IGS Middle East Special Issue | Summer 2020

Intelligent Glass Solutions

DUBAI

LONDON

NEW YORK

Science-fiction becomes reality Apple Store in Dubai Mall significantly exceeds the baseline requirements of the energy code

Spring 2020

Spring 2020 www.igsmag.com

An IPL magazine

The Glass Word...by Stephen Selkowitz

PUBLISHER’S WORD

Foreword

PUBLISHER’S WORD

I

GS is flying across the Mediterranean Sea en route to the Middle East and you are with us, safely strapped into your seat. We’re pleased to say the Coronavirus has not postponed, delayed or had any negative impact whatsoever on this particular vessel.

In this issue of IGS we publish a number of articles exemplifying the extraordinary engineering feats that have become synonymous with buildings in the Middle East. It is no surprise that glass has ingrained itself into the fabric of society in this region.

It is also fair to say the old image in our minds of Peter O’Toole traipsing exhausted on a camel through the dunes and arid desert sands in Lawrence of Arabia is no longer an appropriate vision for this part of the world, “glass jungle” is a better fit in these modern times. To that end, the ‘Golden Decade’ of glass is upon us, and for those admirable humans who dedicate themselves to this industry, this is YOUR time! A time when YOUR innovation and technology are required. But, you must keep your ears firmly to the floor and listen to the architects, the engineers, the developers and respond with vigour and determination to provide the qualities that are not only demanded but have become essential in the 21st Century.

Essential because of the nuances of our time: climate change, sustainability, density of cities, scarcity of resources and vertical urbanization all challenge glass to do more – TO BE MORE. From the management of thermal loss and heat gain, dynamic solar control to photovoltaics, intelligent glass facades are the future – if WE make it.

The demand for glass to expand its qualities is no more evident than in the context of buildings in the Middle East. The arid climate poses distinct challenges to architects and the specification of glass for mega projects that dominate the skyline. The tension between the need for beautiful adaptable buildings and façades that create the most amazing moonlight silhouettes and embellish the outside world, the harshness of the climate and the desire for transparency, combine to set challenging multi-parametric briefs that can only be fulfilled by dynamic solutions.

The authors in this issue have responded to the unique context of these challenges in building design and construction with grandiose effect – from the breathtaking bronze and transparent wasl Tower by UNStudio to the ‘solar wings’ that work in tandem with glass at the Apple Store in Dubai Mall – the tremendous geometric complexities of façade design continues to expand beyond all previously known limits.

We showcase some of these choice projects inside this issue.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our authors and contributors to this Middle East Special Issue of IGS – Thank You! Our Summer issue is scheduled for publication in June, here the emphasis lies on architectural glass and façade developments in the United States and New York in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to be included in our summer issue where we endeavor to make America look great again.

Inside this Issue

“The construction industry is evolving rapidly driven by the increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable development. Challenging targets such as net-zero commitments are being encouraged by statutory bodies and businesses driving a profound transformation and setting higher standards and expectations. The objective of this article is to provide an insight to the current trends in the Middle East construction industry with a particular focus on how the operational energy of buildings can be reduced thorough sustainable design and construction” PAGE 6

Belarmino Cordero

Technical Director and Head of Façade Engineering at AESG

“The use of glass could more versatile. We have been looking for high-quality and affordable PVintegrated glass for years. Also being able to use glass for more structural functions would be great, in addition to the development of more transparent and colorless coatings. Overall architects are very fond of glass, so we should keep on asking for critical, larger, affordable innovations from the glazing industry” PAGE 80

Frans Van Vuure

Director and Senior Architect at UNStudio “Architecture is the manifesto of a designer’s thinking. This design thinking is far greater than the drawings required to build a building. As Renzo Piano put it once “Architecture is like an iceberg, the invisible part, below water, represents the narrative, the thinking and the knowledge which is nine times larger than the visible part. But without it there's no iceberg!” PAGE 70

Firas Hnoosh

Managing Director of Nordic Office Architects (NOA)

Inside th Inside this Issue 2

intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

“The corrugated-glass façade system developed with OMA for the Casa da Música in Porto, Qatar National Library and since then, Taipei Performing Arts Center, features curvature profiles of tight radii in close proximity of one another - in this case “omega” shaped - which provide robustness and offer an engineered solution to the use of annealed glass. The curved form, paired with the added features of lamination, can meet structural capacity and safety requirements while offering a world of design possibilities” PAGE 52

Joan Tarrus

Marketing Director and International Business Dev. at CRICURSA “We cannot leave the topic of glass and façades without mentioning the “dismal science”, economics, that drives much of the decision making related to the building envelope, captured most clearly in the elegant design solutions consigned to the circular file in the “value engineering” process” PAGE 110

Stephen Selkowitz

Affiliate, Building Technology and Urban Systems at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA

“I have a confession to make: I am an inveterate science-fiction fan. I particularly enjoy reading the grand masters of the genre from the fifties to the eighties, the likes of Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov. What fascinates me in these books is the power of prediction of these authors. Many of the descriptions of the future in their stories have become today’s reality, only a few decades later, even though Asimov and others probably didn’t expect them to come to pass so soon. Let’s dive into a similar exercise, albeit at a much smaller scale, and take a peek at what the future likely holds for façades” PAGE 98

Mathieu Meur

Director at DP Architects Group of Companies “In the constant search for original designs that truly push the limits, many building projects in the Middle East have been driving global innovation in engineering and façade design. Not only referring to unreached heights for the world’s tallest building, but also referring to new and unique landmark designs where architects and clients pushed the building industry to develop new, advanced and challenging technologies” PAGE 89

Benjamin Beer

Associate Director and head of facades at Ramboll

his Issue intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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CONTENTS IGS MIDDLE EAST SPRING 2020 ISSUE INTRODUCTION 6 FACADES AND SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Belarmino Cordero - Technical Director – Head of Façade Engineering at AESG Draw your swords and latch on your armor, we are fighting climate change – and here’s how!

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D R O O M C O M M E N TA RY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST 12 AFTER OPUS…ON-SITE COLD BENDING Agnes Koltay - Director at Koltay Facades Project diary of façade heroin Agnes Koltay: architecture and challenges in the Middle East 18 SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION IS FUTURE PROOF Robert Stephens - Executive Director & Founding Partner of Inhabit The life- blood of complex façade projects: information communication and exchange 26 FINDING AN ARCHITECTURAL BALANCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST TRADITIONAL VS MODERN Brian Johnson - Managing Partner at Godwin Austen Johnson The architectural vocabulary of the region is changing and Brian Johnson is here to teach you the new language

T R A N S PA R E N T A R C H I T E C T U R A L S T R U C T U R E S IN THE MIDDLE EAST 36 NEW HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN DOHA - CHALLENGES OF AIRPORT FACADES DESIGN Paul Grove - Managing Director and Michelle Bacellar – Technical Director at Meinhardt Facade Technology Designing an airport façade that responds to the local context, challenging climate, aesthetics, while functioning to provide optimal performance 46 APPLE STORE DUBAI MALL Andrew Jackson - Senior Partner and Miriam Dall’Igna - Associate Partner + Design Systems Analyst at Foster + Partners “Solar wings” and BIG glass help create a contemporary yet traditional façade for the technology giants flagship store in Dubai Mall 54 CULTURE, CLIMATE AND CURVED GLASS – QATAR NATIONAL LIBRARY Joan Tarrus - Marketing Director / International Business Dev. at CRICURSA A system developed with Pritzker Prize laureate Rem Koolhaas and the team at OMA, curved glass offers new possibilities and expands the horizons of architectural design 62 THE LOUVRE ABU DHABI: SIMPLICITY INVOLVES THE UTMOST COMPLEXITY Jamal Batineh – Project Director at Waagner Biro Steel and Glass Jean Nouvel’s vision of light, reflection and serenity brought to life by complex steel and glass in this iconic dome structure

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intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

CONTENTS IGS MIDDLE EAST SPRING 2020 ISSUE T WO WORLD EXCLUSI VE IN T ERVIEWS 70 AN ARCHITECT’S MANIFESTO: IGS GOES ONE ON ONE WITH FIRAS HNOOSH Firas Hnoosh - Managing Director of Nordic Office Architects (NOA) Voted one of the most influential architects of the Middle East, IGS sat down with Firas to discuss his new firm and delved into some pressing issues that face architecture in this new century.

80 WASL TOWER: A BUILDING THAT BREATHES IN RHYTHM WITH THE CITY Frans Van Vuure - Director + Senior Architect at UNStudio IGS brings you the first exclusive, all-inclusive interview on the mega project that is wasl tower.

A D VA N C E D T E C H N O L O G I E S I N G L A S S E N G I N E E R I N G – GLOBAL 89 OPTIONS FOR COMPLEX GEOMETRY FAÇADES: SINGLE CORNER VS. FREE FORM COLD-BENDING Benjamin Beer - Associate Director and head of facades at Ramboll Driven by the strong will to reach new heights and unique landmark designs recent trends have pushed for complex geometry facades featuring curved, twisted and free-form shapes 98 FUTURE FAÇADES: THE POWER OF PREDICTION Mathieu Meur - Director at DP Architects Group of Companies Matteus Meur of DP Façade Consultancy Practice calls to mind the visionary powers of prediction from science fiction TV shows of years gone by 104 HOW FAÇADE ENGINEERING CAN SAFEGUARD AGAINST THE WINDS OF CHANGE Douglas Sum - Associate, Facade Services Group Leader at Aurecon Adapting to global megatrends and learning from other engineering disciplines, façade engineers can deliver sustainable designs that are human-centred and future-proofed

THE GLASS WORD 110 MAKING BUILDINGS WORK Stephen Selkowitz - Affiliate, Building Technology and Urban Systems at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Stephen answers the burning question: Is glass to blame for our environmental problems?

121 AUTHOR’S DETAILS

Intelligent Glass Solutions

DUBAI

LONDON

NUREMBERG

NEW YORK

Science-fiction becomes reality Apple Store in Dubai Mall significantly exceeds the baseline requirements of the energy code

Spring 2020

Spring 2020 www.igsmag.com

An IPL magazine

The Glass Word...by Stephen Selkowitz

Front Cover Image: UNStudio Photo: © Methanoia Intelligent Glass Solutions is Published by Intelligent Publications Limited (IPL) ISSN: 1742-2396 Publisher: Nick Beaumont Accounts: Jamie Quy Editor: Sean Peters Production Manager: Kath James

Director of International Business Network Development: Roland Philip Manager of International Business Network Development: Maria Jasiewicz Marketing Director: Lewis Wilson Page Design Advisor: Arima Regis Design and Layout in the UK: Simon Smith

Intelligent Glass Solutions is a quarterly publication. The annual subscription rates are £79 (UK) , £89 (Ireland & Mainland Europe), & £99 (Rest of the World) Email: nick@intelligentpublications.com Published by: Intelligent Publications Limited,

3rd Floor, Omnibus House, 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 7703 487744 Email: nick@intelligentpublications.com www.igsmag.com

The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. None of the content in this publication can be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, without permission, in writing, from the copyright owner. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, however the publisher does not accept any liability for ommissions or inaccuracies. Authors’ views are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher.

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INTRODUCTION

Facades and sustainable architecture in the Middle East

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or years, the building industry in the Middle East has faced the challenges of large-scale projects and extremely tight programmes.

Indeed, the region is recognised for its mega-projects, glazed skyscrapers and cities built from scratch in a matter of decades.

A fact that portrays the fast-paced and highpressured environment is that often the design of the façade is occurring as the foundations are being laid and sometimes even when the structure is being erected!

To be able to deal effectively with such challenges, all the links in the supply chain from design to delivery have had to hone their project management, logistics and problemsolving skills to exemplary levels. In addition to this, Dubai has attracted talent and knowhow from all over the world establishing itself as an influential design hub for the region and beyond. Contractors are also attracted from Europe, Asia and Australia adding to the diversity. The benefits of this diverse environment are multiple including a rich variety of perspectives, increased creativity 6

feeding from a global pool of knowledge and a natural inclination to collaborate and establish new partnerships. On the downside, the push for high volume and speed often did not leave enough time to properly address aspects such as sustainability, interdisciplinary integration or quality of construction. This has, however, changed radically in recent years. The construction industry is evolving rapidly driven by the increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable development. Challenging targets such as net-zero commitments are being encouraged by statutory bodies and businesses driving a profound transformation and setting higher standards and expectations.

The objective of this article is to provide an insight to the current trends in the Middle East construction industry with a particular focus on how the operational energy of buildings can be reduced through sustainable design and construction.

What is sustainable architecture?

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development issued in September 2015 is a

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good reference to establish how architecture can contribute to sustainable development.

It sets out 17 goals for 2030 covering social, economic and environmental dimensions. Out of the 17, there are four goals that have a direct effect on the building industry and façade design in particular as highlighted below: • Climate Action – linked to Responsible consumption and production • Health and wellbeing • Industry Innovation In the context of the building industry, the targets within the Climate Action goal can be linked to improvements in the operational energy of buildings while the ones within the Responsible Consumption and Production goal can be linked to embodied energy.

Why reducing energy and emissions in building and construction is key in the fight against Climate Change The buildings and construction sector are key in the fight against climate change because of its large share in global energy consumption and carbon emissions. As per the Global ABC Status

INTRODUCTION

Report it accounts for almost 40% of total energy use and carbon emissions. Moreover energy and emissions of this sector continue to grow despite improvements in building envelopes and systems which are not fast enough to offset strong population and floor area growth. Given the growth in population and buildings, it is pivotal to reduce the operational energy of buildings to, at least, cap the increasing global buildings energy use.

Drivers for reducing energy and emissions In order to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of buildings, it is necessary to embed sustainability as an integral part of the design and construction process.

Sustainability in construction has been considered for some time now as a “good to have” but perhaps not indispensable. In the last years, however, concerns over climate change have climbed in the political agenda, provoking an increase in the number and thoroughness of policies that enforce energy

efficient design. The better-known codes in the region are Estidama (Abu Dhabi), Al Safat (Dubai) and Gsas (Qatar). IBC codes and certification systems such as LEED are also used.

In addition to codes and certifications, guidelines are also being developed to assist the designers and the industry to meet the targets. A recent example as above was in the Middle East i.e. the new Thermal Insulation Guidelines for Residential Buildings in Bahrain that have been developed by AESG in line with the Kingdom’s national plan for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Codes in the region were benchmarked against international codes and certifications such as ASHRAE, BR Part L, LEED, BREEAM, etc. Solutions specifically applicable to the country were studied and developed to produce a set that can be used as a tool to assist designers and engineers in the decision-making process and selection of appropriate façade systems both for new buildings and for retrofits. These guidelines present more than 21 different systems as options to guide project teams during design and construction.

Net zero In order to meet the targets set in the Paris Agreement and subsequent UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, The World Green Building Council has set a route to net-zero carbon that relies on 100% of new buildings operating at net zero carbon by 2030 and 100% of buildings operating at net zero carbon by 2050 . A net zero carbon building is a highly efficient building with all remaining energy consumption from on-site and/or offsite renewable resources.

These targets are truly challenging and will require the joined effort of governments, cities and businesses if they are to be achieved.

The UAE is embracing and encouraging this push for change. As per the UAE Vision 2021 and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 it outlines the evolution that needs to take place to meet this target from compliance with current regulations, through nearly zero energy, net zero energy to arrive to net zero carbon. AESG is a signatory to the World Green Building Council’s ‘Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment’. As part of this commitment,

intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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INTRODUCTION

we launched a new ‘Pathway to Net Zero’ tool that’s designed to define and evaluate the options available for reducing the embodied and operational Carbon footprint of buildings.

This provides our clients with an optional pathway to achieving net zero carbon buildings for every project we get involved with.

There are already a couple of examples of Net Zero Energy projects in construction in the region: The Expo Sustainability pavilion and the headquarter offices for the Dubai Energy and Water Authority (DEWA). Net Zero buildings are designed to work extremely hard: (1) all spaces have an impact on energy consumption.

Therefore, the first step is to revisit the architectural brief and remove spaces that are not essential, (2) envelope and mechanical and electrical systems have to be extremely efficient and (3) energy needs to be harnessed from renewable sources such as solar radiation.

Early stage energy optimisation In the interest of reducing the energy demands of buildings, it is useful to perform optimisation studies. Energy optimisation studies look at improving the performance by making adjustments in parameters such as building orientation, percentage of vision glazing versus opaque facades, shading configurations or

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thermal and solar performance of each of the components.

The earlier in the design the optimisation takes place, the greater the effect. Traditionally energy modelling required long simulation time and was carried out once the design was advanced.

As a result, there was little room to inform the design. To resolve this situation, strategic energy modelling is being brought to the Concept and Pre-concept design stages. The main focus of this exercise is not accuracy which can be achieved at later stages. Instead, the focus is achieving awareness from the beginning and a coordinated approach between the Architect and Façade consultant/energy modeller.

It is advisable to start by developing a clear modelling plan to remain focussed on the objectives. Every modelling exercise should be run with a clear purpose. A valuable method for decision making is sensitivity analysis of multiple design options to understand what parameters have a greater impact on the performance. At a building level, the parameters that are generally considered are energy transfer through the facade, insolation, potential for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and daylight. At a masterplan level, the elements of study are typically sunpath,

intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

sunlight hours (access to daylight), solar radiation analysis (building level), cumulative radiation analysis (public realm) and wind rose (uncomfortable and comfortable winds).

Artificial Intelligence applications in the construction industry Examples of AI developments such as speech recognition, autonomous vehicles, intelligent routing in content delivery networks or military simulations are staggering. Perhaps the building industry is not quite as developed yet. However, advancements in software are helping automatize the design processes, improvements in computer power are allowing to process the large amount of data that is now available (from weather files to actual live information of buildings that is collected with sensors) and there are even some sophisticated examples of AI involving machine learning and generative design.

Parametric design tools are very useful to speed up the early stage energy optimisation process as described in the previous chapter. Parametric analysis can be conducted to establish ideal and optimised massing configurations, including orientation, heights and positioning of the buildings in the given location and environment. The process allows to analyse

INTRODUCTION

how various numerous configurations perform environmentally and provide the design team with the necessary performance evidence to optimise the design. Automated geometry generation methods can also be explored as in the image above Parametric software can also be used to rationalise free-form geometry. An example can be found in Ciel Tower in Dubai Marina, a 360m high tower by Norr Architects under construction with a glazed curved faรงade.

While fabricating curved glass panels is possible, it is quite expensive. To reduce cost, there is an alternative to fabricate the panels flat and then cold bend them to shape. This has to be done within certain set rules that respond to engineering principles. There is, for example, a maximum curvature that can be achieved without inducing excessive stress on the glass and the structural silicone. This and other structural or manufacturing constraints are then embedded within a script that will generate

the geometry. If the allowable curvature is exceeded, the design then needs to be adjusted as required in an iterative process.

With traditional tools, this process would be very labour intensive. The benefit of doing this parametrically is that once the script has been generated, subsequent geometry adjustments or options can be explored with minimal additional work. Furthermore, the software allows a large degree of automatization and accuracy in the production of fabrication drawings if required.

Combined with sensors and actuators, AI makes possible the design and construction of intelligent buildings that are responsive to the external and internal environments. It can collect and analyse information related to the temperature, solar radiation, lighting levels, occupancy, air quality, wind speed, etc. and automatically trigger reactions on active mechanisms such as moving shading devices, operable dampers for ventilation or intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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INTRODUCTION

HVAC controls. The effectiveness of the control measures can be monitored through collection and analysis of further data what would allow for an automated learning process. AESG offer a calibration scope where the actual weather and energy consumption is collected and then crosschecked against the design. This is useful to understand if the building is operating as it should and to identify and resolve potential issues.

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“Net Zero buildings are designed to work extremely hard: (1) all spaces have an impact on energy consumption.

Therefore, the first step is to revisit the architectural brief and remove spaces that are not essential, (2) envelope and mechanical and electrical systems have to be extremely efficient and (3) energy needs to be harnessed from renewable sources such as solar radiation”

Dr. Belarmino Cordero is Technical Director at AESG where he leads facade engineering and parametric design. With a strong academic background in Architecture, environmental design and construction technologies, he brings a unique approach to the construction industry based on care for architectural detail, innovation and providing integrated solutions to complex multidisciplinary issues. He has worked with world-leading architectural practices, contractors, developers and statutory bodies across Europe, America and the Middle East, assisting them to resolve their challenges through technical expertise, problem solving skills and delivery focus.

O

Most experienced architects will agree that a retrofit is more challenging than a new project. This is because retrofits are subject to more constraints and unforeseeable issues.

One of the typical challenges is access to limited amounts of information on existing

The enhancement of existing projects should be a continuous endeavour as new methodologies and technologies become available. Retrofitting can pose its challenges but with significant long-term operational cost benefits− not to forget the reduced impact on the environment− so efforts to this end can be completely justified.

