This paper presents a holistic decision support tool developed for use during the early stages of facade design. The tool is based on the interdependent relationships between facade performance, facade parameters, and conditions (environmental and spatial). It assumes that a decision maker has the ability to enhance the performance of a facade by making proper decisions on the design parameters in line with the conditions. However, since facade performance has various aspects (sometimes conflicting) to be considered at once, it is hard to predict the impacts of decisions on the overall performance. A single design decision may increase the performance in one aspect while decreasing it in other aspects. The tool aims to function as a guide to decision makers by indicating the impacts of design decisions on different functional aspects of facade performance from a holistic point of view. Functional requirements included within the tool are safety requirements such as structural stability and fire protection, health-related requirements such as weather protection (protection against water, air, and moisture), and requirements related to the well-being of the users such as thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort. Information provided in the tool is based upon an extensive literature review and structured as an Excel spreadsheet.
The aim of this paper is to present a tool which will support decision-makers of façade design process while giving decisions on façade parameters to consider their interactions with functional performance issues. The tool is believed to contribute the holistic design of facades which is lacking in existing literature. The functional performance aspects included in the tool are structural, fire, water related, air permeability related, thermal, moisture related, daylighting, and acoustic performances. Façade parameters that are taken as the main decision subjects within the tool are orientation, transparency ratio, façade type, window type, glazing, framing, solar control, wall configuration, finishing, and detailing. First, for each façade parameter, design options are generated to keep the tool relatively simple and comprehensible. Then, matrices having design options in rows and performance aspects in columns are established. To support the decision-making, each intersecting cell in matrices proposes a rating. The proposed rating bases on comparisons and indicates for that façade parameter how superior is that design option when compared to the others in terms of that specific performance aspect. The tool not only proposes strict ratings, but also gives prescriptions that describe how to rate the options in various environmental and/ or spatial conditions. Consequently, the tool is composed of separate rating charts (matrices) designed for each predefined façade parameter. The proposed tool is in the form of spreadsheet designed via Microsoft Office software. The information provided in the tool is based upon an extensive literature review. The tool is believed to provide insight about the entire façade performance while addressing the interactions, conflicting issues among separate performance aspects and their relationships with design decisions. Thus, it will enable the decision-makers to give the decisions in a transparent way by highlighting the compromises in design and will support the communication among stakeholders.
Cooling energy load can be reduced by reflective roofs. The reflective roofs are recognized by Turkish architects, contractors and manufacturers, however, the solar reflectance performance of new and aged roof coverings produced in Turkey is still unknown. Purpose of this paper is to assess short-term and long-term solar reflectance performance of these roof coverings. In this context, solar reflectance measurements were conducted both in laboratory and in field. Firstly, solar reflectance performance of 13 unexposed test samples including clay, cement, bituminous and metal based was measured in laboratory. Then, 6 of these test samples were exposed to simulated solar radiation for a duration that is equivalent to 1-year exposure. The laboratory measurements indicated that white and shiny ceramic tile is the most reflective covering while black corrugated sheet is the most absorptive one. Secondly, two test specimens (red clay tile and bituminous shingle covered surfaces) with an automated weather observation system were set up in a field in order to measure the solar reflectance performance of the roof surfaces. The initial results demonstrated that the clay tile-covered roof surface had higher reflectance values. This paper will enable designers to choose the roof covering appropriate for reflective roofs that can be used to rehabilitate existing roof coverings or to design new roofs.
Using vegetated facade systems (VFS) as a sustainable solution for existing and new buildings and evaluating thermal performance of these sytems are not a new concept. However, there is a gap in literature about measuring thermal performance of VFS applied on an insulated wall. Also, in the research literature, there are few studies measuring thermal performance of felt type VFS in temperate climates, and data about the thermal performance of VFS during winter periods is still scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study is to measure the thermal performance of a felt type VFS applied on a thermal insulated existing wall that us located in Kocaeli, Turkey, under Csa climate conditions during heating and cooling periods. Test results indicate that the felt type VFS acts as a shading device and has a positive contribution to the thermal performance of building walls during a cooling period. In daytime when there is a high amount of solar radiation, felt type VFS decreased exterior surface temperatures of the insulated existing wall by a maximum of 24.4°C, 32.2°C and 37.2°C, in spring, summer and fall periods, respectively. Additionally, indoor air temperatures of the vegetated facade were lower than indoor air temperatures of the reference facade with the maximum difference of 1.8°C during the cooling period. Also, test results indicate that the vegetated facade never dropped to below 0°C while exterior surface temperatures of the reference facade dropped below 0°C at nighttime in the winter period. Thus, it can be claimed that the felt type VFS behaves as a thermal buffer and enhances the thermal performance of the exterior wall of the existing building during heating periods at nighttime. As a conclusion, although differences between exterior surface temperatures of vegetated and reference walls were high, differences between interior surface temperatures of vegetated and reference walls were not meaningful. That is due to the fact that the existing building exterior wall assembly includes 5 cm thickness thermal insulation material which enhance the thermal performance of the brick wall. Finally, according to solar reflectance results, it can be claimed that vegetated facade systems have a positive effect on reducing urban heat island effect.
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