Environmental digital design and modelling skills are combined with our deep understanding of facade design to deliver highly engineered building envelopes.

Our tools combined with our deep understanding of facade design deliver highly engineered building envelopes that contribute to maximizing the performance of the building, user comfort in indoor spaces and meet the architectural intent. We often combine some of these tools to assess multiple design parameters at the same time.

Shading Design: To ensure improved thermal comfort for occupants we can test parametrically different shading strategies and solutions, in a more detailed way then by conventional whole-building energy models, resulting in a more refined design.

Shoebox modelling: Shoebox modelling informs the facade design at early stages in relation to its efficiency in terms of energy loads through strategic positioning. This take into account a building massing based on solar exposure. This can help by assessing multiple design options without the use of complex ‘multi-zone’ models employed by the Mechanical Engineer.

Daylight analysis: We are experienced at undertaking daylight assessments to various standards including: Well, LEED, BREEAM and the BCO. Our analytical tools are linked with parametric solutions to allow us to test different window wall ratios, window positions and shading strategies to maximise daylight penetration through the facade.

Glare analysis: These  studies allow us to identify specific locations and angles at risk of causing discomfort glare for occupants of retail and office spaces and impacting others such as train drivers. We have experience in quantifying glare risk via D&P analysis and can propose tailored design solutions to mitigate the risk to building owners and clients.

Reflective surface analysis: In extreme cases sun rays concentration can create blistering and serious burns on the users. Using surface analysis we can assess the proposed facade geometry and materiality to ensure the risk of forming a surface is eliminated. We use this analysis to test alternative geometry’s, materials and surface finishes to mitigate the risk while satisfying the architectural intent.

Facade integrated PV’s for energy generation: Many different technologies exist on the market and are integrated into the facade in different ways. We have a good understanding of the alternative products and can carry out parametric analysis to test orientation to maximise exposure and minimise our understanding which can result in loss in efficiency. Through appropriate selection, analysis and energy assessment of PVs on the facade onsite energy production can look to meet to ever increasing net zero standards.

Solar exposure studies: Minimising solar radiation impacting internal surfaces is key to addressing cooling demand in buildings. We have developed parametric tools to quantify incoming solar radiation through facades. Using these tools we test alternative glass technologies and shading strategies to develop designs compatible with low energy cooling systems and minimise overheating risk.

Parametric U Value Design: Minimising solar radiation on internal surfaces can lower cooling demand in buildings. Using our bespoke parametric tools we test alternative glass and shading strategies to minimise over heating.