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In summary, the building envelope commissioning process consists of (1) defining the weather tightness envelope of the building, (2) setting ambitious but attainable performance targets for each façade type, (3) specifying appropriate control methods such as schedule of testing and inspections,

Refurbishment While designing new buildings to net zero certainly represents a worth aspiration and way forward, it is equally critical to consider ways to improve the performance of existing buildings.

This is because the majority of the existing buildings are far away from the end of their design life. They will still be around in years to come representing a large share of the future building stock. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of existing developments is what could have the greater and more immediate impact on reducing the energy consumption of urbanization. Acknowledgement of this is reflected in the drive by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) around retrofitting buildings to increase their efficiency.

buildings. The as-built drawings are often not reliable, and surveys do not provide all the necessary information. It is therefore advisable to be cautious in the assumptions and take a conservative approach to structural loading in the proposals. If parts of the facades are being retained, it is important to assess rigorously the relative location of the air, thermal and vapour barriers in the final retrofit build-up as getting these wrong could provoke interstitial condensation. It is also important to ensure that the interfaces are properly designed and inspected.

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Building envelope commissioning The final objective of energy optimisation should be that the final product, the finished building, actually performs to the designed performance. The best way to ensure quality and performance is maintained throughout the building process is through building envelope commissioning which consists of a third-party specific supervision of the elements and processes that affect the final performance of the envelope. This service is contemplated in LEED version 4.

(4) reviewing the contractor’s documentation including drawings, calculations and material submittals and (5) monitoring fabrication and installation through testing and inspections.

The final outcome could be jeopardized if any of these steps is neglected.

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

After Opus

On-site cold-folding Agnes Koltay, Koltay Facades

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hile the majority of the buildings I worked on are non-curvy tall high-rise buildings, I had a fair share of working on challenging

geometry projects.

An amazing thing about being a faรงade engineer is to be able to drive variety to your job to keep yourself enthusiastic. It is therefore a good fit to people who like variety in project tasks.

It is also a good fit to people who like to see things built. Sometimes faรงade engineering projects appear to be unbuildable at first glance. So without the drive to make the seemingly unbuildable real, it is easy to resort to traditional technologies that sometimes limit architectural freedom.

Luckily, technology is also constantly progressing. We learn about new options on conferences, exhibitions, but also, we define new type of demands to manufacturers, until a materialized response is generated.

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Such verification is traditionally a two step process: engineering calculations and a physical mock-up test to verify the model. We had one little problem here: uncertainty on actual behavior and method of modelling. It is a composite system under low, but permanent stress, acting on the glass corner connection, structural and IGU sealants.

Additionally, the concept is only buildable if the assumed geometrical restrictions prove to exist, namely the sides of the units must stay straight while on-site cold forming happens. So to the benefit for each project, a third step was introduced: a mock up test to verify the theoretic behavior prior to designing and calculating the project conditions. For these tests, with industry support, 4 full units were manufactured for research purposes.

Introducing On-site Cold Folding I personally worked on Opus since 2007 and followed up until into its most recent full handover; the hotel wing opened end of February 2020. The project is a cube with a freeform void. The modulation of the void is defined by the slab lines and by a regular grid “melted� onto the freeform surface, necessitating bent surfaces to follow the geometry.

At the same time back in 2008, I also worked on Shining Towers, a project in Abu Dhabi with

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identical floor plates rotated in steps as we go up. A third project, a tower in Abu Dhabi I could mostly describe as beetle-shaped (remains unbuilt), was also on my desk. Cold bending seemed to be a good solution to introduce cost efficiency but allowing for warped geometry.

For this, flat units were to be produced and a corner would be fixed in an offset position during installation. This was 2008, 12 years ago, when the topic was a relatively new entity and less researched, not documented, and design guidelines were not available. Panels cannot go on buildings without proper verification.

intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

The test carried out was published at several conferences and in a number of publications and served as a design basis foundation for projects of this type. The process is actually incorrectly called cold-bending, it should be defined as On-site Cold Folding. What really happens is that the connections are designed to take the stress and the unitized panel folds along its diagonal. This keeps the sides straight and allows easy interlocking with adjacent panels during installation, which arrive as fully flat panels. The vertical side engages and the new panel is site folded by pulling in the other bracket hook while lowering down to its final position. Furthermore, it reduces stress on the sealants.

EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

The benefits of On-site Cold Folded systems The clear advantage of allowing the possibility of Site Folding is to be able to produce and use flat panels with straight extrusions and flat glazing.

Unfortunately, as our stress reading tests in 2016 reconfirmed, the surface limit stress values of double bent glazing produced with a mold slumping method are not improved when compared to that of annealed glass.

There are many other methods to create warped surfaces. The contractor of the Opus utilized a range of solutions, including the use of hot formed double curved glass or the use of curved framing members with silicone curing while the glass was forced to follow the curvature by mechanical clamps.

This heavily limits the applicability of such glazing, as at certain climate and orientation conditions the induced thermal stress may cause fracture. The risk is greatly contributed by the heat absorption properties of the glazing (- a body tinted glass would absorb more, increasing the risk). While tempered mold based double curving has long been in existence in the automotive industry, it has not been implemented in architectural glazing for its inefficiency when it comes to reusability of molds. However, the process is not impossible.

While on Opus and other buildings we reached out to have double curved tempered glazing on the building, this comes with very high cost, and very high risk of shape intolerance and anisotropy presence.

The difficulty of producing double curved glazing Glass is tempered (heated up and cooled down rapidly) to increase its strength. For multi-axial curved shapes, a mold is used with the semimolten glass sheet. This does not easily match with the traditional method of linear workflow furnaces used for tempering. As a result, double bent glazing is traditionally annealed.

Demand for iconic architecture We live in interesting times, in an accelerated world where information travels fast and achievements are global.

There is no better building describing the swift change in architectural concept trends than – as its name suggests- The Museum of the Future. The Museum is built with true shape double curved panels, typically 9 meters tall by 2.2 meters wide, made of Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GRP) resin faced by stainless steel and completed with layers of insulation and gypsum boarding. The resin contains fire retardant chemicals. The building is iconic and meaningful in many ways. Even before practical completion, it already received global notoriety and I am frequently asked about the technology behind enabling it.

For the Museum, computer instructed CNC machines carved single use foam molds, to the exact shape derived from the 3D model. With

intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

this method, repetitive design or rectilinear shapes bring no cost benefit at GRP panel production. The panels were cast to the exact geometry, faced with the exact laser cut stainless steel sheets, and fitted with shaped glazing units. The glass panels follow a small vertical modulation of 1 meter, and kept each piece flat. The faceted glazing was iterated by a computer script to fit in the curved line of the cladding zone depth of the panels.

The underestimated consequences It may be misleading to think however that these technologies enable premium-free construction of freeform surfaces.

Engineering and documentation of these geometries take a significantly larger effort than that of cladding for rectilinear masses. 3D modulation studies and surface optimization introduces an additional necessary step to

the design process. Also, local and global regulations and practice guidelines rarely cater for unique shapes. Finding the correct approach could necessitate additional testing and verification. As an example, climatic load stress calculated as described in the DIN standard can be largely underestimated as it does not consider the adverse effect of rigidity gained from the curved geometry.

All unique pieces require the fabrication to be tightly synchronized with the site programme and delivered in sequence, with appropriately coded labels and well implemented logistics procedures. Out of sequence delivery may halt installation as units are not interchangeable.

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

During installation, a higher skill level may be needed to ensure that the building envelope performance remains uncompromised at each geometry condition. These factors will increase not only the cost but the risk when dealing with freeform buildings.

Non-trivial sources of complexity Curved geometry is not a pre-requisite for manufacturing and installation complexity.

The KAPSARC building is designed with straight lines. Yet each panel differs in size and geometry. The material used for the cladding is Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete, with high fabrication tolerances. Materials like this can only be successfully installed in a tolerance sensitive arrangement if the substructure allows for individual fine tuning of the cladding elements.

The MOL HQ office building has an elegant tower that widens towards the base and transforms into the podium mass. The fully glazed building is 130 meters tall and the transition happens over two floors only. This excludes the possibility of faceting the glazing panels and approximating the curve, leaving the application of double bent glazing the only option.

Crowne Plaza BB is a very simple box shaped building. The fully glazed faรงade is enriched with differing depth perpendicular glass fins, simple detailing that contributes interesting undulating architectural effect. The waviness is

reflected by the canopy, the only truly freeform element of the faรงade, built from aluminium mesh. The modulation of the canopy needed a separate study to ensure it is buildable from standard width sheets and can be unfolded to flat. As the canopy forms an inclined line across the elevation, it needs subdivisions above the unitized panel modulation lines.

Predicting future trends The industry has been gearing up to handle anything that computer based design can provide as output. Newly acquired machines in factories are all computer instructed and can mass produce the non-repetitive. Logistics moves into digital platforms. Tasks are getting integrated under BIM or other collaboration models. Quality control readings are fed back and compared in real time. All sections of the design, manufacturing, handling and installation processes are capable to process larger volume data than before. But there needs to be more investment, more research efforts, more innovation efforts to enable more contractors and more manufacturers to update technology or to attempt moving away from traditional methods.

With global economy getting tighter, the general volume of worldwide construction is forecasted to decrease and along with it, architects need to follow demand. The next few years will be a real trial for recent technology, to see whether it can be competitive enough to sustain complexity in construction.

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Successful Collaboration is Future-Proof Rob Stephens Inhabit Group

Sky Venture, Abu Dhabi

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F

inding innovative engineering solutions to complex façade geometries drives Robert Stephens and Inhabit (a specialist division of EGIS) in their search for excellence, when delivering on a new building design. Backed by an international network of 19 offices, Stephens’s team draws upon the experience of specialists from across Middle East, Asia and Europe.

In his capacity as founding partner and Executive Director with Inhabit, based in Dubai, he leads specialist façade teams across a range of engineering-related disciplines.

An acknowledged technical leader in the field, Stephens has a particular interest in warped façades, having been involved in the development of new techniques in understanding and designing complex geometry façades.

He has over 20 years of façade construction experience in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

designers, with the experience and knowledge to understand that successful collaboration will lead to a successful outcome.”

Stephens and the team have been involved with key/core projects of the UAE’s built environment. The team has worked and is working on Ithra’s One Zabeel, The Expo Sustainablity Building, The Expo UAE Pavilion, Miral’s Skyventure, The Galleria Al Maryah Island, DIFC Retail Spine, and Meeras’s Citywalk and Bluewater retail developments.

Facades comprise of many components and need to fulfil many requirements, weather proofing, acoustic, structural thermal and aesthetic. For this we need expertise in many different fields and we affect this by working together. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do.

Our teams around the world comprise of small teams of highly skilled like-minded people from different disciplines. We have Structural Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Architects, people from fabrication and installation

“At Inhabit we are passionate about creating a better built environment. Our approach is centered on finding solutions that are innovative yet provide quality and efficiency cost effectively through collaboration with key stakeholders,“ Stephens says. “We are committed to working with other like-minded

DIFC Retail Spine, Dubai

UAE Pavilion, Dubai

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

backgrounds. Together we become Façade Consultants. Our offices are planned to encourage this collaboration, we have experts from different fields intermixed, sitting together in a very open plan and informal environment, both physically and virually.

One Zabeel, Dubai (render courtesy of Nikken Sekkei)

“Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Our teams are made up of specialists from different disciplines and our offices are planned to encourage this collaboration. We also have worldwide technical study groups and IT infrastructure to share knowledge, latest developments and lessons learned.

This has helped build our values culture locally and globally,” Stephens says. “Inhabit has also initiated the colLab Series of events which explore industry issues, encourage conversations, share experiences and contribute towards a better built environment.”

For all projects Inhabit are working with Numerous stakeholders including: • Façade installers • Façade subcontractors, • Façade manufacturers, • Main contractors, • Project managers, • Fire life safety consultants, • Acoustic consultants, • Architects, • Building maintenance consultants Sky Venture, Large format space Frame

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Inhabit

Aecom

COMBINED FACADE AND MAIN STEEL STRUCTURE CONCEPT STRATEGY

FACADE SYSTEM DETAILED DESIGN

FACADE SYSTEM WITH MAIN STEEL SUPPORT TENDER COORDINATION + REVIEW

FACADE AND STEEL GEOMETRY SETOUT

MAIN STRUCTURE CONCRETE CORE CONCEPT STRATEGY

MAIN STEEL STRUCTURE AND CONCRETE STRUCTURE DETAILING

MAIN STEEL AUTHORITY APPROVALS

BIM CLASH DETECTION

Sky Venture, scope strategy

IGS MAGAZINE GRAPHICS IN-PRS-FC0100[01] | 03.03.2020

Sky Venture, Abu Dhabi

“Our approach to working with other stakeholders on a project is equally collaborative as we see them as equal and valued partners. Inhabit’s approach is to engage with other disciplines and to be empathetic to their requirements and constraints,” he says.

“Our teams are encouraged to give feedback or contribute ideas on projects and to promote innovation to save time and cost. We are always looking to pre-empt issues with constructive dialog” An illustration of this would be Miral’s Abu Dhabi Sky Venture. The project’s architects, Aecom, approached Inhabit to assist with the project due to the perceived complexity in the façade.

During an initial meeting the team realized the building and façade were highly geometrical.

If the geometry of the façade was considered as the main structure as much as it was façade, then a more elegant solution could be achieved. This would reduce cost and program and enhance the finished quality. To facilitate this, a very clear scope strategy was devised to leverage the best of each company’s strengths.

Sky Venture, mega panel

Inhabit worked on the main structure as well as the façades and effected the world’s largest format space frame with approximately 2030m triangular apertures. The apertures were infilled with mega façade panels which were constructed with y-shaped trusses and decking.

The mega panels were supported only to the spaceframe nodes (corners) as required in space frame design to prevent main member buckling.

Aecom worked with Inhabit in tandem, checking and submitted the design, gaining local authority approvals and gave valuable input into earthquake design considerations.

With regards to computational design, Inhabit prepared computer scripting, solved complex façade / structure set-out issues and prepared set-out documentation for the project. Aecom, for their part carried out advanced clash

detection and building design coordination (BIM) using their in-house specialists.

Inhabit’s approach to collaboration is not limited to design but follows right through during construction. “We believe it is important for our design professionals to be exposed to site construction and for our site professionals to be exposed to design, Stephens says.

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600x600 range samples of glass, pre-factory, post factory and on-site Hadamar standard inspection requirements.

3) Following tender / at tender award, the team worked closely with the class supplier (Al Abbar) and were receptive to and engaged with proposals to use new on line QA/QC visual quality checking equipment. Inhabit worked with the team to incorporate this into the QA/ QC logistics. Equally for their part, Al Abbar were open and receptive to the team and client’s preference on glass type, source and colour.

4) Through task force meetings with the client (Ithra) the very best QA/QC were implemented.

A joint QA/QC plan was developed between, subcontractor, main contractor, façade consultant and architect as shown below.

This has no doubt resulted in an exceedingly high quality of glass façade on the project as can be seen below:

Inhabit set-out

Inhabit can also work in reactive ways, “Sometimes we partner with companies to try to streamline a project or overcome construction difficulties. Our approach as always is to collaborate successfully by simplifying the process and design. Dubai Village Outlet Mall is a good illustration of this. Laing O’Rourke, at the behest of Meeras, engaged us to see if we could assist in speeding up the procurement and delivery program,” Stephens says.

Sky Venture, Geometic Setout and Clash Detection Aecom clash detection and BIM

“We effect this by purposely not establishing site-only teams, we prefer to have teams that are involved with the project from start to finish and who work with other site teams.

On One Zabeel, the client had aspirations of very clear and high-quality glass so we worked collaboratively to get the best possible procurement strategy and QA/QC procedures in place for the project.”

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This was realised by: 1) Project Manager (Mace), Contractor (Alec), Architect (Nikken Sekkei) and Inhabit being fully engaged in the tender process.

2) The project specifications (which were above general industry standard) were discussed item by item clearly with the shortlisted tenderers.

Unusual requirements, current industry risks and non-standard industry requests were flagged and raised to the tenderers in an open and collaborative fashion. This allowed the tenderers to properly price for items such as

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“We met with both the contractor and client and the brief was to effect a glass fin wall as quickly as possible. Initial thoughts turned to possible fabricators and locations of fabrications. However, Inhabit quickly saw an opportunity which could be achieved through collaboration. The IFC (Issued for Construction) documents depicted a glass fin façade with point fix spider fittings. We suggested a relatively simple design change which would realize a more elegant finished project at a lower cost and shorter timeframe.” The design change was to omit the point fix spiders and bond the glass directly to the glass fins.

Several façade contractors on the tender list had refused to consider the design change citing risk. Inhabit sourced like-minded specialist contractors and JML were successful in tendering and went on to construct and complete the high-quality project in due time.

EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

One Zabeel, Dubai (Renders courtesy of Nikken Sekkei)

ONE ZABEEL SITE

AL ABBAR FACTORY

ONE ZABEEL SITE

APPROVAL BY NIKKEN SEKKEI / INHABIT

APPROVAL BY INHABIT

APPROVAL BY ALEC / INHABIT

STEP 1 CONTROL SAMPLE 300 X 300

STEP 2

STEP 3

VISUAL MOCK UP APPROVAL

GLASS FACTORY 1/ WEEK

STEP 4 HADAMAR INSPECTION

STEP 5

STEP 6

STEP 7

ALUMINIUM FACTORY

MATERIAL INSPECTION REQUEST

WORK INSPECTION REQUEST

1/WEEK

One Zabeel, Glass Approval Process IGS MAGAZINE GRAPHICS IN-PRS-FC0100[01] | 03.03.2020

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Outlet mall frameless fins

Stephens considers information communication and exchange to be a key element of successful collaboration. “The building construction field is now dominated

by CAD and BIM. Inhabit continues to lead the field (with others) on information technology innovation. Collaborating with the likes of

Meeras, ASGC, Buro Happold, and WME we have worked on projects exchanging scripts and attended hackathons as part of our R & D strategy,” he says.

“Coding is leading the way for our more complex projects. The next step as we see it

NO POINT FIXINGS

POINT FIXINGS

NO COST OF POINT FIXINGS

COST AND TIME TO DRILL GLASS

NO COST AND TIME TO DRILL GLASS

FULLY TEMPERED GLASS REQUIRED FOR DRILLING

FULLY TEMPERED GLASS NOT REQUIRED. HEAT STRENGTHENED GLASS CAN BE USED

SPONTANEOUS BREAKAGE RISK WITH FULLY TEMPERED

NO SPONTANTOUS BREAKAGE RISK

CONSTRUCTION TEAM

COST OF POINT FIXINGS

DESIGN TEAM

BETTER VISUALLY

would be to collaborate on a script as opposed to drawings. This would allow seamless design to construction. The script would generate the drawings and be passed through the project stages between stakeholders from design through tender and all the way through construction.”

CONCEPT DESIGN

SCHEMATIC DESIGN

DETAILED DESIGN

DRAWING

DRAWING

DRAWING

FACADE AND

TENDER

STEEL GEOMETRY CONSTRUCTION SETOUT

SCRIPT

SCRIPT

DRAWING

DRAWING

IGS MAGAZINE GRAPHICS IN-PRS-FC0100[01] | 03.03.2020

Construction by scripting process

IGS MAGAZINE GRAPHICS IN-PRS-FC0100[01] | 03.03.2020

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Facade Pattern Generator

Facade Pattern - 46 Lines, 23 Surfaces

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Finding an Architectural balance in the Middle East Traditional vs Modern Brian Johnson Managing Partner Godwin Austen Johnson

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W

hen I arrived in Dubai in 1975 I was struck by the unique architectural heritage that was at the heart of the city but when I started to talk to new clients it was clear that at that stage they wanted to demonstrate that Dubai was open to new ideas but didn’t wish to recreate its past. The future not the past.

The contrast between the bright skies of Dubai compared with the ‘British standard overcast sky’ was an immediate reminder that regardless of the style of architecture we proposed there was an obvious need to respond to both the benefits and challenges of the local climate and to local cultural sensibilities.

This in turn led to the development of an architectural vocabulary which celebrated traditional elements of regional architecture – such as the incorporation of shading, mashrabiya screens, narrow spaces that provided shade and, equally important, the provision of a sequence of spaces and their relationship with differing levels of light and shade – into the buildings that we were designing for an array of clients from the Dubai Police Force to schools and from hotels to private houses.

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Although all of the buildings I designed in those early years, whilst incorporating this regional vocabulary, were “modern”, I felt there was a place in the architecture of the UAE – especially in the world of hospitality – for a design approach that was modelled more closely on the traditional themes, layouts and forms of construction that had served the local population for so long.

On one occasion in the early 1980’s I proposed a design for a beach front holiday resort that was modelled on a traditional Arab village which the client was initially very enthusiastic about only to find that his wife had questioned why he was looking backwards instead of forwards so it was not to be.

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But not long after this it was clear that the region was emerging as a popular holiday destination and that tourists might sometimes wish to experience “The Magic of Arabia” rather than stay in a hotel that could be located anywhere in the world. The opening of the One & Only Royal Mirage in 1999 was an instant success which arguably paved the way for the array of traditional hotel designs that have sprung up across the region since then.

