Tag: energia-solar | ArchDaily

Mapping the Technosphere: Architecture as an Interface Between Systems and Territories

Camilla Ghisleni — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Architecture can no longer be thought of as an isolated object, detached from the technical networks that sustain contemporary life—a scenario that demands different readings and approaches. Against this backdrop, in March, ArchDaily's monthly topic focused on The Technosphere: Architecture at the Intersection of Technology, Ecology, and Planetary Systems, a broad and inevitably complex topic. Stemming from the concept of the technosphere, coined by geologist Peter Haff to describe the collective artifacts produced by humanity, a panorama emerges in which contemporary life is deeply intertwined with machines, data, and energy grids.

Designing for Plants: The Architecture of Greenhouses and Their Relationship with the Environment

Agustina Iñiguez — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 07:30:00 +0000

When delving into the envelope of construction and examining how the interior relates to the exterior, the concept of greenhouses emerges as an opportunity to cultivate life indoors, whether dependent on external factors or not. Defined as spaces enclosed by glass or other transparent plastic materials, greenhouses facilitate the growth of vegetables and ornamental plants even during periods of adverse external weather conditions. However, what does designing for plants involve? Climate, species, structural design, and the type of covering are just a few of the considerations to take into account.

Design Freedom: Integrating Aesthetics and Energy Efficiency in Solar Facades

Eduardo Souza — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 06:45:00 +0000

Autonomy and freedom during the design process are invaluable resources for architects, especially when defining a volume and choosing materials, systems, and solutions for a building. The flexibility of these elements must not only promote their harmonious integration within a structure but, above all, allow architects to incorporate them without the need to change their initial concepts. This design freedom becomes even more crucial in the context of facades, specifically in building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) facades. This is due to the unique challenge of incorporating the energy capture function into the design of the building envelope, simultaneously demanding adaptation to the designer's aesthetic preferences and effective performance, as well as the entire infrastructure for capturing and transporting energy.

Flexibility and Innovation: Customized Solar Panels for Facade Integration

Eduardo Souza — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 06:45:00 +0000

Traditionally relegated to roofs, photovoltaic (PV) panels tend to have a uniform appearance: large black or dark blue rectangular pieces of shiny glass with metal frames. Partly because dark colors better harvest sunlight to be turned into electricity, but also because silicon –the primary material used in most high-efficiency photovoltaic panels– tends to be dark in its crystalline form. Fortunately, there are now technologies to control luster, color and finish that provide aesthetic variety while maintaining high efficiency. SolarLab and other manufacturers are redefining conventional solar panels, introducing design flexibility and material qualities that allow architects to take advantage of large facade surfaces to generate renewable energy without compromising architecturally.

Solar Panels in Residential Projects: Efficiency Without Compromising the Aesthetics

Camilla Ghisleni — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Including sustainable strategies in architectural projects is not just a trend, it is a necessity. Each day we become more aware of the importance of responsibly managing natural resources and understanding the environmental factors involved in designing a project.