience and the energy performance of the building. The Whole Building Design Guide showcases that the facade can have up to 40% impact on the total energy use of the building. In addition to the energy use, the facades also significantly impact the occupant productivity withing a building and, of course, the appearance of the building. There are many factors that go into creating a high-performance façade. In this article, we outline the top 5 things a design team should consider.
1. Impact on Daylight and Views
Facades not only impact the energy use of the buildings they belong to, but they also have an incredible amount of impact on the daylight penetrating inside the building. Daylight can be broken into daylight quantity, measured by spatial daylight autonomy and daylight quality measured by annual solar exposure. The building massing, window to wall ratio, orientation of glass, visual transmittance of glass, solar shading strategies and more can have a significant impact on the amount and quality of daylight penetration. Both daylight and views can have a drastic impact on the real estate value of the building. Multi-family, hospitality, offices, labs, education, and healthcare projects with higher quality of views and daylight are associated with higher productivity, faster recovery, and more wellness. The LEED Rating System highlights the importance of daylight and views.