The pendulum of architectural treatment then swung briefly towards the over-use of traditional architecture but nowadays it is appreciated that there needs to be a balance between the examples of traditional architecture which celebrate the unique heritage of the region and those soaring and unique examples of modern architecture which reflect Dubai’s forward-looking and dynamic attitude to life and its well-earned place in the modern world.

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Architects need to ensure that their designs serve the needs of the population and whilst there will always be certain building types that, for various reasons, really need to be modern – hospitals, airports, office buildings and other facilities which inter alia require a clear legibility to ensure that there is no stress in finding your way or otherwise wish to exude professionalism and efficiency - there are times when the nature of the experience of using a building is part of its charm.

Most of the population, whether tourists or residents, seem to enjoy spending their leisure and holiday time in buildings and spaces which do not need to be wholly rational where their imagination can be allowed to wander with them and where getting lost on your way to the restaurant is considered to be part of the guest experience, and this is the market where the use of traditional heritage architecture has proven to be very successful.

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Some may suggest that the use of traditional architecture in this context is more pastiche than architecture, but we believe that the detailed analytical work that we undertake of spaces, building relationships that work well and scale combined with a meticulous attention to the detailing of those spaces provides a solid basis for the design of re-created spaces; spaces that we can demonstrate have worked in the past and will work in the future.

This academic rigour informs all the examples of traditional architecture that we have

designed not only at the Al Seef project on the Dubai Creek, at Bab al Shams, at the One&Only Arabian Courtyard, at the Al Bait hotel adjacent to the Sharjah Souq and at the Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort & Spa in Abu Dhabi but also at the Aga Khan Award nominated Al Mureijah Art Spaces project for the Sharjah Art Foundation where we designed completely modern but appropriate buildings on the footprints of the old street pattern to provide a series of interrelated Art Galleries which sit alongside their existing traditional counterparts in perfect balance.

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

In designing modern buildings we aim to create and maintain a sense of identity that is unique to the region and whilst it is clearly less appropriate to incorporate elements of traditional architecture per se into our 40 storey modern hotels and apartment buildings it is nevertheless possible to infuse something of that spirit in all the work that we design.

Finally it is clear that the UAE has become known as a proving ground for an array of unusual designs by world famous architects which take their inspiration from a rich supply of local imagery, ranging from the Burj Khalifa, whose plan was inspired by the shape of a desert flower, to buildings inspired by the shape of sand dunes, falcons and dhows.

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The more competitive market that is being faced throughout the region means that clients have become more discerning and more interested in the look and feel of their projects rather than the one size fits all approach that has applied in some areas in the past; their buildings need to be able to stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons by providing a markedly better experience if their product is to sell while others do not.

Our role as architects is to help to make that possible.

EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

“Finally it is clear that the UAE has become known as a proving ground for an array of unusual designs by world famous architects which take their inspiration from a rich supply of local imagery, ranging from the Burj Khalifa to buildings inspired by the shape of sand dunes, falcons and dhows”

Brian Johnson – Managing Partner, Godwin Austen Johnson Brian Johnson is the Principal and Managing Partner of Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ).

He began his career in London in 1973 and in 1975 he moved to Dubai where he worked for a small firm for a few months before the principal announced that he was leaving Dubai resulting in Brian asking his old employer to join him in the establishment of a new practice in Dubai. Brian was Managing Partner of this practice until 1989 when he left to join the longestablished UK practice: Godwin Austen Johnson.

Brian has maintained an almost constant presence in the Gulf region since 1975 and in 1991 he opened the GAJ headquarters in Dubai.

With more than 40 years of regional experience to his name, Brian’s influence on modern Middle Eastern architecture is undeniable. His body of work comprises some of the region’s most recognisable and prized buildings. Among them is the Dubai Creek Golf Club, widely recognised as one of Dubai’s first architectural icons – so much so that it features on the 20 dirham note. Recognised as one of the most distinguished architects in the region, Brian is credited with having set in motion a countrywide trend in the UAE to incorporate traditional Arabic and Islamic themes into modern architecture.

His distinctive style and uncompromising resolve for design excellence has made Brian and GAJ a preferred partner for many distinguished projects and has resulted in the firm winning an array of architectural awards.

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Reprints

Whenever your company products or services are mentioned in IGS, whether it’s an article, case study or new innovation we can produce a tailor-made reprint for you to use in your future marketing and promotional campaigns. Reprints can vary from a single page to multiple page brochures.

To order your reprints simply contact us at the following email address: nick@intelligentpublications.com or go to igsmag.com

EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Finding an Architectural balance in the Middle East

THE

W

BIG

INTERVIEW

THE

BIG

INTERVIEW

An Architect’s Manifesto:

hen I arrived in Dubai in 1975 I was struck by the unique architectural heritage that was at the heart of the city but when I started to talk to new clients it was clear that at that stage they wanted to demonstrate that Dubai was open to new ideas but didn’t wish to recreate its past. The future not the past.

IGS goes one on one with

The contrast between the bright skies of Dubai compared with the ‘British standard overcast sky’ was an immediate reminder that regardless of the style of architecture we proposed there was an obvious need to respond to both the benefits and challenges of the local climate and to local cultural sensibilities.

This in turn led to the development of an architectural vocabulary which celebrated traditional elements of regional architecture – such as the incorporation of shading, mashrabiya screens, narrow spaces that provided shade and, equally important, the provision of a sequence of spaces and their relationship with differing levels of light and shade – into the buildings that we were designing for an array of clients from the Dubai Police Force to schools and from hotels to private houses.

Firas Hnoosh:

Traditional vs Modern Voted one of the most in fluential

Brian Johnson Managing Partner Godwin Austen Johnson

TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

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Apple Store Dubai Mall

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Introduction Apple Dubai Mall reinvents the traditional introverted idea of mall-based retail as a more outward looking experience that engages with the spectacle of urban life. Its design is a highly innovative response to the culture and climate of the Emirates, while also demonstrating Apple’s pioneering ambition to create inspirational civic spaces for all.

Culture, Context and Climate The design of Apple Dubai Mall is a celebration of the sun, using the abundant daylight to create a special ambience within. Reinterpreting the traditional Arabic Mashrabiya, innovative, ‘Solar Wings’ gently shade the outside terrace during the day and open majestically during the evening to reveal the ‘best seat in the house’ with a breath-taking view of the waterside promenade and fountains.

Located in Dubai Mall – one of the most visited urban centres in the world, attracting over 80 million visitors every year since 2014 – the new Apple Dubai Mall occupies the most pivotal position in the city, alongside the iconic Burj Khalifa and overlooking the famous Dubai Fountains. Spanning over two floors, it embraces the theatre of the fountains with a sweeping 186-foot (56.6 metre) wide and 18-foot (5.5 metre) deep terrace – a first for any Apple Store – with unparalleled views of the spectacular setting and the incredible choreographed display.

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With the store’s highly visible location overlooking the Dubai fountain, the aesthetic character of the storefront was clearly important, seeking to match the drama of the nearby fountains and to provide a strong visual connection between inside and outside to draw visitors into the store.

During the summer months, Dubai is subject to intense heat, humidity and insolation.

Summertime temperatures can exceed 45°C and the global annual average solar radiation is approximately twice that of London, therefore balancing internal comfort, glare, daylight and energy consumption represents a significant challenge.

The tension between the need for a beautiful South-West facing façade embracing the key view lines, the harshness of the climate and the desire for transparency all combined to set a challenging multi-parametric brief which could only be fully satisfied by a dynamic solution.

The complex interactions between the façade and the environmental systems inside the building required a fully integrated design approach involving Foster + Partners’ inhouse Specialist Modelling, Environmental Engineering and Structural Engineering Groups working alongside the architectural team.

All images ©Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

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architects in the Middle East

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EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM COMMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Firas Hnoosh

Voted one of the most influential architects of the Middle East grants our wishes with a touch of genial engineering magic.

This fascinating report starts on page 70

Frans Van Vuure

Director at UNStudio goes one on one with IGS to bring you the first exclusive, all inclusive interview on the mega project that is wasl Tower...page 80

Mathieu Meur

of DP Façade Consultancy Practice calls to mind the visionary powers of prediction from science fiction TV shows of years gone by page 98

PLENTY MORE TO COME

Up to this point you have read articles from some of the foremost experts involved with glass in architectural design and façade engineering projects in the Middle East. It would be a tough act to follow this but the proceeding authors live up to, or dare we say exceed, expectations. Not one, but two world exclusive interviews are published on the next few pages along with a glimpse into the future of glass and façades - with 20/20 vision.

This is IGS – Nothing more, nothing less…NOTHING ELSE intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

New Hamad International Airport in Doha Challenges of Airport Facades Design

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TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

T

he first phase of Terminal 1 Hamad International Airport (HIA) opened in 2014 with a planned capacity of 24 Million Passengers Per Annum (MAP). Since the Airport opening, the demand has almost immediately been met and because of the need for further capacity, the HIA Expansion Project is now taking place. The expansion will increase the airport total capacity to 53MAP. In 2019 the Airport was voted Best Airport in the Middle East The Terminal Building Expansion Project adjoins the existing Terminal Building through the existing airport North Node via a Central Concourse that revolves around a Central Garden. This forms the focal point of the development with the centre of passenger flows, retail positioning and airport lounges. In addition, the project also includes the extension of concourses D and E aiming to provide the passenger a First-Class Airport Experience.

The design of the Airport Expansion has been carried out by Meinhardt as a Lead Consultant led from our Singapore head Office and AEDAS Architects Singapore. The team utilized our Meinhardt Faรงade Middle East office for the design of the faรงade elements, as an understanding of the local conditions was key to this strategy.

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The HIA Expansion includes facades to the Concourses, Flight Link Bridges (FLB’s) as well as the links to the existing building. The envelope of the building has been categorised into several façade types, each type having its own unique defining properties made up from its intended function to provide the optimal performance.

The expansion envelope also includes the roof, that has been categorised into two types, the first being the solid insulated roofing system to the expansion of the concourses, and the other being the central concourse garden roof.

In summary, these are the different façade types designed for the project expansion: • • • • • • • • • •

Concourse Main Façade Concourse Rainscreen cladding FLB Façade Solid Apron Façade Glazed Apron Façade Links to existing building Façade Roof Clerestory Façade Standing Seam Roofing Garden Roof Grid Shell Concourse Apron Level External Soffits

Figure 1- Site plan with proposed terminal building extension

Figure 2- Airport Expansion Major Façade Types

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A building envelope, by definition, is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building.

Typically, the envelope provides weather protection with regards to air barrier, water penetration and thermal transfer, as well as establishing the overall aesthetics and identity of the building.

Airport envelopes have additional performance requirements that are characteristic to the nature of the building use, such as security, safety, acoustic separation and durability amongst others. Some of the project specific requirements and how they were incorporated in the faรงade design have been selected to be discussed in this article.

Long Term Durability Airports require an extended design life with minimum major service requirements during the design life period in order to avoid impact to the airport operations. At the HIA Expansion, durability played a big role on the faรงade design and material selections.

Figure 3- Average rainfall in Doha in the past 10 years Source: www.worldweatheronline.com

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Figure 4 : Rendered Image of Central ConcourseMain Faรงade

One important factor to be studied when considering durability, is the local weather conditions. Doha weather is generally very consistent with regards to average temperatures, wind speeds, sun hours, cloud formation and humidity. However, when it comes to rainfall, it has observed a substantial increase of average rainfall over the last 3 years.

There is a misconception that designing for rainfall is not critical in the Middle East due to the low average annual rainfall, to put it in perspective, the average annual rainfall in the UK is 885mm compared to less than 80mm in Doha. However, although the rainfalls are scarce and brief, they can be very heavy and often cause flooding. Rainfall of over 50mm in 24 hours have been recorded in Doha. In 2015 According to the hourly rainfall data provided by the Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD), Civil Aviation Authority on 25 November 2015, the rainfall recorded from 0500 GMT (08:00

Figure 5: Rendered Images of the Central Garden

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TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Qatar time), reached 54.5mm and continued to fall up to 21.6mm from 0600 GMT (09:00 Qatar time). Giving a total rainfall for these 2 hours of 78.1mm.

Therefore the 2015 Doha specific rainfall data profile was taken into account when designing the HIA Expansion faรงade systems and roof to ensure that the systems proposed will perform even during the heavy rains. This is particularly relevant when estimating the systems gutter sizes and drainage points.

Doha and in particular the area surrounding the airport site, has very Severe Environment Conditions. The Arabian Gulf sea water has significant evaporation rates due to the hot and arid conditions which leads to hypersaline conditions in the region [1].

Figure 6: development of the grid shell surface shape using parametric form finding

The airport site is only 200m from the sea and the site has reclaimed material from the

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and wind load supported to the faรงade. The connections to the faรงade are made at the glass joints via a stainless-steel bracket that is fixed to the faรงade mullions.

3. Stainless steel is by its nature a very reflective material. The use of highly reflective materials is very hazardous in Airport roofs as the high light reflection and glare can interfere and distract aircraft pilots during take-off and landing.

In order to reduce the reflectivity and decrease glare, a low gloss, uniformed textured stainlesssteel finish has been specified for the roof.

Acoustic As in most airport projects, the acoustic requirement for the concourse facades and roof are very high with STC>38 db for the glazed facades, STC>45 db for the solid facades and STC>50db for the roof. These requirements had to be considered and overcome in all elements of the faรงade, thus further demand placed on the full envelope to perform to a very high level.

Figure 7: Structural model for the Garden Roof Gridshell

hypersaline seabed. In addition, there is a desalination plant near the site which increases the salinity of the air in the area [1], [2], [3]. Also, the winds can carry a significant amount of sand and dust [4] which makes this area very susceptible for the development of corrosion.

Due to the extreme harsh environment and with the aim of achieving the highest durability, ATI 2003 duplex stainless steel with a hydrophobic surface finish has been specified to be used as the standing seam roof top sheet.

The hydrophobic surface finish repels the water and has low surface tension which does not attract contaminants and rinses cleanly, thus increasing durability whilst decreasing the requirement for regular maintenance [5].

Furthermore, the stainless steel does not require site painting at welded areas which facilitates the details around roof penetrations.

Safety There are several activities that take place at the airside of the airport terminal, in addition to aircrafts arriving and departing, luggage loading/unloading into and out of aircrafts, passenger transportation to and from aircrafts, aircraft safety checks and inspections to name a few. In order to ensure a smooth operation of all the ground activities without interruption, safety on the air side of an airport is very critical for the airport functionality. In 42

the HIA expansion, there were some specific considerations implemented in the faรงade design to comply with the airport safety requirements: 1. All the outer glasses on the facades facing the airside are laminated glass, including the concourse facades and all the FLBโ s. This is to ensure that, in case of a glass breakage, glass pieces will not fall on the airside ground which could disturb the ground operations.

Due to the high average air temperatures in the region, Ionoplast interlayer is specified for all the outer glasses on the faรงade. Increasing temperature lowers the interlayer elastic modulus, which lowers the effective thickness of the glass. Both PVB and Ionoplast interlayers will lose modulus of elasticity as temperature rises however PVB has a much more significant drop and for this reason, it is not recommended to be used on the outer glass in this region.

2. Permanent access platforms for cleaning and maintenance have been provided to all airside facades, avoiding the use of BMU cradles or MEWPs that would disrupt the ground activities.

The access has been incorporated in the faรงade design in the shape of catwalks and railing forming a permanent gantry. The gantry is dead load suspended from the roof structural steel

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Modulation Airport elevations are generally designed to have wide faรงade modules. In the HIA extension, the typical faรงade panel modulation is 5m wide by 2.5m high. Wide panel modules will affect the faรงade design as follows: 1. Rainscreen cladding: typically, rainscreen cladding support systems consist of subframe runners spanning between floor slabs oriented vertically. However, for wide panel sizes, the main supporting runners must be oriented horizontally, which require additional vertical subframes to support the runners.

2. Glazed faรงade: Wide panels require horizontal support with large spans. Transom vertical deflections must be limited to ensure functionality of the system and to avoid glass breakage due to excessive deflection causing the glass to be in direct contact with the metal frame.

In addition, consideration must be given to the roller wave orientation as most of the glass processors are limited to 2.5-2.8m width on their heat treatment machines. On HIA, fully tempered glass in not used on the external glass lites. All the external glasses on the concourses are laminated and heat strengthened, thus limiting the glass distortion due to roller waves oriented vertically.

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Figure 8: sun path analysis

Garden Roof The key element to the HIA expansion plan is the integration of the central garden at the head of the concourses. This provides a “Winter Garden” or “Summer Garden” affect in heart of the concourses, Aedas developed the airport expansion to orientate passenger flow through the space to enhance the passenger experience.

The Central Garden consists of a large landscaped area covered by an organic shaped glass roof.

The supporting system for the Garden Roof consists of a free form structural steel grid shell with CNC machined hexagonal/circular nodes.

The RHS grid shell members are connected to the nodes via concealed bolted connections, resulting a in light weight and sleek looking frame.

The organic shape of the grid shell has been developed using parametric form finding in order to optimize the design of the structure.

This method allows the determination of the most efficient structure shape by identifying the geometry that enables the optimum force flow within the structure.

The grid shell is supported at the bottom of the three funnels to the Apron concrete slab.

At the top, the grid shell is seated on a threedimensional perimeter structural steel truss.

The truss spans between concrete columns and it is connected to the top of the columns via slide bearings with spherical shaped cups to eliminate horizontal loads and rotational loads transfering to the top of concrete columns.

The glazing system of the garden roof has a combination of very particular performance requirements. It must allow light into the building to enable plant growth whilst reducing glare for the passenger’s comfort. In addition, the glazing must comply with the project acoustic and thermal requirements.

Sun Path Analysis and visual comfort Simulations have been undertaken to determine the glare levels in the garden roof vicinities. The analysis took into account the typical sun altitude angle and sunrise/ sunset times in Doha.

Figure 9: visual confort simulation on different months of the year and times of the day

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Figure 10: Garden roof faรงade system

There are many challenges associated with design of Airports: check in process, passenger flow, security, environment, sustainability, regulations to name a few.

The HIA Expansion project not only tackles every challenge with excellence, but it also provides a unique passenger experience through a truly State of Art Architecture. frit is proposed to be applied to the glass at the garden roof top edges to address that. In addition, a PVB interlayer which features an increased transmittance of natural UV light has been specified to the inner layer in order to prevent the botanical garden species from un-natural plant growth and encourage bloom induction.

Garden roof faรงade system The glass is fixed to the steel frame via a toggle bracket linked to the aluminium carrier frame.

The glass joints are filled with weather silicone sealant which are the first line of defence against water ingress.

The system incorporates integral gaskets for condensation collection and guttering system, creating a second line of defence against water ingress.

The design of the HIA Expansion faรงade has been a very challenging journey and we look forward to the construction phase of this iconic project.

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References: 1.Smith, Ronald, Purnama, Anton, Al-Barwani, H.H. Sensitivity of hypersaline Arabian Gulf to seawater , Elsevier, 2007 2. Estimated Future Salinity in the Arabian Gulf, The Mediterranean Sea and The Red Sea consequences of brine discharge from desalination. Department of Water Resources Engineering at Lund University., 2011.

3. Environmental Impacts of Desalination Activities in the Arabian Gulf. Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, 2014.

4. Teather K, Hogan N, Critchley K, Gibson M, Craig S, Hill J. Examining The links between air quality, climate change and respiratory health in Qatar, Avicenna 2013:9 http://dx.doi. org/10.5339/avi.2013.9 5. Deuschle, Fred, Halliday, Jim, McGuire, Mike.

Hydrophobic Stainless Steel Surfaces for low maintenance, Energy Efficient Facades.

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Paul Grove currently holds the position of Managing Director with Meinhardt Technology, a position which he has held for the past 3 years, however he has been with Meinhardt for nearly 10 years in a senior position.

In this role Paul overseas the various regional offices from his base in Dubai, where he has been located for over 11 years.

Paul has worked on multiple hi rise and iconic buildings, including airports, stadiums and retail malls. Paul has in depth expert knowledge is a vast rage of façade systems and materials, also working with the top architects and engineers from around the world.

Prior to working in consultancy Paul worked in façade contracting carrying out design on numerous projects, thus providing him with over 32 years’ experience in the industry.

Michelle graduate as an Architect with the PUC-PR University - Brazil. In the first years of her career she gained experience as an architect working in Brazil and Australia. In 2004, she has completed a Masters Degree in Structural and Construction Engineering with Griffith University -Australia. She furthered her engineering experience working as a structural engineer in Australia, UK and Middle East.

In 2008 she joined the growing field of Façade Engineering. Working as a façade consultant, she combined her experience in the Architectural and Structural fields. In 2011, she moved to façade contracting where she gained hands on experience on façade design and construction before going back to façade consulting in 2019.

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Apple Store Dubai Mall

All images ©Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

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Introduction Apple Dubai Mall reinvents the traditional introverted idea of mall-based retail as a more outward looking experience that engages with the spectacle of urban life. Its design is a highly innovative response to the culture and climate of the Emirates, while also demonstrating Apple’s pioneering ambition to create inspirational civic spaces for all.

