A Breathing Building Skin

This paper details an initial exploration into the development of a breathing building skin. This research proposes a system of diaphragms as an alternative to the use of fans for distributing volumes of air. The driving concepts for this project are the three types of evolutionary adaptation: flexibility, acclimation, and learning. Of particular interest is how these biological concepts relate to architectural design. Parametric modelling was used throughout the project to study a family of folding geometry. This allowed for the iterative development of a complex part that is capable of being manufactured from a single sheet of material. Preliminary calculations point to this system being several times more energy efficient than a fan at moving a given volume of air per Watt of electricity. This research is significant as it puts forth a potentially energy efficient and highly integrated alternative to fans, while also illustrating a way of relating biological concepts of adaptation to architectural design.