WHAT IS A KINETIC FACADE?
Although kinetic facades have changed their shape over the years, they are still characterised, as they always have been, by performing two principal functions: the first, having an incredible aesthetic design on the facade or wall and the second, regulating the climate and temperature conditions of the inside of the building. So, walking a fine line between the aesthetic and usefulness, kinetic walls are also highlighted or being environmentally sustainable.
What are the benefits of Kinetic Facades?
A kinetic facade involves the movement of all, or at least, one of its parts with the main objective of reaching both an attractive aesthetic and notable energy optimisation. There is also a rigorous control of the investment made to fully optimise both the size and shape of the facade pieces. This is achieved by designing rotations that only require one rotation motor per elements so to avoid excessive effort and expenses.
Thanks to kinetic facades, it is possible to automatically control the regulation of the climate conditions inside the specific building. As such, it is possible to take advantage of the natural daylight and also control the construction ventilation, ensuring energy optimisation of expenses from the building. With regards to the wall design, kinetic facades have a horizontal positioning of the pieces that ensure a completely safe evacuation toward the outside of the building in case of an emergency, such as a fire inside the building.
Essentially, kinetic facades are dynamic facades that act as a response from the construction industry and adapting to the growing demands of society. These facades have become a principal element in successfully managing energy efficiency, saving and cutting costs, as well as improving the image of a business to be more modern and environmentally friendly.
What are the most common shapes?
Kinetic facades have been changing shape throughout the years. They can be defined as building walls that walk the line between what is aesthetically pleasing and what is useful, as they offer certain out of the box designs and decrease the unnecessary waste of natural resources as they are environmentally friendly. One of the most important examples of a kinetic facade are the “Al Bahr Towers” by Aedas Architects located in Abu Dhabi:
These towers have walls and panels in the shape of umbrellas that open and close in line with the movement of the natural sunlight throughout the entire day. Using this automatic system, adapted to the sunlight, these buildings are protected from the sun’s heat and against the excess of light that the sun gives off at certain times of day. All of this helps to save a considerable amount of energy due to the decrease in the use of technological tools located in the interior and commonly used to regulate the building’s interior temperature. In this way, they are taking advantage of the natural resources that human beings have at their disposal.
Another example of a building with kinetic facades: is the “Kiefer Technic Showroom” by the architects Ernst Giselbrecht & Partner built with the aim of controlling the interior temperature of the building with the use of the facade panels. This building uses 112 large metal tiles that are moving and transforming throughout the day to offer certain optimal light and shadow conditions, and as such promote sustainability. The users, from the inside and throughout an automatic system, can reach the panels located on the wall so that they are located according to their personal preferences.