Culture, Context and Climate The design of Apple Dubai Mall is a celebration of the sun, using the abundant daylight to create a special ambience within. Reinterpreting the traditional Arabic Mashrabiya, innovative, ‘Solar Wings’ gently shade the outside terrace during the day and open majestically during the evening to reveal the ‘best seat in the house’ with a breath-taking view of the waterside promenade and fountains.

Located in Dubai Mall – one of the most visited urban centres in the world, attracting over 80 million visitors every year since 2014 – the new Apple Dubai Mall occupies the most pivotal position in the city, alongside the iconic Burj Khalifa and overlooking the famous Dubai Fountains. Spanning over two floors, it embraces the theatre of the fountains with a sweeping 186-foot (56.6 metre) wide and 18-foot (5.5 metre) deep terrace – a first for any Apple Store – with unparalleled views of the spectacular setting and the incredible choreographed display.

With the store’s highly visible location overlooking the Dubai fountain, the aesthetic character of the storefront was clearly important, seeking to match the drama of the nearby fountains and to provide a strong visual connection between inside and outside to draw visitors into the store.

During the summer months, Dubai is subject to intense heat, humidity and insolation.

Summertime temperatures can exceed 45°C and the global annual average solar radiation is approximately twice that of London, therefore balancing internal comfort, glare, daylight and energy consumption represents a significant challenge.

The tension between the need for a beautiful South-West facing façade embracing the key view lines, the harshness of the climate and the desire for transparency all combined to set a challenging multi-parametric brief which could only be fully satisfied by a dynamic solution.

The complex interactions between the façade and the environmental systems inside the building required a fully integrated design approach involving Foster + Partners’ inhouse Specialist Modelling, Environmental Engineering and Structural Engineering Groups working alongside the architectural team.

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The Development of the ‘Solar Wings’ With their movement path inspired by a falcon spreading its wings, the ‘Solar Wings’ are a theatrical experience – an integrated vision of kinetic art and engineering. The wings have been carefully crafted to inspire delight, a delicate combination of form and function.

Made entirely of lightweight carbon fibre, each wing has multiple layers of tubes forming a dense net, comprising 340 individual rods with a total length of 900m. Based upon in-depth study of sun angles, the rods are distributed in higher concentration where the solar radiation is the most intense over the year. The unique pattern deliberately allows clear views out for people standing on both levels of the store with the sunlight streaming through the wings casting dappled shadows deep into the interior. The new shaded terrace features nine substantial trees within large planters incorporating seating for visitors to sit, relax and 48

enjoy the view. The planters rotate mechanically to ensure that the trees receive even sunlight and grow symmetrically.

At 3m wide and weighing 1200kg each, the wings are designed to take 1 minute to open or close. However, the prevalence of windblown fine sand dust in the UAE meant that the mechanism had to be detailed carefully to reduce the risks of the abrasive particles getting into moving interfaces and causing premature wear in the system. This risk was reduced by minimising the amount of machinery located under the floor.

The objective of the drive system was to provide a mechanism that could move the rearmost part of the panel 5m along a straight track from a retracted to deployed state and vice versa with accurate positional control while also offering rotational guidance. The leading edge of each wing was mounted on

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a curved track to provide the rotation during the deployment, so the panels rotate through 92° to arrive in a tangential position at the balcony edge. However, the weight limitations on the 12m cantilever structure supporting the roof meant that the preferred method of supporting and driving the panel from above was impossible.

A key breakthrough in the design development came with the elimination of the lower curved tracks on the balcony floor, the area most vulnerable to collecting abrasive debris, significantly reduced the complexity and visual impact. Consequently, only two parallel 6mm

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slots per unit are used to guide the lower carriage running under the floor into position limiting the amount of debris ingress and simplifying the design of the access panels in the terrazzo floor.

The removal of the curved track requires that the unguided “free legs” need to be locked once the panel is in the deployed or retracted positions. This was achieved by installing an actuated locking system under the floor that drives a lock pin into the underside of the free leg when the panel is parked. Careful detailing of the latching system ensures correct engagement of the pins during all operating conditions

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The design also sought to minimise the risk of movements of the cantilevered roof affecting the mechanisation system. This required a combination of low friction thermoplastic bearings pivots and slides to accommodate any structural deflections under load. The locking systems comprise actuated and non-actuated slots to transmit wind loads into the primary structure in both the deployed and retracted positions. This eliminates the need to move the panels into a specific deployed or retracted position in the event of an advancing storm.

Glass Selection and Specification The design of the Solar Wings was carefully calibrated, along with the roof overhang,

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to provide optimal shading during peak solar conditions and reduce the direct solar radiation falling on the glass.

Accordingly, the specification of the glazing is based around the ‘effective’ g-value of the entire façade system including the ‘Solar Wings’ rather than just the glass itself. Consequently, a solar coating was not applied to the glass as the combined solar performance of uncoated low iron glass and the shading system significantly exceeded the energy code baseline requirements.

Thereby solar heat gains are effectively controlled and daylight is plentiful while views in and out of the store remain uninterrupted when the wings are retracted and parked.

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The air temperature differential between inside and outside is significant, however, which could potentially lead to additional cooling demand arising from conduction heat gain plus a risk of condensation forming on the outer surface of the glass during periods of high humidity.

This was managed by the specification of an insulated glazing unit (IGU) engineered by Eckersley O’Callaghan, comprising 2+2 sheets of structural glass with an air gap between to limit conduction of heat to manageable levels.

In this way the combination of the glass specification and the Solar Wings effectively controls environmental heat gain to the store.

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Miriam Dall’Igna BArch , BSc , MSc Foster + Partners | Associate Partner | Design Systems Analyst University of Westminster | Faculty of Architecture | Computational Design Professor Miriam has experience on the design and research of complex structures for manufacturing and construction. Her passion lives in the integration of building physics and structural requirements through geometry and computational methods. Part of her tasks are the experimentation and implementation in architectural practice of state of the art software and hardware.

She is currently focusing in the research of goal-oriented autonomous robotic systems, additive manufacturing and adaptive building envelopes for large scale construction in harsh environments. She joined Foster + Partners in 2008 and University of Westminster in 2012. Her background is in architecture and computer science.

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Andrew Jackson MEng (Hons), CEng MCIBSE Partner, Senior Environmental Engineer Visiting Professor of Sustainable Building Design at University of Sheffield Andrew has worked in engineering design and consultancy since 2005, completing a diverse range of projects across all major sectors and became a chartered engineer in 2011. Since joining Foster + Partners in 2012 he has led the environmental engineering team on projects in various global locations, promoting the integrated design philosophy pioneered by the practice.

He is a keen supporter of STEM education having previously been a STEM ambassador.

Andrew has also been a visiting professor of Sustainable Building Design at the University of Sheffield, one of four ‘centres of excellence’ for sustainable building design identified by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

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Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Apple’s first store in the UAE, also designed

by Foster + Partners, was opened at the Mall of the Emirates in October 2015 achieving a LEED Platinum rating and setting a benchmark for sustainability and energy efficiency which Apple Dubai Mall sought to emulate and surpass.

As described above, significant attention was paid to mitigating environmental heat gains through the façade design thereby reducing the associated cooling demand. Internal heat gains in the retail environment are also often significant due to the relatively high occupant density, lighting levels and equipment compared to other building typologies which can generate high cooling demand if not carefully managed. The general lighting at Apple Dubai Mall is provided by highly efficient

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luminous ceiling panels, comprising a network of tiny LED lights and a reflector above a stretch fabric panel. This system delivers a diffuse ambient light with a similar characteristic to natural daylight. The efficiency of this lighting system ensures that both the energy consumed directly by the lighting is reduced along with the secondary cooling energy arising from the excessive heat typically associated with retail lighting A further challenge is posed by the store geometry – the height of the sales area is over 5m at the balcony level and over 4m at the mezzanine level – which creates a large volume to be conditioned. Extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of air movement were undertaken to optimise the placement and discharge velocity of air supply points to condition the occupied zone only,

allowing the temperature in the unoccupied high-level stratified zone to drift upwards.

To take full advantage of the Solar Wings and the CFD analysis the conditioning systems are designed around ‘felt’ temperature metrics which incorporate effects of radiant temperature and air movement in addition to air temperature. This allowed the internal air temperature set point to be adjusted to realise energy savings whilst offering improved thermal comfort. The design of the ventilation and cooling systems also decouples the treatment of outside air from the space conditioning to improve efficiency and employs a total energy recovery system to transfer unwanted heat and moisture from the incoming fresh air to the outgoing air stream before employing any mechanical cooling. Given the scarcity of water in Dubai

minimising use of potable water is essential, accordingly any residual condensate arising from dehumidification of fresh air is collected and fed back into the site-wide condensate recovery system.

The Role of the Facade The contribution of the façade to the visual character of this project is immediately apparent at first glance. However, it also sits at the nexus of the climate, the culture, the context and performance of this project interacting with the active building systems and fundamentally influencing the occupant experience. A truly integrated piece of design.

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Culture, climate and curved glass Qatar National Library

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H

ousing over a million books including ancient Arab-Islamic manuscripts, Qatar’s National Library in Doha is a haven for culture, research, study and collaboration along with some of the most important and rare texts in the Middle East.

Dutch architecture studio OMA designed the monumental building, inaugurated by their Highness’ the Sheikh and Sheikha of Qatar in 2018. The library, commissioned by the Qatar Foundation, plays a central role in Education City, joining acclaimed research facilities and

invoking a great sense of historical pride and belonging in the Arab world.

The corrugated-glass façade - a structurally robust system developed with Pritzker Prize laureate Rem Koolhaas and the team at OMA - insulates library visitors from the harsh Qatari climate, filters the bright natural light and creates a tranquil oasis in an otherwise challenging environment. The result is a visually stunning façade for a building of national significance which showcases the potential of laminated annealed curved glass.

The quick facts: • Approximately 1000 curved glass DGUs • Maximum size up to 6m high by 2.4m wide • “Omega” shape curves with radius of 550mm • 16.76 + 8 + 16.76 assembly • Low-e, ceramic frit and solar control coating

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Structural potential of annealed curved glass The Qatar National Library designers faced a common challenge to glass design ambition; the structural response to building loads.

Where the characteristic strength of annealed glass approaches its limit under specific project conditions, specifiers will turn to heat strengthened alternatives such as tempered/ toughened glass, which have a higher material resistance and rule out the option of annealed glass, which enjoys more design freedom.

In the case of curved glass, we can benefit from the unique characteristics of curved surfaces - the geometric stiffness can provide structural robustness that would otherwise prohibit use of annealed glazing. Structurally, the same theory applies to the famous catenary arches of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852 - 1926).

The corrugated-glass façade system developed with OMA for the Casa da Música in Porto, Qatar National Library and since

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then, Taipei Performing Arts Center, features curvature profiles of tight radii in close proximity of one another - in this case “omega” shaped - which provide robustness and offer an engineered solution to the use of annealed glass. The curved form, paired with the added features of lamination, can meet structural capacity and safety requirements while offering a world of design possibilities.

This principle extends to the support conditions, where the perimeter framing supporting each glass unit has been reduced from all four sides, to just two-side supported along the top and bottom edges of the panel.

Aesthetically, this means that vertical support members, or mullions, do not interrupt the viewing experience of the onlooker.

The absence of vertical lines fosters visual continuity between the inside and outside environment of the library – an invitation to experience the building and surrounding urban space with the engineered transparency that only glass can offer.

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“Dutch architecture studio OMA designed the monumental building, inaugurated by their Highness’ the Sheikh and Sheikha of Qatar in 2018”

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Glass section profile, Cricursa

Glass plan and section, Cricursa

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Sample 3D model, Cricursa

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Curved glass in extreme climates Already one of the hottest places on Earth, Qatar has seen average temperatures rise more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. It is the fastest warming region on the planet after the Arctic. The average summer day commonly tips over 40 degrees and in a July 2010 heat wave, the temperature hit an all-time high of 50.4 degrees. Facing the unbearable heat, Qatar has begun to aircondition the outdoors.

The global climate conditions are demanding high-performing façade systems which contribute as an important tool in a building’s armory of embodied and operational energy features.

Concept design sketch, OMA

To manage a temperature of 45 degrees outside and maintain 20 degrees inside the library, the laminated and insulated curved glass assembly is comprised of a low-e coating, a ceramic frit pattern and a solar control coating. The glass also underwent specialised thermal stress analysis - the temperature of the outer glass reaching up to 70 degrees in some instances.

The ceramic frit pattern is made up of metallic grey dots with 3mm diameter printed precisely, 6mm between dot centers in a staggered distribution for low heat absorption.

Low-e and solar control coatings engineered to manage incoming light filter and reflect sunlight to reduce the heat transmission through the glass unit considerably, maintaining pleasant natural light ingress.

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How do the curves help? As an advantage to thermal performance, fewer metallic framing members also reduce the ‘bridge’ between ambient outdoor conditions and the controlled internal environment. This bridge can be understood as a transfer of heat through a window, which is limited by the air cavity in insulated glass units, but compromised by metallic properties of the framing system, as metal conducts heat.

Few manufacturers in the world can do this, and Cricursa has spent over 90 years combining artisanship and innovation to perfect the craft.

Last year, K11 Musea in Hong Kong opened to the public; a building lined with over 380 laminated glass tubes which tower at 9m high and measure 450mm in radius.

New decade, new possibilities in curved glass Designers of the built world continue to demand flexibility in design - to push what is possible in building materials. Above all, glass offers transparency and can connect spaces with communities by offering visual continuity between inside and outside, here and there.

Eliminating framing reduces heat transfer, which in turn reduces the energy required to maintain the building’s thermal comfort systems.

Tight radii and associated complexities The radius of curved glass is commonly used to express the extent of curvature. The lower the radius, the tighter the curve. Using conventional tempering ovens, a radius as low as 700mm can be achieved without compromising architectural optical quality. Below this limit, entering the world of annealed, slumped glass has seen curves with radii as small as 200mm - see the 40 Bond St Apartments in New York City by Herzog & de Meuron.

Qatar National Library’s “omega” curves have radii of 550mm and over in Taiwan, Taipei Performing Arts Center’s “S” shapes curve at 330mm. Laminated, insulated glass in large dimensions is complex - include tight curves in the mix and you have quite the design and fabrication challenge.

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To make annealed curved glass, a flat panel is heated up to 600 degrees Celsius and slumped over a hand-made mould. The high temperatures can easily damage coatings and more complex forms or smaller radii introduce further complications - you are working with glass transitioning to a near-liquid state. When the target curve profile has a small radius, limitations in glass thickness need to be considered. Smaller radii are better achieved with thinner glass as it weighs less on the mould and has a lower sectional capacity, meaning it can be manipulated with more flexibility. In this façade, the glass panes are 8mm thick.

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In 2020 and beyond, size continues to be a key factor - architects can play with scale and connectivity more than ever. Cricursa made their name as pioneers of “XXL” curved glass, which over the last decade reached up to 10m high. Today, Cricursa has the capacity to create curved, tempered glass 18m in size.

But size isn’t always everything. With a continued commitment to partnering with and enabling designers and specifiers, more options, especially in tempered glass, are on offer. Bending in two directions, i.e. spherical shapes, can now be manufactured in tempering ovens where before this has been achieved only with the slumping method.

There is more flexibility in terms of convexity as well; new ovens mean coatings can be applied

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to either surface of the glass and are not governed by the orientation of the curve.

An expansion of facilities through the acquisition of two new factories in Catalonia means that quality flat glass processing capabilities join the Cricursa arsenal, responding to clients who want volume, both flat and curved, in exceptional quality. The additional space houses new, large processing equipment for both flat and curved glass, meaning Cricursa can deliver range: from high-rise structures to boutique façades.

Designers are shaping the built world to address the social, climatic and technological challenges of the next decade. Glass in the context of materiality and space continues to be a tool to foster interconnectivity in communities, wellbeing in building occupants and beautiful architecture. In the case of Qatar National Library, it creates a light wellspring in the desert connected to an educational campus, democratising knowledge and conserving Arab-Islamic cultural heritage.

Joan Tarrús Joan has been a fundamental part of Cricursa for almost two decades. Partnering with architects, engineers and façade contractors from design conception, his innovative “Yes!” attitude has been intrinsic to shaping some of the most iconic buildings in the world.

After studying Industrial Design and Marketing, he worked with specialist façade contractor Bellapart in Catalonia, with whom Cricursa collaborated on Heatherwick Studio’s memorable Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Laverstoke UK. Now Cricursa’s Director of Marketing and International Business Development, Joan has been responsible for projects such as the 40 Bond Street Apartments by Herzog & de Meuron in New York City, Taipei Performing Arts Center by OMA, SANAA’s undulating La Samariaine in Paris and the famous 9-metre Vidre-Slide created for Glass Technology Live 2016 with Eckersley O’Callaghan Engineers. It is safe to say Cricursa’s advancement over the past 20 years would not have been possible without him.

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Louvre Abu Dhabi

Simplicity involves the utmost complexity

Jamal Batineh Waagner Biro Steel and Glass

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“It wishes to create a welcoming world serenely combining light and shadow, reflection and calm.

It wishes to belong to a country, to its history, to its geography without becoming a flat translation, the pleonasm that results in boredom and convention” Jean Nouvel

© Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Photography Mohamed Somji

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T

he combination of light, reflection and serenity is what Jean Nouvel set out to achieve with his bold vision for Louvre Abu Dhabi, and as is the case with the most iconic architecture in the world, it is extremely complex to achieve calm and simplicity. It is precisely here where the expertise of Waagner Biro Steel and Glass is vital – in making the extremely complex look simple.

Throughout it’s over 160-year history, there are perhaps few unifying themes to Waagner Biro Steel and Glass more accurate than making the complex look simple; achieving that delicate knife-edge balance between aesthetic and performance. Louvre Abu Dhabi was certainly very high up on the list of demanding projects the Austrian steel experts have undertaken.

A shallow dome, unsuspecting and hovering over the sandy shores of Saadiyat Island, housing underneath it a museum like no other: The Louvre, the first outside of France.

A neighbourhood of art scattered across numerous white block buildings, all seemingly floating on the serene sea water of the gulf on the North Western coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Our journey on this project began in a coffee shop in Vienna and ends up in a paddle boat basking in a ‘rain of light’, as Jean Nouvel calls it - the rays of Middle Eastern sunlight piercing through the eight stacked geometric layers of the 180m dome, forming the parasol which ensures the natural light punctuating through

always dances across the white buildings and surfaces below in its own unique fashion. It is thought you can never have the same light pattern twice, ever! A fact the myriad of selfietakers underneath the dome are probably unaware of but which making every one of their photos unique, a time stamp of geometry and sunlight unlike any other. ©Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

Photo by Waleed Shah

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Through the early stages of the design and development of the dome structure Waagner Biro Steel and Glass utilised their global

TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

© Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Photography Mohamed Somji

engineering and design capabilities, bringing together designers, engineers and experts from many parts of the world, with multiple backgrounds, ethnicities and genders under one roof in the company’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

It was clear from very early on that the technical, engineering and construction challenges would require highly sophisticated solutions. A holistic approach, bringing together engineering, design, manufacture and construction would

be the only way to deliver a successful result.

Planning began by mapping out the sequence with which the massive steel structure would be constructed and how it would be temporarily held in place during construction.

The deflections of the dome structure were ‘designed out’ by calculating the theoretical deflections in the dome and building the structure in way in which it would deflect down to its intended ‘starting point’, when all of the dead loads were acting on the structure. This

method is similar to pre-cambering of steel beams, only with a structure you could fit 15 White Houses underneath.

The immense dome has a diameter of 180m, that’s the length of two football pitches, and rests solely on four structural support points.

The space beneath the dome in uninterrupted by columns or supports, allowing for the free and open space the architecture demanded of it.

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TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

© Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Photography Mohamed Somji

© Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Photo by Hufton+Crow

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The steel structure of the dome was constructed on top of an intricate mesh of temporary support structure by assembling very large prefabricated steel components, lifted in place with the help of a 1,600ton crane, the largest crawler crane in the Middle East. Each component supported temporarily in place awaiting the completion of the final structure, which would then be structurally stable enough to stand alone.

Before the temporary supports were removed however, the entire structure was lifted using very powerful hydraulic jacks before being positioned on the bearings which would form the structure’s final support system.

© Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Photography Mohamed Somji

The structural skeleton formed of the assembly of these steel components was then clad with four layers on the top and a further four below.

These ornamental patterns made of special aluminium profiles are what gives the dome its crisp and decorative finish which has become so iconic. The layers, intertwined and woven in and out of each other, are what create the ‘rain of light’ effect, which is one unique piece of art which is so fitting for Louvre Abu Dhabi.

To achieve this effect the eight layers of aluminium cladding profiles are arranged to follow strict geometrical rules, creating a varying density throughout the dome cladding.

This of course also meant that there was no recurrence in the more-than-a-million parts which comprised this cladding.

