Scope   Background   Design concept   Dwelling concept   Structure   Orientation   Glazing   Shading   Hybrid concept   Methodology   Modelling tools   Case study results   Environmental impact

Shading Devices The shading system has been developed in order to reduce the cooling demand during the summer months, in particular for the case study in Palermo. In order to meet the need of reducing the cooling demand and avoiding an excess of glare, the external shading system has been positioned in the southern façade for both climatic conditions, with an inclination of 30° (Palermo) and 40° (Glasgow) that follows the same line of the roof in terms of shape. The external fixed southern shading is designed in a way that blocks solar radiations coming in during summer, but at the same time it allows the sun to come inside during the winter period. The system has been studied according to the general recommendations listed in the 'Background' section. In doing so, for a southern façade the best solution for a shading device is the introduction of an overhang or horizontal louvres in an horizontal plane structure. However, for this project the option adopted is an horizontal plane with several louvres that have been positioned with an inclination respect to the plane, that is inclined as well a respect to the floor and it follows the same pitch of the roof. Due to the inclination of the louvres as well as the plane itself, the shading works as a typical horizontal device for the southern façade, while it is in harmony with the building structure keeping the same profile line.

For Glasgow case study, the plane has a length that allows the sun to come inside completely during winter and blocks the excess amount during summer. For the Palermo case study, the length of the device is increased in order to shade the glaze surface properly along the whole warm period, but it also helps the building to be warm in winter. For shading the west façade, a different solution was sought for both case studies. For shading the western façade in Glasgow, an overhang was introduced, shaped as a frame, that basically protects the door from bad weather. The same overhang was introduced for the entrance door as well. For Palermo, the amount of afternoon solar radiations during summer is quite abundant, hence a shading is necessary. As in the western façade there are doors leading to the kitchen space, the outside area could be linked with the interior and be used as a lunch/dinner/relax area for the occupants. To this end, shading this space was carefully planned with an external structure protecting the façade from direct radiations and a leisure outdoor area to enjoy. The structure is made by four pillars connected to each other throughout small rafters, and the structure is completed by vertical louvres. Throughout the simulation on SketchUp, the solution efficiency during later afternoon was evaluated to see if the device was efficiently protecting the building from lower solar radiations.