Anna University
School of Architecture and Planning
AR-8003:
Energy Efficient Architecture
Semester VI 2016-17
Ar.Niket Shah
What is the Building Envelope?
What is the Building Envelope?
The exterior enclosure of a building, consisting of numerous materials and
components that are assembled on site to meet the intents of the owner and the
design team.
The envelope of a building is not merely a two-dimensional exterior surface, it
is a three dimensional transition space – a theatre where the interactions
between outdoor forces and indoor conditions occur under the command of
materials and geometries. Sun and daylight are admitted or rejected, breezes
and sounds are channeled or deflected, the rain is repelled or collected.
The envelope has a fourth dimension – it changes with time, throught the
course of a day or a year.
Two contrasting Approaches to a Building Envelope?
Open Frame
When external conditions are very close to the desired internal ones, the envelope
often begins as an open structural frame, with pieces of building skin selectively
added to modify only a few outdoor forces.
Closed Shell
In harsh climates (or whehere unwanted external influences such as
noise/pollution abound), the designer frequently conceives the building envelope
as a closed shell and proceeds to selectively punch holes in it to make limited and
special contacts with the outdoors
Sensible Heat vs Latent Heat
Whenever an object is at a temperature different from its surroundings, heat
flows from the hotter to the colder. Likewise, moisture flows from areas of
greater concentration to areas of lesser concentration. Total heat flow is the sum
of sensible and latent heat flows.
Sensible Heat
Sensible heat is a form of energy that flows whenever there is a temperature
difference and that manifests itself as an internal energy of atomic vibration
within all materials.
Latent Heat
Latent Heat is sensible heat used to change the state of water (evaporate or
condense).
What are the components of a Building Envelope?
According to Norberg –Schulz a component can more fundamentally be
thought of in terms of its design intent relative to the exchange of energies.
Connector
As a means to establish a direct connection with the outdoors.
Filter
As a means to make the connection indirect or controlled.
Barrier
As a separating Element.
Switch
As a regulating Connector.
Transformer
Can convert an environmental force directly into a different and desirable
energy form.
What are the Thermal Properties of Components?
Conductivity (k)
Each material will have a characteristic rate at which heat will flow through it.
For homogenous solids this is called conductivity.
The number of watts that flow through 1 square meter of material 1m thick
when the temperature difference across that material is 1K (1oC) under
conditions of steady heat flow.
SI Units of Conductivity are W/mK or W/mC.
What are the Thermal Properties of Components?
Conductance (C)
The rate of heat flow through a specific non-homogenous object (such as
CMU’s) or a defined thickness of a homogenous material.
The number of Watts per hour that flow through 1m2 of a given thickness of
material when the temperature difference is 1oC.
SI Units of Conductance are W/m2K or W/m2C.
What are the Thermal Properties of Components?
Resistance (R)
A measure of Resistance to heat flow; the reciprocal of conductivity (or
conductance).
R is measured in hours needed for 1 Watt to flow through 1m2 of a given
thickness of a material when the temperature difference is 1oC.
SI Units of Resistance are m2K /W.
What are the Thermal Properties of Components?
Emittance
Radiation Heat transfer is highly influenced by surface characteristics; a shiny
material is much less able to radiate than a rough building material. This
characteristic is called Emittance.
It is a the ratio of radiation emitted by a given material to that emitted by a
blackbody at the same temperature.
What are the Thermal Properties of Components?
Permeance (M)
Although permeance deals directly with water vapour flow, it is related to heat
flow through the need to add or remove heat to humidify or dehumidify a
building.
What are the Thermal Classifications of Components?
Architectural materials generally interact with heat either as insulators that
retard the flow of heat or as conductors that encourage heat flow. It is common
to find insulators and conductors in the same construction.
What are the Thermal Classifications of Components?
Insulators
• Inorganic Fibrous or cellular products ( glass, rock wool, perlite, vermiculite)
• Organic Fibrous or Cellular Products ( Cotton, Cork, Polystyrene, Foamed
rubber)
• Metallic or Metalized organic reflective membranes
• Air Films & Air Spaces