Due to the huge number of individual components, various technologies were used to aid the design, manufacture and installation process. The design software was automated using in-house scripts and other software programming aides in order to generate the manufacturing data required to precisely fabricate the steelwork and the aluminium cladding components with extreme precision.

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TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

An intelligent workflow was created in which each individual component was identified, given a unique identifier and then the manufacturing data was produced. Following the production, the component was appended with a barcode, correlating with its unique identifier, this was scanned at each step of the manufacturing process and logged into a cloud-based database which allowed the project management team to identify where the various components were during the manufacture process. In-built triggers and warnings alerted the management team to any potential issues with quality or delay of manufacture which could potentially cause knock-on effects by creating a shortage of materials on site. The barcode tracking system was then used on site, with the supervisors scanning and tagging installed components, which allowed further ‘big picture’ visibility of the installation progress on site and allowed for more accurate estimates of durations and progress for planning with interfacing and adjacent works.

© Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Photo by Hufton+Crow

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TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

© Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Photography Mohamed Somji

A project of this scale and magnitude certainly pushed the limits and capabilities of Waagner Biro Steel and Glass, testing the limits of the management teams, technicians, engineers and design teams in Vienna, along with the subsidiary offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This project could only become a reality in one way, by taking a truly global, boundless and creative approach, creating novel solutions yet firmly grounded in the experience and know-how built up over the long history of the company.

To finally reach your destination, that urban promenade, a garden on the coast, a cool haven, a shelter of light founded on the dome; a major symbol of Arabic architecture. To reach that destination, calm and serene, as if a mirage of simplicity, a sanctuary of treasured art, welcoming you with open arms and with a typical Middle Eastern warm smile and an inviting wave – Marhaba, says the dome, you are here – to reach this destination … it’s why we do what we do.

Jamal Batineh is a Project Director and Structural Engineer at Waagner Biro Steel and Glass, which he joined in 2014, based in London, UK. He combines his outstanding project management skills with technical and engineering expertise in the service of delivering the extremely challenging projects which the company undertakes.

He is a Chartered Engineer with the ICE and holds an MSc in Structural Engineering from the London South Bank University and a BSc in Engineering from the Hashemite University in Jordan.

Jamal has led and delivered several key projects for some of the leading architects worldwide including Paddington Crossrail Station, Blavatnik School of Government, Westfield Stratford and Southbank Place.

Currently Jamal is responsible for all UK projects and precontracts within Waagner Biro Steel and Glass.

He has written authored publications on dynamic structural analysis, impact testing of glazing and risk management within construction among other topics.

He continues to lecture as a university guest lecturer, student mentor and industry apprenticeship appraiser.

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THE

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An Architect’s Manifesto:

IGS goes one on one with

Firas Hnoosh:

Voted one of the most in fluential

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architects in the Middle East

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IGS: Greetings Firas and a very warm welcome to IGS magazine. Can you begin by telling us a little about your experience working as an architect in the Middle East?

I moved to the Middle East about seven years ago from London. It was fascinating to see the significant differences as well as the similarities in the work culture in general and in real estate development and construction industry in particular. In terms of work culture, there are cultural differences in how clients appoint architects and other consultants and how they perceive and deal with them. But there are also similarities stemming from the fact that the region has worked with many western architects and engineers over the past decades, borrowed and learned from their experiences and their countries’ regulations which shaped their expectations and approach.

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On the project level and for me professionally, the major difference is the nature of the projects we work on in the Middle East. In the west often we are usually asked to design a building or a group of buildings in an existing context with highly developed surroundings, infrastructure, roads, and clear set of planning regulations to fit into not to mention often a historical context, architectural style, rhythm and materiality to be sympathetic to. In this region, in many cases we are asked to design a building, a masterplan district or even a small city from scratch in an area where there is little or no built environment, infrastructure or historic context to fit into. It could be a new part of the city that is not yet developed which

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requires a holistic masterplanning approach involving - at the outset - more strategy than design; we would work with development economists, transport strategists, infrastructure and sustainability consultants and even cost consultants to put together the vision and plan for this new development. This aspect fascinates me, I learned a lot from it and it sharpened my attention towards what makes a development successful, such as the added value of public realm at the building and city scales, how to design your development so that it can be built in phases, each phases enables the next phase to come to life and how to future-proof your designs for years to come among other things.

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IGS: Your architectural firm NOA (Nordic Office Architects) was founded in 2019. What is NOA’s design philosophy and what legacy do you hope to leave in the Middle East?

NOA is a young yet experienced design firm that I founded in 2019 as a response to the GCC and the wider Middle East region’s demand for new vision to reinvent their image and reinvigorate their cities with cultural life.

We advocate and promote a design approach that creates holistic architecture by designing buildings as response to their context in its multiple facets; urban, social, cultural and

environmental. Our approach aims to create spaces and buildings that are inclusive, of-theirplace and -time and expressive of their brief and client aspirations. NOA is a design firm that specializes in more than building design; we are about creating experiences and lifestyles at different scales; from the urban scale of a city to the scale of a single piece of furniture.

Our name NOA has a dual meaning in English and Arabic. It stands for Nordic Office Architects; Nordic - which includes Sweden - is where I trained as an architect and developed an affection for Nordic and Scandinavian design ethos. In Arabic, NOA is pronounced as NOWAH which translates to core, centre or the origin of something. We see ourselves as originators of unique visions and ideas.

In terms of legacy, I hope we succeed in realizing projects that would stand the test of time and redefine contemporary Middle Eastern architecture. With designs that stem from and respond to their environment, historical and urban context, rather than imported designs that look foreign to the city and its inhabitants.

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IGS: After working for some of the world’s most notable architectural practices, what was it that inspired you to open your own practice?

I believe many architects have an inner desire to establish their own studio, but few act on it. This decision didn’t come easily.

After 20 years working for international high-design firms in Europe, US and Middle East, I felt I have the experience, network and knowledge sufficient to provide high quality services directly to my clients. I contemplated the subject thoroughly after leaving my last position and I saw the opportunity and I had to grab it.

I travelled to Saudi Arabia to reconnect with clients and meet new ones and I received positive response, which strengthened my belief that our industry is about people more than brands.

The product we sell is our ideas and vision, our brainpower in other words. I tell my clients that as a boutique firm you are getting as-good or better talent as what you find in large firms only we provide you with more dedicated service and therefore higher quality work as we are more agile, flexible and free to create.

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Of course starting a firm has its many challenges; from setting up the business, winning the right projects, building a team, all the way through getting the right financial and legal support and running projects efficiently to make a profit and stay in business. Yet these challenges are what makes it fun and motivating at the same time.

Despite the current slowdown in our local construction market I decided to go against the flow, when many are downsizing and even exiting the market altogether, I decided it’s the right time to enter and invest.

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IGS: We’re in the era of the ‘iconic building’ and the ‘starchitect’. However facile this might be, the designs of public institutions are often won by the biggest names, and the most famous architects. How do you feel about this, and how do you work in a system like this and continue to create thoughtful, meaningful architecture, when so many developers are looking for ‘the next Bilbao’?

believe however that there is great reward and satisfaction in creating extraordinary designs for ordinary buildings. I don’t believe that every architect needs to design an iconic building; rather we should try to make something special out of every ordinary building we get to design.

Whether it is in the novel forms we invent, or the experience of space we create, or the materials we use innovatively among other aspects.

Indeed the threshold or entry barrier to be invited to design a public or iconic building is very high nowadays resulting in most architects being excluded from such projects. I do

And if we are good at what we do, people and clients will recognize this and eventually we would be invited to work on potentially iconic projects and public buildings. There are bright

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examples around the world that worked their way up in this manner and I personally followed their careers from early years. One must also note that local economy where you operate, local and public support for the profession and the arts in general does plays a major role in expediting and facilitating your success.

IGS: AI, robotics, the IoT and digital transformation are all disruptive technologies.

There is a danger that if we all use the same design engines, the same drivers, we will all make the same mistakes and buildings will

become same old, same old, thereby stifling the talent of the individual. What are your thoughts on this? How do you maintain your differential?

Throughout ancient and more recent history, great architects from Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn, all the way to Zaha Hadid and Norman Foster, successfully built their design repertoire before computer technology dominated architectural design.

However, today any architect for example at Zaha’s or Norman Foster’s studio would be

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very hard-pressed to go through the building design process without using a computer, that’s next to impossible! Computational design tools offer tremendous benefits to architects and their clients. They have transformed the way in which we design and deliver buildings, from the first sketch to the final construction detail.

Having said that, the creativity and problem solving skills required by an architect cannot be replaced by machines, at least not unless programmers develop fully emotional Artificial Intelligence, or AI, which is highly improbable.

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My view is that the advent of these technologies will standardize how we document and deliver buildings rather than create a prescribed way to design and conceptualize them. Tools like AI, Robotics and parametric software can generate and build complex forms and patterns we could not have even imagined 20 years ago, but control remains with the user; the designer who dictates the software, not the other way around.

These tools can also help us predict and solve problems which would ensure a higher level of service provided to more customers.

Architecture is the manifesto of a designer’s thinking. This design thinking is far greater than the drawings required to build a building.

As Renzo Piano put it once “Architecture is like an iceberg, the invisible part, below water, represents the narrative, the thinking and the knowledge which is nine times larger than the visible part. But without it there’s no iceberg!”.

IGS: How do you overcome these challenges?

I believe architects and building design professional have an obligation to educate their clients. We need to demonstrate to them how tackling this challenge can help them make more money in the medium to long run with the added – yet essential – advantage of reducing our impact on the environment and helping the local economy in reducing pressure on its infrastructure. At the building level, as part of our design process, we adopt two environmental design strategies; passive and active, to reduce a building’s carbon footprint and energy needs.

Passive strategies are adopted in the initial concept stage in order to have an enduring impact on reducing the building’s carbon footprint and its energy loads. Its impact is not perceived directly, hence it’s called passive.

Passive strategies include optimizing the

Furthermore, while computers are very effective design and presentation tools, they cannot impose a personality on the design. This should always remain the prerogative of the architect.

To maintain this, we should preserve the art of hand sketching as every hand sketch bears the marks of its author. This character will invariably propagate through the design of the building, even when it moves into the computer.

IGS: Taking into account the local environment, climate and context into which projects are built in the Middle East – what challenges do these factors pose when designing and constructing a project?

Buildings are obviously large objects that often accommodate a relatively large number of inhabitants and usually require a substantial investment. For these reasons, architects are faced with many pressures from clients and other stakeholders to influence the way a building is designed. From my point of view, the climatic challenge is a key one to tackle. For decades the region has imported designs from the West that project a certain image without taking into consideration whether these design are sensitive to their environment and climate, not to mention to their historical and urban context. The result is that we see many glass towers shine through the skylines of Middle Eastern cities, but are they really the right response to their environment? This is where the real challenge lies I believe.

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building’s massing, orientation, façade design, materials, shading devices and solid to glazed ratios among other things. It’s a one-off capital investment that has an enduring positive impact in reducing solar heat gain, associated cooling and energy loads, increasing thermal comfort in and around the building and providing shading in public spaces.

Active strategies are technologies that are included in the building services and incur an additional capital investment as well as some operational maintenance costs, which are offset over the medium and long term of the building’s life. These include grey water recycling, water flow reducing taps and fixtures, sensors that manage lighting consumption based on occupancy, temperature and humidity sensors that manage air conditioning supply and ventilation. Systems that manage the use of elevators in the most efficient way to minimize

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the number of elevator rides and escalator sensors that control operation only when required. Furthermore, we now have access to power generation onsite using photovoltaic panels and wind turbines installed within the building to generate part of the building’s energy requirements.

IGS: Considering current issues such as climate change and sustainability, how do you see the traditional role of the architect changing?

Sustainability has become a fundamental part of building design and construction in many countries and a question of timing and available funding for some other countries.

In the majority of European Union and some developed countries, energy efficiency and sustainability regulations have been mandatory for many years making the practice of sustainable design second nature to how architects and engineers work.

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In our region, over the past decade and a half, several GCC countries have made impressive strides towards adopting and implementing green building design principles. There is still room for improvement and sustainability can certainly be pushed farther, though declining oil prices since 2014 and relative cheapness of energy have slowed down this push. More recently, with some exceptions, I think adopting sustainability measures has been more of a PR or marketing exercise to raise the profile of a specific project or client.

conscious design into their practices, not as an add-on or afterthought, but as an integral part of the conceptual design process. One way to do this is by working closely with external sustainability consultants. A more effective way is to recruit architects or engineers - who have experience and training in sustainable design - as an in-house resource across all projects where they set guidelines and provide regular reviews. Over time, designers in the practice will adopt these strategies as their own on every project with little guidance.

I am positive however that regional governments will resume pushing the sustainable agenda forward in the coming few years, especially if we spread sustainable knowledge and awareness of the financial and environmental benefits it can bring.

IGS: In previous interviews and articles, you discuss densification as a solution to population growth. Bearing this in mind, what does your vision of future cities and buildings look like?

Architects should continue to invest in integrating sustainable and environmentally

As I mentioned in the aforementioned article, with a current global population of 7.5 billion, set to increase to about 10 billion in the next 30 years, as architects we are increasingly responsible for designing spaces which work harder and cater to more people.

In light of the current rate of expansion of cities, we must tackle the problem of population growth and its impact on all our lives and those of the next generation. Population growth, urban sprawl and pollution are all inextricably linked – think of it as ‘cause and effect’. Globally and locally we are seeing the emergence of some interesting migration patterns with people relocating to larger cities. This has an impact on agriculture, air quality, the natural landscape, journey times and our general quality of life and, as cities continue to expand to accommodate these people, it’s entirely possible that within the next 100 years the whole world will be one continuous city.

To slow down the sprawl of architectural dominance and conserve the natural landmass effectively, I believe we need to densify, that is to build up, not out – to have existing infrastructure work harder and for more hours for more of us. If we are to redevelop our cities and increase floor space density around existing - yet upgraded - transport links and infrastructure, we limit our need to expand horizontally and encroach on agricultural land and natural areas. This is already being adopted by many cities in developed countries such as Dublin and London to mention a couple, where certain areas of the city are earmarked for densification and high-rise redevelopment.

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Now this vision may sound dystopian to some, but we shouldn’t see high-rises as the gloomy banal structures that are designed as industrial containers of human beings. We can design our dense areas with a high standard of life to contain all the amenities we require, chief amongst them is public realm and green spaces. We can create green spaces both at ground level and in the sky at multiple levels with easy access to residents and workers. Sky gardens have been built successfully in many places around the world, including a building I designed several years ago that was built in east London, Manhattan Loft Gardens, which boasts three sky gardens that offer residents much needed outdoor space.

These new dense developments would also be economically, commercially and energy sustainable. The buildings will be mixed-use and provide all sorts of services and amenities, including shopping, gyms, restaurants, etc. reducing our need to travel far very often. They should also aim to generate power locally from renewable sources thus reducing their carbon footprint and utility costs on residents and tenants.

This way we can leave the natural environment protected to remain the place to escape to in our weekends and holidays, and in the long term it could just help save this planet that we all call home.

IGS: Can you introduce us to some of the projects you are currently working on, and perhaps give us a heads up on some projects in the pipeline that look set to gain traction and change the game in 2020 and beyond?

We are currently active in Saudi Arabia and the projects we have been working on reflect the new vision for the country and the changing mood of its people; with focus on entertainment, leisure, hospitality and tourism.

One of the projects we have designed is a mountain outpost that offers visitors to the mountains of Ha’il in Saudi Arabia the opportunity to enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains and experience its beauty while relaxing and enjoying a selection of fine dining options. It is also a spring point for hiking and exploring the surrounding nature.

In the evening it becomes a beacon on the mountain that offers a dramatic setting for musical events and celebrations.

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We also designed a pavilion for the Saudi Design Week where we created an informal social space that celebrates the culture and art of Saudi Arabia with its checkered walls that serve as canvas for artists.

Currently we are working on two projects; a very exciting beach club and water park north of Jeddah. Our proposal offers a unique beach experience with its expansive infinity pool, outdoor lounging and cabanas alongside a variety of food and beverage outlets. There is also a VIP area, which offers it’s own lounge areas, private beach and chalets. To the other side of the development we designed a water park for children to offer both adults and children a place to enjoy.

The other project is to redevelop and repurpose an existing Villa into a contemporary social

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hub to work, meet, dine and socialize. We also added a new rooftop level, which we designed as a sharp glass box, which becomes a beacon at night. The project combines two elements; a public area that would offer several handpicked restaurant concepts where live music could be performed, bazars and events area that could be used as a community space, and a private membership club with a business center, co-working spaces, members’ lounge, gym, and other amenities.

IGS: How integral is glass to your designs?

Alongside concrete and steel, Glass is one of the most essential materials to design with. Glass’ ethereal properties; its transparency, reflectively, lightness and adaptability offer us a wide range of applications in building design.

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Firas Hnoosh RIBA, LEED AP Managing Director Firas Hnoosh has over 20 years of professional design experience. Most recently, Firas was the Principal and Design Director of Perkins+Will’s Dubai studio. Moving to the UAE in 2013, Firas held the position of design director at the Abu Dhabi practice of the international architecture firm Gensler.

Before joining Gensler, Firas led a design studio at the London office of the renowned architectural design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) where he developed a focus on high rise buildings and high density developments.

Firas advocates and promotes a design approach to create holistic architecture by designing buildings as response to their context in its multiple facets; urban, social, cultural and environmental. His approach aims to create spaces and buildings that are inclusive, of-their-place and -time and expressive of their brief and client aspirations.

Firas’ built works include The Lexicon Tower in Central London, Manhattan Loft Gardens in London’s Olympic Village, the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in Mina Zayed Abu Dhabi, The Basaksehir Hospital Complex in Istanbul and several residential buildings and hotels in the Middle East Region both on the boards or under construction.

Firas holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia, USA. He is a chartered licensed member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), he is registered with the ARB in the UK and also a LEED Accredited Professional.

Often in our designs we like to play with opposites; such as transparent vs. opaque, clear vs. translucent, heavy vs. light. And glass is a constant element in these experiments.

IGS: And Finally, what are your thoughts on glass as a structural material? Does glass perform enough functions to satisfy your creative designs? Or is there something you would like glass to do that it currently does not do...to your knowledge?

One of the most impressive uses of glass is as a structural material. Most people know the Apple Stores that emerged over a decade and a half ago. With the New York Apple store, one of Apple’s flagship stores, with its beautifully designed structural glass cube. That design changed the perception of glass for many

architects. Glass is no longer perceived as simply an enveloping material that provides through-vision only. This opened the door to new designs not seen before; we started to see stairs completely made using glass elements and glass roofs completely held up by structural glass walls.

I would really like to see how glass could deal with more complex forms. So far most of the structural glass designs have been simple forms and I wonder if we will see more curvilinear forms being designed and built completely in glass. The cost of curved glass has often been forbidding in the past, but I believe in time with the advent of 3D printing and digital fabrication technologies that cost can be brought down to more affordable levels.

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IN TALK WITH FRANS VAN VUURE: WASL TOWER

wasl Tower

A building that breathes in rhythm with the city

Frans van Vuure, UNStudio talks candidly with IGS’s Lewis Wilson about buildings with spirit, in sync with people and the built environment

Night rendering of Wasl Tower © Methanoia

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IN TALK WITH FRANS VAN VUURE: WASL TOWER

IGS: From the outset, during the competition phase, what was the original design intent, what were the parameters you had to work around?

FvV: wasl Assetmanagement Group, our client, approached us with the intention to create a new ‘beautiful iconic building’ for the city of Dubai, in the sense that it should be ready for the new century and become a benchmark for other projects in the region.

The location for the project along the famous Sheikh Zayed Road downtown area, in between Dubai Mall and City Walk - two of Dubai’s most important retail centers - gave reason to connect to public areas and anchor the project in the city. Although the client wanted a high-rise, we were convinced that, alongside the private programs, the project needed to incorporate publicly accessible areas, in order to truly become part of the city.

The size of the project was flexible for the client and, with them, we researched the business plan concerning usage and possible gross floor area. The client decided to enlarge the project two-fold and create a substantial mixed-use project consisting of offices, residential, a hotel and, alongside that, public spaces where the typologies would

overlap and create special moments. We created four public areas; a 3-leveled ground floor lobby, a double leveled spa-lobby that connects the tower and carpark pooldeck by skybridge, a 3-leveled skylobby at 130m high and a double leveled rooftop lobby.

IGS: wasl tower stands in the shadow of Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. What influence did the imposing presence of the world’s tallest building have on your design for wasl Tower?

FvV: Being in the vicinity of the Burj Khalifa was a tremendous opportunity for us. This defined the quality of the location as the center of downtown Dubai and created the necessary footfall to tap into. Of course wasl Tower’s public accessibility, its sustainable character and its sheer image creates a building that will have its own position in the city overall, for years to come.

We also made use of the views towards the Burj Khalifa by raising the sky lobby to 130m and projecting the exit from the express elevators towards that view, with the result that visitors are immediately able to orientate themselves. That is the literal connection to the Burj Khalifa, which as you say, is currently the world’s highest tower.

