My building features a large glass curtain wall facing the South, which optimizes the amount of heat and daylight the building receives. This curtain wall, along with the south-facing windows, are triple-paned, low-e glazed panes. The portion of the wall that is not curtain wall is made from adobe brick, which has a high thermal mass value. The goal with this material is to be able to store heat from the sun during the day to be released during the evening hours to reduce heating need.
I added overhangs to this side of the building, which has the effect of keeping out the direct sun when it is unwanted in the summer months, and allowing it to enter in the winter months due to the angles of the sun in each respective part of the year.
As is shown below, during the summer solstice, the sun hits the overhang, preventing direct sunlight from entering the building.
Here, the sun is shown in the winter equinox. The sun is able to enter the building, allowing for additional heating and brighter daylight.
The roof (shown below) features two green roofs and has space for PVs to be added. Additionally, skylights line the hallways, adding daylighting into the interior areas of the building which will reduce the need for artificial lighting. Because these skylights are in the direct sunlight, they are triple-paned, low-e windows.
By playing with the Insight tiles, I was able to identify that the southern facing glass should have triple pane, low-e windows and overhangs. Other factors affecting the energy expenditure of the building were having a green roof, which I implemented as well.
The cafe is located at the end of the building and faces both the south and the east. This allows for maximizing the daylighting and heating from the south orientation, but also gives the eastern views of the lake to this communal area. I included a terrace area that connects the cafe with the atrium. Additionally, the kids zone is adjacent to the cafe and also has access to the outdoors.
On the front side of the building (facing North), I have less curtain wall to maximize R values. I chose timber as the material for this side of the facade.
I chose concrete as the flooring for the building due to the thermal properties it has, particularly where it meets the southern sunlight.
