The potentialities of a multidisciplinary approach to façade design since early design phases

International audienceSeveral studies have highlighted the potential role of façade design in the mitigation of environmental noise in cities. The use of sound absorbing cladding materials and façade geometries able to shield the building from the noises generated in the city emerged as effective façade design strategies to reduce the sound pressure level in outdoor positions over the façade itself. However, when acoustic performances alone are the primary goal that drives the design process of a façade, other performance objectives may be overlooked, leading to undesired effects which hider the performance of the final solution. A multidisciplinary understanding of the performance of the design alternatives during the design process is therefore essential to achieve effective solutions in overall terms. The use of multi-objective simulation tools will be explored in terms of interoperability among existing tools, which could be applied in the early design phases, providing designers with relevant information to make informed choices. In this study, a set of different façade design alternatives, originally developed in the attempt to reduce outdoor noise, are analyzed in a multidisciplinary approach, with respect to both outdoor and indoor performance goals. The acoustic performances of different cladding materials and balcony design alternatives have been simulated by considering the SPL reductions achieved over the façade itself. Moreover, the energy demands for heating, cooling and lighting and the variation of outdoor thermal comfort have been estimated. A trade-off between the different domains has been assessed in order to identify the most favorable façade design features