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IN TALK WITH FRANS VAN VUURE: WASL TOWER

Interior rendering © Plompmozes

IGS: Dubai skyline is renowned for its spectacle of skyscrapers. How does wasl tower differentiate itself and stand-out in this crowd of iconic buildings?

FvV: wasl Tower had such a specific and unique location that the concept actually taps into Dubai’s full infrastructure. By utilizing a geometry that responds to the North-South axis, as well as to the views on West and East, we could create a very dynamic silhouette.

As one of the major high-rises along the future profile of Sheikh Zayed Road, and close to one of the major infrastructural cross-points in Dubai, we developed the tower with a specific organic geometry. Combining this with the intent to create a highly sustainable project, we introduced a shape that we refer to as classic ‘contraposto’, a tower with a twist. The inclined parapet of the tower emphasizes its usability, 82

opening up to the cool, shaded direction and inviting you to visit the rooftop lobby terrace.

Although not consciously designed, the client liked the fact that from the top, the tower looks like the letter ‘D’, for Dubai. So even airplanes will recognize the tower from above.

IGS: Haha…no more D for Delta. Taking into account the local environment, climate and context into which the project is built, what challenges did these factors present when designing and constructing wasl Tower?

FvV: We developed the tower keeping the orientation of the sun firmly in mind in order to reduce the heat load. By adding a veiled skin around the facade, we could play with additional shading and actually reduce the cooling load by about 25% in relation to older high-rises in the city.

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The tower has a 360 degree facade that is built up in layers. We also have a zone right behind the façade which provides a connection to all of the interiors. The unitized glazed facade is opaque and transparent depending on the orientation. The outer zone uses a local product, in this case in a very novel way: the facade is clad in thousands of solar shading fins made of resilient clay fired ceramic tiles. The ceramic is glazed with a metallic finish to create a surface that can withstand the harsh conditions of the desert climate. The glittering sheen of this finish makes the building look different at various time throughout the day, so the sun has an enormous effect on the visual appearance of the building.

IGS: Considering the hot current issues of climate change and sustainability, how much of an influence did these sentiments have on the overall design of wasl Tower?

IN TALK WITH FRANS VAN VUURE: WASL TOWER

Programme © UNStudio

Vertical Urbanscape © UNStudio

Construction Progress © UNStudio

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IN TALK WITH FRANS VAN VUURE: WASL TOWER

Night view © Plompmozes

FvV: In all our projects all around the world we emphasize to our clients the need for a holistic approach to sustainable development. wasl themselves were very keen to show how we could bring sustainability into the (cultural) heart of Dubai, where currently mostly glazed mirrored high-rises dominate the skyline.

Alongside the volumetric envelope, we designed the facade as optimally as possible, avoiding too much heat-load, especially on the East and West. Utilizing the fins as a veil for shading purposes enhances cooling and brings daylight deep into the building. With our facade engineer Werner Sobek, we established a shading pattern that enables us to keep the glazing highly transparent. Some minor corners needed additional fritting.

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With the client, we defined additional measures for sustainability, such as the use of district cooling, grey-water recycling and the use of PV cells, which are installed on the adjacent car park building, to provide energy for the lighting of the tower’s facade. In addition to this, we concentrated on the health and well-being of the guests and residents. Werner Sobek and UNStudio composed a protocol for the use of clean materials and finishes that enhances comfort and user experience throughout the project’s interior. With technology and a clear spatial setup, we also make sure that people can find their way throughout the project and orientate themselves easily. These measures, in addition to a precise planning of public levels and group amenities, make the project highly socially sustainable.

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IGS: wasl Tower has one of the world’s tallest ceramic facades – what swayed your decision to use clay as the basic material for this facade instead of more traditional materials?

FvV: UNStudio is constantly experimenting with innovative materials and new technologies, including glazed ceramics.

Because we found ourselves in this harsh desert climate, we were looking for a local product that could withstand 50-100 years of sun, wind, sand and salty humidity. Glazed clay seemed to be the most logical solution, but for use in a highrise, this had to be re-invented. Weight, danger of chipping/falling and costs were intensively researched with suppliers. Benchmarking was done on other locations. We found that for the fins, which sit on top of the facade in 3D, we

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Construction Progress © UNStudio

should use only the face that is oriented to the outside. The cavity it creates between the facade and the outside face ensures that the heat is absorbed by the clay and cooled down by the air around it. One side of the fin also has an open aluminum grill which enhances this effect.

The additional advantage of a bronze glazed effect on the façade was endorsed by our client and when the client introduced the project to HRH Sheikh Al-Makthoum, we made sure they could present him with a ceramic model of the tower.

IGS: A welcomed reprieve from the box skyscrapers of old, the geometry of the tower is aesthetically unique, adopting a classic contrapposto that creates a sense of

movement. There is no rhyme without reason.

Aesthetics aside, what are the practical and engineering benefits to this form?

FvV: The tower’s organic shape symbolically taps in to the central location it has in Dubai’s overwhelming infrastructure. It aesthetically ‘looks’ (faces) in every direction, while focusing mainly on the South-Eastern hectic downtown side and the North-Western calm sea side. This dynamic shape creates its own tension lines that are utilized in the structural model, it naturally follows the architecture. The geometry, combined with the parametrically defined pattern, direction and protrusion of the fins make the overall building model advantageous concerning solar heat gain.

The vertical boulevard, which is used to take in the tolerance during engineering and construction of the complex facade, emphasizes the need for indoor-outdoor space in high-rises.

Every floor has two external terraces in the boulevard, which runs from downtown side to sea side, and emphasizes the more public program (offices) on the lower levels and the more private program (residential) on the higher levels. The hotel is between these two programs and makes use of the tower’s ‘waist’ to highlight the raised sky lobby, which serves as the main ‘living room’ for the hotel’s guests.

IGS: A unique lighting system, designed by our friends at ARUP, has been engineered and builtin to the façade. What function does this system serve in the overall construction of the tower?

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Interior rendering © Plompmozes

FvV: We in fact see not only mixed-use as a trend, but also versatility. How can we create buildings/high-rises that can transform overtime and adapt to future social or economic changes? The need for mixed-use is partially to spread the financial risk in a project: more varied programs provides more financial flexibility of revenue income. For architects, on the other hand, mixed-use means the possibility to find overlaps in usage which can serve the community overall and relate to how a city is configured. Mono programming, whether in a building or a city neighborhood, has always resulted in very restricted use and dynamics. We would rather create buildings and neighborhoods that are active for 18 hours, instead of only 10 hours. Mixed-use enhances our use of space, as well as making it possible to create micro-neighborhoods and communities that remain continuously lively.

Construction of Foundation © UNStudio

FvV: At night we use an indirect lighting effect that takes advantage of the internal spacing of the fins and creates a gentle ‘breathing’ effect, which will synchronize with the rhythm of the city. For this lighting, we created a sustainable PV power block to supply the energy. The ground floor lobby and the sky lobby will both have light installations on the downtown side, in keeping with the breathing light pattern 86

on the facade. This creates two distinct and recognizable levels that invite you to come up and visit the tower.

IGS: Can you give our readers an idea of the glass used in this project? How integral to the design has glass been? And what role is it playing in realizing your design goals?

IGS: wasl tower is programmed for mixed-use; globally we are seeing a trend in architecture whereby buildings are required to serve multiple functions. More broadly, why do you think this trend is gaining momentum?

FvV: As already mentioned, our goal was to provide a building that would be as transparent as possible, within the sustainable boundaries that the location provided. The fins ensured that the glazing of the unitized facade could

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Section Š UNStudio

remain as transparent as possible. The originally conceived grey (colorless) glass, was later replaced - at the request of the client - with a somewhat bronze coating, in order to enhance the overall appearance of the building. The ground floor lobby, which consists of 3 levels, still has the highly transparent facade however.

This is in order to establish a larger realm, in which the inner garden (between the parking and the tower volume) defines this lobby as the real urban setting of the project. Glass has played an essential role in realizing our architectural objectives.

IGS: From a personal stand-point, what have been the highlights of this project, from design to fruition?

Personally? Well, that we actually managed to get the project from its initial design in 2014 to full construction in 2021, without major changes to the conceptual approach. There is nothing more satisfying - after the enormously difficult processes of design approval, budget approval and the approval of the authorities for such a different project in Dubai, as well as awarding and maintaining the contractor to guarantee high quality - then to see the project rising up from the ground. This is only possible if you have the right client and the right team. Boots on the ground, our project coordinators in Dubai are key to the uniqueness of the project. With them, we are in fact currently establishing a consistent presence of UNStudio in Dubai for projects in the larger region.

In the Middle-East, achieving the right quality with a unique design, is extremely difficult. But the mindset of the region is changing now.

They are looking for more durable, sustainable and identifiable projects that will enhance the quality of the built environment in this region.

The next step for Dubai is to transform the urban realm on ground level into a much more human and comfortable environment. We need to anchor the high-rises in the city taking this into account; always looking at the larger area around any plot.

IGS: What is essential in contemporary building design in order to have high performance, energy efficient, sustainable human-centric, long-lasting architectural structures?

FvV: Innovation is key: enabling more durable, versatile and circular ways of producing architecture and cities. Using intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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the latest technologies, coupled with the collaboration of bright minds and high social responsibility is what is needed to improve our built environment. The fact that cities are growing exponentially means we have to be at the forefront of trying to make the necessary changes, consistently.

IGS: And Finally, what are your thoughts on glass as a structural material? Does glass perform enough functions to satisfy your creative designs? Or is there something you would like glass to do that it currently does not do...to your knowledge?

FvV: Glass could be more versatile. We have been looking for high-quality and affordable pv-integrated glass already for many years.

Also being able to use glass for more structural functions would be great, in addition to the development of more transparent and colorless coatings. Overall architects are very fond of glass, so we should keep on asking for critical, larger, affordable innovations from the glazing industry.

Frans van Vuure is a Director and Senior Architect at UNStudio, which he joined in 2008, bringing a wealth of experience translating design concepts into technical and feasible construction processes. He received his Master of Architecture from the Architecture Academy in Amsterdam in 2000.

Since Frans joined the studio, he has coordinated a variety of projects, of which the project management process has required special attention as the qualitative aspects of these projects had to be established very early in the design phase. He worked as Senior Architect on a successful PPP/DBFMO project for the head office of the Education Executive Agency in Groningen, in addition to the Kutaisi International Airport, a fastpaced project in which planes were landing just nine months after construction began.

Currently Frans is responsible for projects in the U.K., North Italy, Georgia, Russia and some of UNStudio’s vital Middle East projects like wasl Tower, The Island MGM resort and the new Dubai Financial Center; all projects that are currently in construction.

© Inga Powilleit

Twisting wasl tower shines in the urban landscape of Dubai © Methanoia

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Options for Complex Geometry Faรงades Single Corner vs.

Free Form Cold-Bending Benjamin Beer Associate Director Head of Faรงade Ramboll Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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n the constant search for original designs that truly push the limits, many building projects in the Middle East have been driving global innovation in engineering and façade design. Not only referring to unreached heights for the world’s tallest building, but also referring to new and unique landmark designs where architects and clients pushed the building industry to develop new, advanced and challenging technologies. One of the current key trends is the request for so called complex geometry façades featuring curved, twisted or even free-form shape façades. These designs often require an early involvement of the façade specialist and the use of advanced computer aided design technologies incl. parametric modelling with script based graphical algorithm editors. The output of these numerical and graphical computational design processes is used to evaluate the needs for curved or warped façade elements. Referring to warped glass and utilizing the cold-bending technology, being significantly more cost effective compared to the traditional hot-bent glass using slump forms, the two options single corner coldbending and the free form cold-bending are compared and evaluated on two Middle East projects: The first example is the Shining Towers in Abu Dhabi, conceived as a pair of dancers moving together without touching. The second example is The Opus project in Dubai where the unique appearance of the project was derived from an unusual source of inspiration as the architect sank a hot poker into a cube of ice to create the shape of the irregular, curved void façade.

Introduction The glass cold-bending became an established technology in the façade industry used as an alternative to the costly slump form hot bending of glass. While the structural glass design of cold bent glass panels is relatively straightforward, the setting up of the cold bending limits (warp), the design of the primary seal structural silicone (between aluminium frame and glass) and the secondary seal (edge seal between inner and outer pane of the IGU) still presents a major challenge. This paper focusses on the single corner cold-bending and the recently developed free form coldbending, giving systematic overviews on the cold bending processes and structural silicone design. Project examples highlighting the two options include the Shining Towers in Abu Dhabi, and The Opus in Business Bay, Dubai.

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Fig. 01: Comparison single corner cold-bendingvs. free form cold-bending, incl. structural silicone stress models

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Fig. 02: Shining Towers, Abu Dhabi (Architects: H&H)

The later represents one of the first façades being built using the new free form coldbending process in a large scale. An additional item covered in this paper is the comparison and choice of appropriate IGU (insulating glass unit) spacer bars being able to withstand the high shear stresses caused by the cold-bending.

Cold Bending Options: Single Corner Cold-Bending vs. Free Form ColdBending Figure 01 provides an overview of the two cold-bending options currently used in façade engineering projects. The single corner cold-bending is the most common option being realised on various projects over the last approximately 10 years. Various paper covered the principle technology and design methods, see [2], [3], [4] and [5]. Here the aluminium framing members are linear, and the glass is produced flat. For the free form cold-bending geometries including spherical convex, spherical concave, anticlastic free-form, convex free-form and concave / convex free-form, the glass is produced flat and the framing members are curved. Referring to the cold bending distance ‘warp’, the single corner cold-bending only has one warp at one corner – three points define a coplanar surface and therefore only one corner point is warped (point P1, P3, P5 or P7). The edge warp (wp2, wp4, wp6 or wp8) of the two sides adjacent to the warped corner point can be assumed to be approximately half of the corner warp (P1, P3, P5 and P7). For the free form cold-bending, the relation between corner warp and edge warp is more complex.

While the corner warp P1, P3, P5 and P7 is usually a positive or negative value depending on a convex or concave cold-bending, the edge warp values wp2, wp4, wp6 or wp8 are smaller in absolute values and could be as low as zero.

Fig. 03: Shining Towers, floor plans showing slab edge twisting over the building’s height

Referring to the structural silicone design of cold-bent glass and due to the glass trying to bend back into its original flat position, the elastic cold-bending process causes permanent (long term) tensile stresses in the primary and secondary silicone edge seals. The distribution of the permanent silicone tensile stresses depends on the cold-bending geometry and the method of stress analysis: hand calculations or Finite Element (FE) analysis. Referring to the output of computational FE analysis and stress peaks encountered in the results graphs, the evaluation requires substantial expertise and engineering judgement. The stress peaks are often localized in small areas and might be intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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Fig. 04: Shining Towers, Abu Dhabi (Architects: H&H)

Fig. 05: Shining Towers, cold-bent faรงade during construction

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‘cut-out’ to avoid an overly conservative design - considering that these small overstressed areas will result in a localised higher elongation, which shall be no problem for the overall system. The concept of corner ‘cut-out’ of local stress peaks was presented for single corner cold-bending in [2] and further guidance on the durability of the edge seals can be found in [5]. Figure 01 compares the theoretical stress models (e.g. by hand calculations) with actual stress models (FE calculations), both for single corner cold-bending and free form shape coldbending.

Single Corner Cold-Bending - Shining Towers, Abu Dhabi Conceived as a pair of dancers moving together without touching, the Shining Towers project in Abu Dhabi (see Figure 02 and 04) compromises two multi-storey towers (33 and 42 storeys respectively) that appear to ‘lean’ in two directions, sideways and towers one another. Ramboll was appointed to provide multi-disciplinary services incl. façade engineering. The office tower is a leaning and twisting building standing 34 storeys above the podium, Figure 03 shows the floor slab edges in plan twisting floor by floor over the building’s height.

Fig. 06: Shining Towers: Cold-bending test mock-up, cold-bending application

Fig. 07: Shining Towers: Cold-bending test mock-up, cold-bending application, side view

The unique curving façade provided a challenge to the design team. Through intensive research and development at early stage of the project, followed by third-party testing, the team decided to proceed with double curved cold-bent façades. The façade system utilized the extrusions of a typical unitized façade flat system which is bent postproduction on site (see Figure 05) to follow the inclined and twisted façade. Also see Figure 13, Option A: Site cold-bending, post coldbending. This solution eliminated the need for costly hot-bent curved glass, or an architectural re-design.

During the initial design stages, the question following questions came up: • How to pull the unitized façade panel and what is the force?

• Won’t the glass break due to the cold bending?

• Won’t the structural silicone tear?

• Won’t the stack joint of the bent unitized panel be impossible to interface with adjacent panels?

Three phases were set up to achieve the required confidence the cold-bent design;

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• Phase 1: Model verification • Phase 2: Design verification • Phase 3: Durability verification

Fig. 08: Shining Towers: Cold-bending test mock-up, cold-bending application, top view

For phase 1, actual units of the unitized façade were produced following the established model with actual aluminium extrusions, glass and details. A certain number of these units were installed on initial resting rigs (see Figure 06) as per site conditions, then one corner pulled up to the maximum design cold bending ‘warp’ and further up to glass failure.

Details of this testing can be found in the next chapter. The goal of the testing was the verification of the theoretical assumptions to actual test results.

Single Corner Cold-Bending - Shining Towers, Cold-Bending Testing Mock-Up Intensive mock-up cold-bending testing (see Figure 06) was carried out to determine and verify the accuracy of the structural calculations for the façade system and structural silicone.

Measurements included glass stresses for the 30mm thick IGU with 8mm outer and 6mm inner pane in accordance with ASTM E998-05. These stresses were derived by using tri-axial strain gauges to measure change in strain and subsequent the stresses in the glass during bending. The structural silicone dimensional changes were measured using digital callipers. For the cold-bending test, a turn-buckle loading mechanism was attached to one corner of the unitized façade panel at bracket location through a load cell. A rigid steel line was installed in parallel to the external glass surface as a reference. Digital callipers (LVDT transducers) were used to measure the dimensional changes, the results from all electronic instruments were recorded by computer controlled data logger. Initial bending ‘warp’ was applied at the top corner and then incrementally increased in 5mm steps (see Figure 07 and Figure 08) up to glass failure.

Figure 09 shows the crack origin at centre of the glass edge opposite to the cold-bend ‘warped’ corner, exactly matching the initial FE calculations. The deflections of the framing members, glass surface strain and sealant dimensions were measured at each bending increment. The initial bending was kept under loading for 48 hours and silicone strains were checked.

Fig. 09: Shining Towers: Cold-bending test mock-up, ultimate test and glass breakage at 290mm (mock-up 1) and 300mm cold-bending (mock-up 2)

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Free Form Cold-Bending – The Opus, Dubai The most well-known project example of the new free form cold-bending technology is the Opus project in Dubai (Figure 10). The appearance of the building derives from the architect, world famous Zaha Hadid, sinking a hot poker into a cube of ice to create an irregular, curved void in the middle. Ramboll’s Façades team was appointed for the initial design stages and set up the principle façade types and system approaches (see Figure 11).

The project is mixed-use 20 story building with a hotel, serviced apartments and offices.

The cube design is intended to float above the ground, featuring the above mentioned freeform void ‘hole’ in its centre to allow for eyecatching views. The sides of the void are formed by two concrete towers set approximately 50 m apart and linked above the void from the 20th floor upwards by a five-storey steel bridge structure.

Fig. 10: The Opus, Dubai (Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects).

Fig. 11: The Opus, Dubai. Initial design sketch showing the interface between the vertical façades and the curved void façade/roof glazing

The external façades use relatively transparent glazing with a partial mirror pattern, in contrast to the freeform void area using dark blue glazing. Glass visual mock-up reviews and initial cold-bending testing was carried out a façade contractor’s factory, see Figure 12.

The key feature free form void façade utilizes a combination hot bent glass, single corner cold-bent and free form cold-bent glass. Panel dimensions of the void façade are moderate with approximately 1.50 m x 1.95 m (nominal), 1.90 m x 2.20 m (widest) and 1.52 m x 2.51m (longest).

Due to its shape, the Opus void façade proved to be the most challenging part for the façade designer and contractor. The new technology of free form cold-bent glass was followed to reduce the quantity of hot bent glass and to achieve consequent cost savings. Only for panels where the amount of warp and coldbending was above predefined limits and deemed excessive, partially spherical double curved hot bent glass was specified and produced using glass processing technology from the automotive industry. The design of the primary and secondary structural silicone seals of the free form cold-bent panels was discussed in [1], including an explanation of the design approach ‘Engineering Stress’ vs. ‘Finite Element Stress’ and handling of stress peaks with ‘cutting-back’ as illustrated in Figure 01.

