Architectural and environmental review of thermochromic cladding case study: Wates House

This paper considers issues of sustainability, concerning energy saving in combination with aesthetics in energy efficient building design. It discusses the potentials of re- cladding an existing building in the centre of London, in order to improve its energy performance and CO2 emissions. The case study building is Wates House, the home of the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at UCL. The building's proposed facade is intended to play an active role by changing properties and reacting according to various climatic stimuli. The behaviour of the facade influences the environmental conditions of the interior space, in order to retain comfort levels for its occupants. The design proposal for the external envelope of Wates House, will summarise an attempt to improve the overall energy performance of the building, as well as to enhance the aesthetic appearance reflecting the avant-garde technology implementations. This simulation study compares different types of glass such as single and double glazing with Low-E coating and several options for its applicability are examined. Main interest though of this report is to investigate the potentials of one of the most highly performing glazing. The under-research glass material belongs to the category of glazing that are responsive to light and its characteristic is that it changes its properties (colour) according to the temperature of the external pane. Different surfaces of this material are tested as well, in order to evaluate which is the most appropriate for the case study building. By careful design the goal is to maximize the use of solar radiation by optimizing the surface of the thermochromic this is followed by a great decrease in electrical lighting consumption and reduce unwanted solar gains and possible glare to such an extent that mechanical heating and cooling is not significantly required to maintain comfort condition. Annual energy and peak demand impacts are also investigated. By means of software simulations it will be indicated that integrating this innovative cladding design, comfortable conditions are provided with far less energy consumption compared to air-conditioned offices, and a modern, exciting, aesthetic, energy efficient facade is created. Such an implementation may offer great benefits not only in the case study of Wates House but in general to public buildings of this kind