This book explores membrane materials as a means of translating natural and renewable resources into a more flexible, dynamic, and reactive architectural skin. It represents the first time that energy-saving design has been addressed systematically in relation to lightweight building systems and tensile membranes. Understanding of the energetic behavior of membranes and foils used as a building envelope is a fundamental theme, as it is the integration of flexible photovoltaics in membranes, as well as the exploitation of water and wind resources. A theoretical, methodological framework for consciously designing the membrane life cycle is presented. The authors cross-cut and combine exploration of climate-based design methodology and life cycle thinking strategies. Both active and passive systems are investigated, referring to alternative productive resources like sun, wind, and water. Case studies are brought forward in the book’s second half, highlighting energy lightness for an increasingly dematerialized architecture and addressing inherent issues. Four main research and development paths are presented, the first two focusing on advancements in façade materials and Photovoltaic systems applicable to membrane architecture, the third referring to fog and dew harvesting and the fourth dealing with the future frontier of flexible transparency and designs for well-being through a passive solar system.
Author(s): Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli, Nebojsa Jakica, Zhengyu Fan
Series: Research for Development
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 264
City: Cham
Foreword
Introduction
Contents
Towards the Smart Filter
1 Membrane Architecture, Beyond the Translucency
1.1 Types of Membranes for Today’s Architecture
1.2 Membrane Architectures as a Dynamic Filter of Light
2 Well-Being of Enclosed Spaces Made of Membranes
2.1 Improving the Energetic Performances Through Surface Treatments
2.2 Technological Solutions: From Single-layer to Multi-layer Systems
2.3 Strategies to Increase the Envelope’s Thermo-Optical Comfort Performance
3 New Frontiers of Interactivity of the Membrane Skin
References
Life Cycle Design for Lightweight Skin
1 Life Cycle Principles Applied to Lightweight Building Systems
2 Comparative LCA on Membrane Skins
2.1 An Environmental Load of Ultra-Lightweight Materials and the Nonlinear Relation with Their Weight
2.2 The Ratio of the Environmental Loads Between Different Façade Cladding Systems and Their Structure
2.3 The Influence of the Materials and Components Upcycling in the Life Cycle of Lightweight Skins
3 Conclusions
References
Lightweight Environmental Architecture
1 Introduction
2 Active and Passive Lightweight Design Strategies
2.1 Historical Overview of Active and Passive Design Strategies and Technologies
2.2 Toward Active and Passive Lightweight Design Strategies and Technologies
3 Solar Lightweight Design
3.1 Energy Potential of Lightweight Solar Skins
3.2 Temporal Potential of Lightweight Solar Skins
3.3 The Spatial Potential of Lightweight Solar Skins
3.4 The Economic Potential of Lightweight Solar Skins
3.5 Material Potential of Lightweight Solar Skins
4 Wind Lightweight Design
4.1 Wind Potential Use in Lightweight Skins
4.2 Conventional Wind Techniques
4.3 Wind Design Strategies
5 Water Lightweight Design
5.1 Atrapaniebla as a Passive System
5.2 Lightweight Fog Harvesting Technology
6 Lightweight Design Strategies for Combined Use of Natural Resources
7 Conclusions
References
Flexible Photovoltaic Solar Design
1 Technologies
1.1 Rigid and Flexible PVs
1.2 Main Flexible PV Technologies
1.3 Manufacturing
2 LCI of a Novel Concept of Skin
2.1 Environmental Profile of Organic Photovoltaic Technologies
2.2 Main Flexible Substrate Materials for PVs
2.3 Environmental Profile of ETFE Cushion Technology
3 Market
3.1 Flexible PV Module Products
3.2 Market Segments of Flexibles PV
3.3 Architectural Application of Flexible Photovoltaic Skins
3.4 Challenges Facing Flexibles PV
4 Conclusions
References
Case Study: The SOFT-PV Skin
1 The First Prototype of SOFT-PV
1.1 The Plan and the Objectives
1.2 Bottleneck and Solutions
1.3 Conclusion and Future Work
2 Environmental Impact Assessment of a Novel Concept of SOFT-PV Skin
2.1 Life Cycle Assessment of a Smart Inflated ETFE Cushion with Integrated OPV Module
2.2 Description of the Materials’ Flowchart for the SOFT Cell Production
2.3 Limits and Potentials of the SOFT Cell and Its Environmental Performance: New Electrode Material Versus Nanotechnology Versus LCA?
3 SOFT-PV Behavioral Test
3.1 Existing Knowledge of PV Flexible Performance Under Loading (1-2p)
3.2 OPV Performance Under Tensile Loading (0.5p)
4 Conclusions
References
Case Study: TIFAIN Facade
1 Introduction
1.1 TIFAIN Research Project
1.2 The TIFAIN Consortium and the Prototyping of First OPV Transparent Tiles
1.3 The Architectural PV Integration Requirements
1.4 Design Processes and Materials
1.5 Life-Cycle Inventory of the Photovoltaic Tile TIFAIN 2
1.6 Testing of Processes and Materials
1.7 Realization and Characterization of Components
1.8 Upscale and Prototype Testing
2 LCA of a Novel Concept of TIFAIN Skin
2.1 Comparative LCA of New Photovoltaic Glass Tile Facade Systems
2.2 Functional Unit and Data Quality
2.3 LCI—Inventory Phase at the Scale of the Component
2.4 LCI—Inventory Phase at the Scale of the Glass Tile Facade
2.5 Results of the LCA Evaluation on the Scale of the Component
2.6 Results of the Comparative Evaluation of the Facade System
2.7 Analysis and Verification of the Results
2.8 Conclusions
3 Pilot Project TIFAIN DIAMOND
3.1 Methodology
3.2 Design
3.3 Structure
3.4 Glass
3.5 PV
3.6 Conclusions
4 Conclusions
References
Case Study: Fog and Dew Net
1 Fog and Dew Harvesting
2 Climatic Analysis
2.1 Methodology
2.2 Results and Discussion
3 Technology and Applications
3.1 Components
3.2 Dew Collectors
3.3 Innovations
4 Project Development
References
Case Study: TemporActive
1 Project Presentation
2 Research Focus: Improving the Indoor Comfort Condition
3 Conclusions
References
Conclusion: On the Way to New Species of Lightweight Energy-Conscious Membrane Architecture
References