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Fig. 12: The Opus, Dubai. Early stage visual mock-up for the cold-bent glass

Different Types of Spacer Bars and Effect on the Shear Stresses due to Cold Bending Figure 13 illustrates a typical IGU under coldbending deflections highlighting the critical shear stresses in the primary and secondary silicone seals. Detailed information on the design of the structural silicone for single corner cold-bending and free-form cold-bending can be found in [1], [2], [3] and [6]. The illustrations in Figure 13 also show that the shear forces not only affect the primary and secondary seals, but also the IGU spacer bars. Traditionally, the spacer bars are aluminium or stainless steel hollow sections filled desiccant. Obviously, these relatively ‘stiff’ spacer bars have more issues to cope with high shear deflections compared to the recently developed ‘flexible’ spacer bars.

The ability of IGU edge seals and spacer bars to cope with high deflections is not only important for long term cold bending deflections, but also for short term deflections due to wind loads. These short term deflections are usually an issue for façade system with high deflections, e.g. cable façades being subject to relatively high short term edge warp deflections in the IGU’s. The theory behind edge warping of insulating glass units was described in detail in [1]. For both the edge warping deflections and the ‘normal’ mid-span deflection deflections, the edge seal as well as the spacer bar of insulating glass units are the governing factors for the deflection or (coldbending) warp limit. Besides the traditional aluminium und stainless steel spacer bars, two relatively new types of spacer bars are available: A) Silicone foam spacers, and B) Thermo plastic spacers (TPS spacers). TPS spacers usually consist of a one component polyisobutylene with included desiccant material. As there is no stiff metal insert (in contrast to aluminium or stainless steel spacers) and the whole spacer is made of a homogeneous, relatively flexible material, these spacers tend to be able to withstand higher deflections of the insulating glass units compared to metal spacer bars.

Figure 14 gives an overview of the different types of spacer bars. Referring to the aluminium and TPS spacer bars, several tests and numerical analysis carried out by the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design Fig. 13: Shear stresses in structural silicone primary and secondary seals – Single corner cold-bending vs. free form cold-bending

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(ILEK, University of Stuttgart) were carried out as part of two diploma works, refer to [7] and [8]. These have picked up the problem of edge warping and mid-span deflections of insulating glass units.

Figure 15 shows a typical comparison of aluminium and TPS spacers under deflections testing; the ‘flexible’ TPS spacer shows significant lower shear stresses while being able to withstand higher elongations – as a consequence to higher deflections of the insulating glass unit. The importance of the spacers and edge seals of insulating glass units is widely known, IGU processors are limiting the amount of stresses in the spacers and edge seals since many years by giving deflection limits for the insulating glass panel. These limits shall guarantee that the edge seals of the

insulating glass unit do function over a long period of time, keeping in mind that a failure of the edge seals would lead to air and moisture penetration through the seal into the cavity of the insulating glass unit and condensation within the glass unit would occur. In case this happens, a replacement of the insulating glass unit would be required leading to high costs for access to the glass panels, dismounting and installation of the new IGU. Summary Following the architectural trend pushing for more and more complex façade geometries including two-way curvatures, the single corner cold-bending method represents a less common however over the recent years relatively well researched technology. The paper presents a landmark project in Abu

Figure 14: Types of spacer bars, ‘stiff’ metal spacers vs. ‘flexible’ spacers

Dhabi where this single corner cold-bending technology was successfully tested and realized. A more novel and advanced approach for even more complex geometry façades is the free form cold-bent glass method, being implemented in a large scale for the first time on The Opus project in Dubai. For both the single corner cold-bending and free form coldbending approach, the effect of the glass trying to elastically deflect back into its original flat position must be considered. Here, the primary and secondary seal structural silicones and the IGU spacer bars tend to be the weak point and careful design considerations are required as current design standards do not cover these topics. This paper intends to provide guidance including a systematic and in-depth review of the associated issues.

Benjamin Beer Associate Director Head of Façades Benjamin has been working as a façade professional for almost 20 years with projects around the world and long-term positions in London, New York, Dubai and Stuttgart.

After building up and heading the Dubai office of Werner Sobek in the position of Executive Vice President, Benjamin joined the Werner Sobek Head Office in Stuttgart, Germany and acted as Team Leader for Façade Engineering. In 2012, he joined Meinhardt Façade Technology in the role of Technical Director. Since October 2018, he is Head of Façades at Ramboll in Dubai and became Associate Director in 2019.

Benjamin has extensive research experience in the field of façade engineering and contributed with numerous papers, publications and presentations at international conferences. In 2019, he has been appointed as the Chairman of the Society of Façade Engineering (SFE) Middle East Chapter.

Figure 15: Test results comparing ‘stiff’ aluminium spacers vs. ‘flexible’ TPS spacers [9], [10]

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Future faรงades The Power of Prediction Mathieu Meur

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have a confession to make: I am an inveterate science-fiction fan. I particularly enjoy reading the Grand Masters of the genre from the fifties to the eighties, the likes of Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov. What fascinates me in their books is the power of prediction of these authors.

Many of the descriptions of the future in their stories have become today’s reality, only a few decades later, even though Asimov and others probably didn’t expect them to come to pass so soon. Let’s dive into a similar exercise, albeit at a much smaller scale, and take a peek at what the future likely holds for façades.

It doesn’t take great powers of foresight to see that building envelopes of the future will need to be highly sustainable. This is a trend that has taken the construction industry by storm and is set to stay and spread. Sustainability will likely come in a number of flavours. Firstly, the materials incorporated into the façade will themselves need to be sustainable. Many materials currently used in building envelopes, such as glass, aluminium and steel, are infinitely recyclable. However, their production from raw materials can consume as much as 20 times more energy than producing them from recycled materials. I believe that progressively, these components will increasingly be manufactured from recycled components, possibly even from the building envelope of demolished buildings.

One of the fascinating aspects of peering into the future is that it often brings us right back to the past. After decades in oblivion, vernacular design strategies are likely to make a strong comeback, blended with modern materials and updated construction techniques. Our forefathers had invented ways of dealing with the common issues relating to building envelopes, such as air and water infiltration, harnessing natural daylight, conserving heat, and many more. These had been refined over the centuries, to be promptly forgotten thanks to an abundance of cheap energy from fossil fuels. In these times of greater respect for nature and diminishing raw materials, designers are bound to look back at these vernacular approaches to design, further enhancing and modernising them to turn them into future building envelopes.

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“One of the most exciting possibilities starting to emerge is that of transparent PV panels. Absorbing photons in the infrared range, they offer the dual benefit of producing electricity while at the same time reducing the heat gain on the building”

Over the past few years, tremendous efforts have been put into developing ever cleverer ways of using the building envelopes for energy generation from sustainable sources. While photovoltaic panels are undoubtedly the most common of these techniques, many others have also been tried or at least conceptualised, including kinetic façades leveraging wind power, bio-façades using photosynthesis to produce natural gas, etc. With the inevitable increasing scarcity of energy from fossil fuels, the use of building façades to generate energy seems inevitable. Already, solar panels for space exploration offer more than twice the efficiency of consumer panels. With increasing demand for ever more efficient panels, research will undoubtedly come up with breakthrough photovoltaic technologies.

One of the most exciting possibilities starting to emerge is that of transparent PV panels.

Absorbing photons in the infrared range, they offer the dual benefit of producing electricity while at the same time reducing the heat gain on the building. Piezoelectric façade, which generate electricity from the minute flexing of their materials from wind, do not exist now, but they could be developed in the future. Façade materials can be developed that harness the kinetic energy of raindrops impacting it. While a single drop encapsulates a minute amount of energy, billions of drops crashing onto the building envelope could generate a significant aggregate amount of electricity. We can also imagine high-efficiency phosphorescent coatings for the façades, which would reduce 100

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or eliminate the need for street lighting. The façades would store up solar light energy during the day, and slowly release it at night.

Countless other creative methods of generating energy from building envelopes could be developed.

I foresee that building envelopes will increasingly become adaptive, no longer remaining static or requiring active human intervention to adapt to evolving natural conditions, as is currently the case. On overcast days, they would let more daylight in, and dim down on brighter days. Moveable external shades, or blinds built into glazing have been cropping up on buildings over the past few years, but are still the exception rather than the norm. This is possibly due to higher maintenance cost, or perceived difficulties in implementation. Thermochromic, electrochromic and photochromic glazing solutions already exist today, but these are plagued either by technical performance problems, or by extremely long return on investment. These issues are bound to be eliminated over time, allowing building envelopes to become perfectly adapted to ambient conditions, minute by minute, every day of the year. On the same topic of adaptive façades, trickle vents in façades could be linked to indoor sensors, and open automatically when CO2 or contaminants exceed certain levels within the building.

Similarly, heat exchangers can be built within cladding panels, reducing the need for HVAC ducts and large AHUs. Research is even being

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focused on new faรงade materials able to clean or filter the atmosphere free of pollutants.

Such technologies are only just starting to emerge, but are currently either a monopoly or prohibitively expensive, and so limited to a few niche projects. With improving technologies and increased demand, I am convinced that they will become commonplace in the not too distant years to come.

Many similarities exist between the faรงade and the automotive industries. For one, they both make abundant use of metal, glass, polymers and coatings. Another common point is the use of technology and tools and machines that are much the same in both industries.

However, the automotive industry is much more advanced in many respects. Therefore, I believe that much can be learned in terms of future directions for the faรงade by observing the transformative process that the automotive industry has undergone in the past couple of decades. One of the most obvious differences intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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is automation. The automobile manufacturing relies heavily on automation of processes at all levels, as a means of increasing productivity and quality, and this happens at all levels of the production processes. I still recall the first factory dedicated to the production of automotive glass that I visited. My host had to switch on the light as we stepped in. Since there were no workers at all on the production floor, no lights were on, as the robots did not need them. This is a far cry from the vast majority of factories processing glass for the construction industry, where manual labour remains omnipresent. For past projects, I confess having had to contact automobile manufacturers or even shipbuilders for the construction of especially complicated building envelopes, for which traditional façade fabricators simply did not have appropriate tools, materials or both to deliver the architectural vision. There is hope yet, though, as some façade manufacturers have recently been making the jump, and are now starting to use robots on their curtain wall production floor. I have even come across a precast concrete factory that is designed to be fully automated, from the adjustment of moulds, the bending and placing of reinforcing bars, and the casting and vibrating of concrete. I’m looking forward to seeing similar transformative efforts from other façade material manufacturers and processes, in particular for the spraying of glass fibre reinforced concrete, the quality and consistency of which too often hinge on the skill of the worker.

Other than automating the production process, efforts are also being made in the development of self-installing façades. With skilled labour fast becoming scarce and expensive in developed countries, devising such strategies makes sense.

Already, one company in Sweden has patented a curtain wall system with built-in rails that allow panels that have been installed to guide the next panels in place, thereby cutting the required manpower for an installation team from the typical ten to twelve persons to just two. I believe we will see more and more such systems and strategies blossom in coming years, by the sheer necessity to improve installation productivity while reducing the manpower present on site.

Beyond automation alone, entirely new building envelope designs will become possible through the adoption of novel materials and construction techniques. Although the 3D printing technique still remains in its infancy as far as its use in the field of construction is concerned, I see it 102

playing a major role in the not-so-distant future, particular in the fabrication of façades. Already, some architects and builders are using oversized 3D printers to construct buildings, including concrete walls, in record time. We are also seeing new generations of printers that are able to use metal as the printing material. Experimental façades have already been designed and installed using printed metals and polymers on a small scale. In time to come, this approach could become the primary method for producing building envelopes.

Another direction that façades are very likely to take is that of connectedness. Pretty much everything nowadays is becoming connected, and façades are unlikely to be left behind.

Façades of the future will be controllable right from one’s smartphone, to override automatic adaptive behaviours, for instance, or to pick a colour scheme for night lighting. Informationgathering is fast becoming an obsessive activity.

Sensors built into the building envelope and linked to artificial intelligence systems will undoubtedly appear in due time. There is no limit to the information that these could yield, and more importantly how such data would be used. One exciting opportunity would be the ability to extract information on the actual performance of the façade and of the building, which could then in turn be used to optimise that building’s performance, as well as to improve the design of future building envelopes.

Similarly, sensors could detect the state of cleanliness of the façade, and thus prompt the building managers to initiate a cleaning cycle.

This could potentially save water by allowing building owners to wash their façades only when necessary, rather than follow a fixed schedule.

In line with connectedness, it seems logical that interactivity will progressively become the norm for building envelopes. We already have means of animating cladding, display onto glass, mesh and other materials, as well as other means of altering the appearance of façades.

Once connected to external means of making these adjustments, we have essentially created interactive façades. Indeed, a small number of buildings have been experimenting with such an approach for advertising purposes, as a way to engage with the public, or simply to elicit a response from those involved in the experience.

There is still a long way to go to fully harness this technology and to make full use of its abundant potential. This is primarily due to the high cost

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involved, as previously mentioned. Like with many new technologies, the first proofs of concept are expensive and limited in their capabilities, but one can see the premises of what is yet to come.

While these insights into façades of the future are still a long shot from the ethereal but extremely high-performance force-field windows of Star Trek, I have good hope that these will come to pass within my lifetime.

Mathieu Meur provides strategic and technical leadership as the director of DP Façade, one of the most forward-thinking façade consultancy practices. Through his training as a multi-disciplinary engineer, and subsequent years of experience heading the largest façade consultancy firms in the world, Mathieu has developed extensive knowledge of all types of building envelope systems, their design, aesthetics, engineering, and related codes of practice. Mathieu has worked on numerous major construction projects in Asia, the Middle East and beyond, including Resorts World at Sentosa – a USD$5 billion integrated resort development, Changi Airport Terminal 1 Upgrading, and The Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world at the time.

Passionate about sharing his knowledge and skills with others, he is a frequent speaker at conferences, writes for technical publications, and has been a lecturer since 2002.

Mathieu is also a fellow of the Society of Façade Engineering from United Kingdom since 2010. Considering sustainability to be at the heart of the process, Mathieu was the Chairman of the Singapore Green Building Council Taskforce on Cladding & Roofing from 2012 to 2016. Finally, Mathieu is often called upon by regulatory authorities to help craft codes and regulations related to façade works.

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How faรงade engineering can safeguard against the winds of change

Engineers need to design for the rising Asian market (Credit: Photo by Swapnil Bapat on Unsplash)

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F By adapting to global megatrends and learning from other engineering disciplines, façade engineers can deliver sustainable designs that are human-centred and future-proofed, says Douglas Sum of international engineering, design and advisory company Aurecon

rom a distance, gleaming glass, steel and concrete structures appear invincible and inured from their surroundings, insulating workers and residents from the outside elements and projecting man’s triumph over nature. But as we all know, accelerating climate change and urbanization are increasingly disrupting our industry; and what’s more that disruption is only just beginning.

As engineers, one of the most important parts of our job is to make informed decisions about the future: and not only the coming few years but the next several decades. We must continually ask ourselves questions such as: how does the declining availability of resources impact our designs? Can developers meet consumer expectations without sacrificing sustainability? Are our buildings ready for modern conveniences such as drone deliveries or artificial intelligence? In this article we’ll take a look at some of the global megatrends impacting façade design and ask what we can learn from other engineering specialties.

Global megatrends Scarcity of resources.

The world’s resources are diminishing quickly, and we have limited supplies of fuels, water and food. Yet at the same time these are all essential for human survival and maintaining our standard of living. So, what does this mean for façade designers? Of course, we must do more with less, but we also have to maintain (and then improve) the performance of our engineering designs. We need to focus on saving energy, materials, cost and time in our designs, to make sustainability an achievable goal.

The rise of Asia.

The money and power of the world is shifting from west to east. China has been the world’s second largest economy since 2010 and we will see further growth from there and the rest of Asia. This means as engineers we need to understand this region, because it is going to play an increasingly important role across the world. We need to understand how to do business with Asia and design products that appeal to the people and companies there. We should aim to replicate the successes and avoid the mistakes seen in other parts of the world.

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Buildings need to be designed with sustainability in mind.

(25 King St. Credit: Photo by Aurecon)

Volatile weather.

Climate change is a reality, and while we won’t immediately halt the climate crisis there are steps we can take to account for it. Extreme weather events are on the rise and our role is increasingly important in protecting people from their adverse effects. Weather events such as typhoons or prolonged high temperatures can have a serious effect on a building’s façade. As engineers we always design for the worst case, but we also need to ask ourselves, “Did I plan for the unplanned?” We must create designs that will tolerate a wider variance in weather.

Demographic shifts.

The issue of aging populations is a growing concern for many countries, including wellestablished economies like Japan and Hong Kong. With tourism now big business we’re seeing a rise in the number of older people traveling, even to the most unexpected locations. From an engineering perspective, our designs for doors and windows must be easy to use and light enough for all ages. Consider especially the trend to “tilt and slide” doors, and oversized doors. While this is driven by the aesthetic value they bring, as engineers we must also guarantee they are practical.

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(25 King St. Credit: Photo by Aurecon)

The virtual world.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are already part of our lives. With advances in entertainment and gaming, it’s likely the homes and offices of the future will incorporate this technology and how that is done will impact façade design. As urbanization increases and populations rise, spaces will shrink and this

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presents both opportunities and challenges.

VR and AR will also facilitate how we present our work, allowing us to demonstrate changes immediately and showing how other options might look — all work at the click of a button.

Consumer expectations.

A natural by-product of increasing competition

THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF GLASS AND FAÇADE ENGINEERING - GLOBAL

and the advance of technology is how it drives our expectations. Just think of phones, which once we wanted only for their ability to make calls. Today, we expect them to act as multifunction devices. In terms of façades, this new world of instant gratification will have ongoing implications. For example, there is a high likelihood that deliveries via drone will become a reality in the not-too-distant future. But with rising expectations, customers will not only demand we accommodate these within our development, but at multiple points and even across floors.

Look outside the façade With so much change happening so quickly it can seem overwhelming to try and keep pace with advances in the world. Often it can be difficult to connect what’s happening in the wider society with the work we do as façade engineers, but if we dig below the surface, inevitably we find something relevant to our work. Most often new synergies can be found within other engineering specialties, as our colleagues face the same challenges in their areas of expertise. So, in addition to taking a broad view of the world and incorporating that into our work, I also believe we need to look at

what we, as façade engineers, can learn from related disciplines.

Keep on movin’ The first point to note about a building’s façade is that it’s constantly moving. It has to move to be able to do its job, because there’s a lot of movement in the building it surrounds.

Structural, wind, seismic or thermal forces will cause buildings to move.To give an idea of the scale, one supertall building I recently

worked on in Hong Kong recorded movement of three metres at its top. For some supertall developments under construction we are expecting lateral movement of over 10 metres!

How do we engineer a façade to accommodate that?

In a recent case, we took inspiration from the design of footbridges. Under any footbridge there are four bearing pads; one is fixed, one is able to slide in one direction, another can slide

Modern door and window designs must account for an aging population and cater to their ability to open them. (Credit: Photo by Inja Pavlić on Unsplash)

Building designs have to account for extreme weather events (Credit: Photo by Krzysztof Kotkowicz)

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in the opposite direction, and one is capable of all movements. For façades we applied the same principles. A good way to think of the movement is to consider a train moving round a bend. Façade sections are always stiff, because they’re typically made from glass or concrete, but with flexible joints in between we can create exteriors capable of moving with the buildings they surround.

Let it flow For engineers one of the most difficult elements to deal with is water. But one thing we do know is we’ve got to let it flow. Artificial efforts to force water to stop flowing almost always end badly. So, when it comes to façade engineering, we want to prevent the water entering our building, but we also want to let it flow.

Then we use our second line of façade defence to drain the water out. This provides a perfect solution. The principle of allowing water to flow can be seen in many other areas of engineering, for example infrastructure. Developments must be able to resist water, but equally importantly they must provide somewhere for water to flow.

Virtual and augmented reality will become part of the norm. (Credit: Photo by Samuel Zeller)

In any building façade, there will be two lines of defence. The first is to stop the majority (say 90 per cent) of the water reaching the building.

Buildings will need to adapt to consumer expectations of new technologies, such as drone deliveries.

(Credit: Photo by Valentin Lacoste on Unsplash)

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Safety first The issue of fire in façade engineering is one of the most important aspects of our job. Façades can provide a perfect path for the spread of fire, with the air gap between the first and second elements in their design. So, we need to ensure we have a proper fire design with the correct use of firestops.

THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF GLASS AND FAÇADE ENGINEERING - GLOBAL

As urbanization continues, building density in downtown locations increases and this has implications for façade engineers.

(Credit: Photo by Nextvoyage on Pexels)

As buildings get taller and skinnier, wind forces are an increasingly important consideration for façade engineers.

One of the weakest points in the design is the gap between the floor slab and the curtain wall, so we put a firestop on top of the insulation to prevent the smoke and flames from traveling from floor to floor. For this design practice, which is now used in almost all developments, we have shared the same firestop methodology used in MEP engineering (the pipe penetration between a fire separation wall).

Future g(l)azing We’re still in the early days of façade engineering so it’s exciting to think what the future holds. Already we can see the importance of client experience in guiding how the industry will develop, especially if we look at what our peers in the world of architecture are doing.

