page_title: Climate-adaptive building shell
section_title: Macro-scale changes
hierarchical_section_title: Climate-adaptive building shell / Categorization of CABS / Based on the scale of change / Macro-scale changes
caption_attribution_description: English: Technische Universität Darmstadt (Darmstadt University of Technology) in Darmstadt, Germany. Winner of the 2007 Solar Decathlon[1]. Español: Casa solar pasiva diseñada específicamente para climas subtropicales húmedos, ganadora de la edición 2007 del Solar Decathlon, competición anual que se desarrolla en Washington D. C., Estados Unidos.
context_page_description: Climate-adaptive building shell is a term in building engineering that describes the group of facades and roofs that interact with the variability in their environment in a dynamic way. Conventional structures have static building envelopes and therefore cannot act in response to changing weather conditions and occupant requirements. Well-designed CABS have two main functions: they contribute to energy-saving for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, and they induce a positive impact on the indoor environmental quality of buildings.
context_section_description: It is often also referred to as “kinetic envelopes”, which implies that a certain kind of observable motion is present, usually resulting in energy changes in the building shell's configuration. This is commonly achieved via moving parts that can perform at least one of the following actions: folding, sliding, expanding, creasing, hinging, rolling, inflating, fanning, rotating, curling, etc.
  Based on their adaptive level, the macro scale mechanisms can be divided into two types of systems: intelligent building skins and responsive façade systems. The first ones use a centralization building system and sensing equipment to adjust to weather conditions. They should be capable of learning from the occupants’ reactions and considering future weather fluctuation to respond accordingly. Some examples of this kind of feature are building automation and physically adaptive components such as louvers, sunshades, operable windows or smart material assemblies.
  A responsive façade system has the same functions and performance characteristics of an intelligent building skin but goes even further by having an interactive aspect. This means it incorporates components such as computational algorithms which enable the building system to regulate itself and learn in time. Therefore, a responsive building skin, not only includes mechanisms for satisfying occupants desires and learn from their feedback, but it also encourages a dual educating path where both the building and its residents take place in a constant and growing conversation.
caption: Intelligent facade with building-integrated photovoltaics on automated wood louvers for the TU Darmstadt's 2007  Solar Decathlon
exif: {"Image Make": "NIKON CORPORATION", "Image Model": "NIKON D70", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Ver.2.00", "Image DateTime": "2007:10:12 10:27:51", "Image ExifOffset": "184", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/640", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2007:10:12 10:27:51", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2007:10:12 10:27:51", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Fine weather", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "17", "EXIF SubSecTime": "80", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "80", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "80", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3024", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1998", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Manual", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "25", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF GainControl": "None", "EXIF Contrast": "Soft", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "0"}