As façades become more complex and important to a building’s design, we will increasingly need to be better at showing our clients what it will look like. For this, we are already building prototypes and models, but as we progress, we’ll use more VR, AutoCAD

and 3D printing. With customer experience becoming such an important part of modernday engineering, designing façades of the future will be about more than just putting on an attractive face.

The future’s bright These are exciting times to be an engineer.

We have the opportunity to create structures that will live for decades and define our environments. Our projects will have a real impact on people’s lives and their perception of the world — there are numerous studies that demonstrate how a building’s design can influence our mood and behaviour in significant ways.

Douglas Sum is an Associate and Façade Service Group Leader at Aurecon. Having worked in the Middle East for over 11 years, he is one of the region’s most experienced façade engineers. With over 16 years of global engineering consultancy and contractor experience, Douglas has played major roles in a variety of world-class projects such as Hong Kong Disneyland, Macau City of Dreams, Dubai Metro, Burj Khalifa and The Tower at Dubai Creek.

The challenges we face are impossible to ignore but they also present great opportunities and give us a chance to ignite innovations that will propel façade engineering into a new era.

These are still relatively early days for our work, but by keeping abreast of shifting trends and tapping into interdisciplinary sectors we can ensure our projects live long into the future. intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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Making Buildings Work Stephen Selkowitz Affiliate Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

is given‌..

The Glass Word in this Spring 2020 issue

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THE GLASS WORD

W

e are approaching the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, April 1970. As the planet continues to warm, the contributions of glass/ building envelope/building design/urban infrastructure to this existential crisis is once again a hot topic. This is not a new debate but it recurs with increasing regularity and now with more intensity and renewed concern across most parts of the planet. History reminds us that speculating on a path forward is fraught with challenges but that prevent us from doing so given the importance of the topic and the consequences of inaction. Ultimately raising these topics is most useful if the exploration contributes in even a small way to a renewed commitment to action and progress.

Glass is not the cause of our environmental problems but it is a contributing factor to the larger challenge of carbon emissions that drive global warming and climate change. Perhaps most importantly we can change the decisions we make about the use of glass in buildings and, properly made, those decisions can help address the problem. Each design decision contributes in some small or large way not just to the design of one building but will influence others and help shape the future we are creating for ourselves and for our children.

and the impacts of those patterns. By the 1990s there were clarion calls not only to reduce the use of energy to heat, cool and light our buildings but the environmental impacts, e.g. carbon emissions, of supplying that energy were already under focus. 25 years later those issues and “trends” are clearer to (almost) all and are seen as an existential threat to life as we know it for a planet with almost 8 billion human inhabitants, not to mention all the other living entities on the planet with whom we share the biosphere.

Glass is an amazing building material- the transparency and clarity it offers are unique amongst building materials and it allows us to experience the outdoors, from the tranquility of a garden at home to the hustle of an urban street, from the vantage point of cozy, comfortable indoor spaces, in which we spend 80-90% of our time today. Connecting with nature – “biophilia” – is increasingly viewed as an important amenity inside the built environment and glass provides many opportunities. But that transparency from a shimmering sheet of glass comes with a costthe energetic and environmental consequences of producing the glass and the larger impact of maintaining a comfortable and productive living and working environment within the building behind it.

What follows is one industry observer’s speculation, from the perspective of 2020 based on about 50 years of engagement and insight, of the pathways the glass and building industry might follow, and the potential challenges and outcomes.

Authors have written about human impacts on the natural environment for decades but it was the oil embargo of the 1970s and related disruptions in business-as-usual that increased the level of attention paid to our use of energy

In principle we have the intelligence, creativity, willpower and motivation to address these challenges and solve them. In practice, things are more complex and uncertain. It has been said that as a society we overestimate the speed with which we can make these kinds of profound changes, but when they finally arrive we underestimate the complex impacts they have.

At the extreme, buildings wrapped in single sheets of clear glass are clearly a poor solution for those who inhabit them and for the planet.

The “Battle for the Wall” has been played out in several venues over the last decade with some useful suggestions and progress, but no broad consensus or obvious pathway to a widely supported set of solutions.

At the risk of stating the obvious it seems useful to define the context in which we seek new façade solutions. This can be framed by three observations:

There is a Global Climate Crisis and Aggressive Action in the Building Sector is Needed • This is a complex serious problem, that is not self correcting. Delay will likely make matters worse and force more costly, disruptive required actions in the future. Thoughtful, but aggressive action is needed by many players.

While “building carbon impacts” is not the only challenge it is one of the top 3 or 4. Time is not our friend as the building industry moves very slowly with the design/build cycle of many buildings from commitment to occupancy at 5 years or more. We don’t have the time or luxury to learn from a long, slow iterative set of solutions.

The Challenges are Technically Complex and Vary Across the Planet • The “energy efficiency” challenge of the past is now also a “carbon emissions” challenge. The past focus on minimizing operating energy and carbon is now extended to addressing embodied energy and carbon. Renewables are coming on line rapidly but not yet quickly enough to meet growing demand and to displace the 100 year legacy of existing fossil fuel powered buildings. Climate, building type, and building size all matter in seeking viable, scalable solutions.

Viable Solutions and Options are Available Today, but Better, Scalable, More Economical Solutions are Needed • We can improve tremendously on today’s “state of practice” with pragmatic options that are available now. Globally there are 1000s of buildings that have reached net zero energy or net zero carbon so we have “proof” that they are technically possible. But these buildings are surrounded by tens of millions of more conventional buildings that collective are

“Glass is not the cause of our environmental problems but it is a contributing factor to the larger challenge of carbon emissions that drive global warming and climate change” intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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responsible for about 40% of global energy use. A “skilled architectural/engineering team” with a “motivated client” and a “proper budget” can probably design and deliver a zero energy building today. But 99% of new buildings do not achieve these goals and we have a massive infrastructure of existing “legacy” buildings that are largely untouched. In fact if every new building from 2020 onward was zero energy/carbon we would fall short of the carbon reductions needed to meet the 20C temperature rise goal.

The new buildings we design and build, and the existing buildings we retrofit will impact these planetary balances for the next 50-100 years.

With this as context, how do we design and specify glass in a building façade in a manner that contributes to a solution rather than exacerbates today’s problems. The simplistic response has been proposals to minimize glass area, given that energy impacts of “conventional glazing” are typically much higher than well insulated opaque walls. But we know - or have heard – that new glass technologies are available today that dramatically outperform their predecessors and that in many instances can meet stringent new, zero net energy goals.

#1 Caption:

We then have 3 challenges: 1) How do we set these aggressive new performance targets?, 2) What glass technologies and façade systems -6 are available to choose from to meet them?, and 3) How do we ensure that we design, build and operate buildings that meet the targets?

Performance Goals: Before we take a deep dive into the products and systems that will deliver these solutions we must first a set of performance targets or goals starting with human needs and ending with planetary impacts: 1. Meet occupant needs for comfort, view, connection with the outdoors, daylight, productivity 2. Provide efficient, economic operations for the building owner/operator 3. Support electric grid operation, optimization and decarbonization 4. Use long lived, recyclable, components to support trends to circular economy 5. Minimize energy and carbon impacts on the planet Our Vision: We believe we can meet the larger scale societal goals #3-5 while delivering on the promises of #1 and #2. This builds on and leverages accomplishments and trends of the last few decades, although we must dramatically amplify, extend and scale them to have the desired global impact.

Since the broad global goal is to target net zero energy and net zero carbon buildings, a starting point is to ensure that the “net zero façade” carries its weight and contributes to that solution. Physics and materials science paints a clear path to a set of technology and systems 2 options that make this not just possible but pragmatic.

So what is the “ideal solution”? Wrong question! There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution and there will never be an “ideal” facades solution that will be best in all climates and orientations, for all building types, sizes and budgets, and for all occupants with diverse tasks and personal needs. Instead we should be looking at a two part solution to match the design solution with the performance needs on a case by case basis.

Thus we need: 1) A technology toolkit or kit of high performance parts and systems to draw from, and 2) New tools and business practices that will optimize the design elements, convert them into a specifiable, affordable solution, install and commission them to meet operational goals, and then ensure that they deliver the expected performance over time for occupants and owners.

These are easy to describe but a challenge to implement. Lets look at the two major elements of the challenge: the “façade toolkit” and the “delivery system”.

Façade Toolkit: The toolkit has at least 5 major elements and several minor ones. Each consists of a “Performance Strategy” associated with series of glazing and façade technologies.

They span the physical scale from “nano”, e.g. glass coatings to “macro”, e.g. façade shading solutions. Figure 1

Façade Technology Scales Over 8 Orders of Magnitude: from Nano (10 m) to Macro (10 m)

“ 1µ ” coating

“1mm” glass

Figure 1. Façade Technology Scales Over 8 Orders of Magnitude: from Nano (10-6m) to Macro (102m)

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“1m” Window, shading

“10-100m” Building

THE GLASS WORD

Caption:

Triple and Quad Thin Glass Windows

Left: U glass ~ 0.6 W/m2-K; Right: U glass ~ 0.4 W/m2-K

Caption:Caption: Triple and Triple Quad andThin Quad Glass Thin Windows Glass Windows 2-K; Left: U glass Left: ~ 0.6 U glass W/m ~ 20.6 -K; W/m Right: U glass Right: ~ 0.4 U glass W/m ~ 20.4 -K W/m2-K U glass ~ 0.4 W/m2-K Figure 2. Triple and Quad Thin Glass Windows

Strategy # 1: Minimize thermal losses through glass: The largest impact of glass on global energy use is the amount of energy needed to offset heat loss from glass. Even conventional double, low-E glazing (U ~ 1.4 W/m2-K) can have 10 times the heat loss of a highly insulated wall so more improvement is needed here. Fortunately there are at least 3 pathways that can triple the thermal performance of today’s dominant low-E double glazed insulating glass unit (IGU): 1) variants of triple and quad glazing; 2) vacuum insulating glass, (VIG); and 3) aerogel or similar transparent, micro/nanoporous clear solids. Figure 2 Conventional triple glazed, low-E coated, gas filled IGUs can achieve U ~ 0.6; a quad glazing design with low-E coatings and argon gas can reach an insulating value of ~ 0.4. In all but the coldest northern climates, a window with a U in this range becomes energy neutral in winter, as the solar gains available balance out the thermal losses on a seasonal basis. And of course the

Source: Alpen HPP

windows provide daylight year round that can The discussion above relates largely to the offset electric lighting use. (Note that these “center-of-glass” but of course façade products windows are also useful in very hot climates are complex assemblages of many elements where outdoor temperatures are often above beyond glass. We note that windows, curtain 40C) Triples and quad glazed windows can be walls and double envelope facades all have heavy and will increase the embodied energy glass edge and frame thermal losses which will of the window. The use of thin glass, ( 0.7mm – worsen overall product properties if they are 1.3mm) now produced on float lines in vary large not designed well. A typical window metal volume and at low cost (< $10/m2), combined frame element may have more than 4 times with krypton gas which optimizes performance the thermal loss per unit area as a state of the at thinner gaps, promised to provide these very art triple glazed IGU. Fortunately, thermally low U-values with an IGU of similar size and improved materials and designs to minimize even lower weight than a conventional triple. these losses for glass edge spacers and frames VIG technology has advanced in the last decade exist in markets globally – but they are not with several companies offering improved yet widely utilized in design and further products but they remain costly and have not improvement is needed. yet broken into mainstream markets. Their thin section – typically less than 8mm - makes Strategy #2: Dynamically manage them ideal as a glazing replacement in a single transmitted solar gain and daylight and glazed window. Research continues on aerogel glare from windows windows: While solar variants but we are still awaiting a technical and gains are useful in winter in many climates, they market breakthrough for large scale window unwelcome in many buildings and climates Source:are Alpen Source: HPP Alpen HPP applications. throughout the year. Given global population intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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#3 caption: LBNL Field tests of interior and exterior operable shading solutions of these double silver and triple silver coatings, now widely available from many glass suppliers, transmit about 2.3 times as much daylight as solar heat gain ( e.g. g-value ~ 0.3 and Tv ~ 0.65).

But this technology has reached a physical limit - there is no way to improve that performance further while still maintaining a neutral colorless coating.

Figure 3. Examples of 4 different interior and exterior automated shading systems being evaluated in a test room at LBNL; (Interior and exterior view of each)

growth in hot regions of Asia and Africa and high reflective glass of the past has been largely the resultant construction booms there, and replaced with a new generation of higher given the global warming trends and heat performing products based on second and island effects we see in major cities now (major third generation low-E coatings. The traditional European cities experienced temperatures > sputtered low-E coating has a complex 40C in 2019), effective management of cooling multilayer structure that allows it to be tuned to #4-Caption: loads due to solar energy incident on the be clear to the eye i.e. it transmits most of the Multi-Zone Electrochromic Dimming Control within One Glazing windows is a high priority for designers and visible light spectrum, but reflects the longer product suppliers. The deep tinted glass and wave near-infrared wavelengths. The best Figure 4. Multi Zone Switching in an Electrochromic Windows ( Source: Sage)

However no fixed, static shading solution will ever provide optimal control of daylight, glare and solar gain across all hours of the day, seasons, and variable weather. For that level of control and optimization we need dynamic solutions whose properties can change over time. Interior and exterior shading systems have been in use for a long time, particularly in Europe, including both fixed and manually operable solutions.

The current trend is to motorize and automate the operation of these devices and make their performance responsive to occupant or building owner or electric grid needs. This level of “smart” control allows substantial improvement in energy impacts and occupant comfort. Figure 3 Motorize blinds, shades and shutters need attention and service with their moving parts.

But a different form of solar control can be implemented with new technology at the nano level and incorporated into “smart” active and passive coatings applied directly to glass. These sophisticated coatings may control solar energy and daylight by reflection, by absorption or by scattering, adding a privacy function. Passive coatings change optical properties directly in response to temperature e.g. thermochromic or to light e.g. photochromic. But the future will likely belong to actively controlled coatings where an applied voltage switches the state of the coating, typically based on electrochromic or liquid crystal technologies. Several firms now offer mature products in large sizes suitable for curtain wall designs. A second generation of coatings with enhanced switching speed, more neutral color, gradient switching and lower costs is emerging from both the existing suppliers and new market entrants. Figure 4 All of these active coatings systems, as well as automated shading, share two “new” fundamental requirements: 1) the need for a power source, and 2) integration with a sensor and controls infrastructure that drives the operation of the device. Every smart glazing supplier offers these solutions but a lack of

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Redirecting Daylight Film Applied to Clerestory Windows THE GLASS WORD

Figure 5. Light Redirecting Daylight Film Applied to Clerestory Windows

Figure #6: caption: View through Transparent PV Glazing Prototyp Figure 6. View through Transparent PV Glazing Prototype

interoperable protocols has raised costs and slowed overall market impact and adoption. All of the active, smart faรงade solutions are more complex and expensive than conventional static glazing but they offer benefits well beyond energy saving, as explained later, and thus have important other market drivers.

Strategy #3: Extend glare-free daylight impact deeper into spaces: Daylight is an essential element of most occupied spaces.

The role of daylight as a building energy saving strategy has declined over the last decade as highly efficient LED light sources begin to be deployed. But the savings are still meaningful

and can be extended if daylight extends to more than just the classic 5m depth in a traditional daylighted room. Skylights are the obvious solution for low rise buildings but getting daylight deeper into the multi-story building floorplate has always been a challenge.

But even for multi-story buildings, new light

Source: Ubiquitous Energy

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Exploring Intelligent Façade Control Systems: redirecting optical coatings placed on high clerestory windows can effectively daylight a 10-15m deep space thus doubling or tripling the daylighted floor area. Market offerings are not yet robust but several active and static options are on the market. The broader health and well being benefits of daylight can be enjoyed by more people working across a deeper floor plate. Figure 5 Strategy #4: Convert the window to an HVAC system: Why push air through ducts with fans when a window can provide fresh air requirements? And when the outdoor temperature is right, natural ventilation via operable windows can be an effective cooling strategy in mild climates. In cold climates a conductive film added to the innermost glazing layer becomes a local heat source when electricity is applied through the coating. This works best when the prime window is highly insulating and can eliminate the expense and floor space taken up by traditional perimeter heating equipment.

Task Requirements

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(active control of daylight, glare, solar gain)

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(with dimming ballasts, sensors)

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Figure 7. Exploring Intelligent Façade Control Systems

even shading systems. They work best on elements of the building envelope that receive the most sunlight, and of course from an urban planning point of view cannot be obstructed by adjacent buildings or natural obstacles which will limit applicability in some cities. The newest generation of translucent and transparent BIPV provides light and/or view through the window glazing itself while generating power from the coated glass. These solutions provide either fully clear views through the glass that generates the power or are partially obscured,

with a view similar to looking through a screen or blind. However in each case, the power per unit window area is lower than with conventional PV systems and vertical orientation of most windows means that annual power generation will be dependent on orientation and adjacent obstructions. Each of these systems must be integrated with the AC/ DC power grid in the building. Figure 6

Image 8: caption: New York Times Building, NYC Strategy #5 Generate Electric Power from the Window: Building Integrated Largest Installation of Automated Shading and Daylight Photovoltaics (BIPV) employ opaque solar cells Dimming in U.S. to generate electricity and can be integrated into both walls and roofs of buildings, and

Renzo Piano, Gensler, F&K

2 years of LBNL testing in a 500 m2 mockup was used to refine and specify the final design

Figure 8. New York Times Building, NYC; Largest installation of automated shading and daylight dimming in the U.S.

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Image 9 – Caption: Genentech Mockup in FLEXLAB Rotating Testbed Figure 9. Genentech Mockup in LBNL FLEXLAB Rotating Testbed

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Assembling the Kit of Parts: Putting it all Together…

Of course not every building glazing design can or should utilize all these functional elements but it is important to recognize that innovation and investment in the worlds of materials science, engineering, and manufacturing over the last few decades have now provided the kit of parts that we need to achieve a net zero energy/carbon solution while simultaneously delivering a wide range of occupant needs and amenities throughout the year.

But there remains an enormous gap and tension between the theoretical capability of designing an optimized solution from these technology options and the reality of creating a building that reliably delivers on those performance promises on a daily basis over decades.

These challenges may turn out to be even harder to achieve than ensuring that all key technology options are available. Not only is it technically difficult in many cases but time is not on our side. The intrinsic slow pace of the building design-build-operate cycle

is not our friend against the ticking clock of cumulative carbon emissions. We probably won’t get it right the first time or every time but with each iteration - more engagement, more experiments, more feedback we can find the solutions that work, validate them and then try to scale them to become standard practice. As much as we celebrate the unique achievements of the stars of the profession, unless excellence in design and performance is widely achieved we will not meet the required global performance targets that are needed to impact climate change.

We can however change practice and we end here by describing 6 issues or trends to watch: --Design tools, process: The proliferation of new technology options to consider excites the designer but frustrates the decision makers who must converge to “the” solution. The process from napkin (or cell phone) sketch to completed design is increasingly complex, but is supported by an evolving set of software, data and tools e.g. BIM (Building Information Modeling, BEM (Building Energy Modeling), LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), etc. and new work flows that manage and coordinate the team,

“Numerous research studies and limited field tests have demonstrated that highly glazed facades can equal or outperform code compliant designs”

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Image 10 caption: Grid Energy/Demand Management with Active Façades + Controls

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Figure 10. Grid Energy/Demand Management with Active Façade and Controls

the tools, and design data over time. New project delivery services are integrated into that design process from early in the process.

--Manufacture and product delivery: The unitized curtain wall is a first big step away from historical practice of assembling many complex pieces on the job site. The ability to fabricate what we envision, deliver to the job site, install, integrate and commission is changing, borrowing from other industries that have addressed the challenges of integrating new complex technologies and processes, as in the automotive and aircraft sectors. These sectors have revolutionized how complex products and systems are integrated, built and delivered to customers. While the building sector has its unique features there is much to borrow, modify and implement from these sectors. We can now envision a world where 3D-printing, additive manufacturing, and modular production and assembly supports trends toward mass customization, and delivering higher quality solutions at lower cost.

--Systems Integration Challenges in a “smart world”: We live in a world where the whole must be more than the sum of its parts.

Success is often invisible and can be taken for granted- we readily accept comfort and delight 118

in a glare free, thermally comfortable work space with clear views through glass to the outdoors. The solutions that meet occupant needs must at the same time address the associated environmental issues. Measured façade and building performance will only meet expectations if the design results in an integrated systems solution that works reliably over time. If perimeter heating coils at the glass façade were eliminated by the design team to saving money and floor space, then the correct highly insulating glazing must be in place to provide that expected comfort and performance. If mechanical cooling is eliminated or downsized (saving money and energy), the smart glazing or shading must work as designed every time not only to manage thermal comfort but to control glare, maximize view and offset electric lighting. Can these controls be left to occupants or must they be automated to work reliably? (see Figure 7) Can such a system be assembled on site, calibrated and commissioned to work reliably or must it be delivered in a factory pre-assembled package? The balance between manual and automated control is a delicate one, and reliable, occupant responsive operation of the system throughout the year can be a challenge with more complex active systems. Architects often use visual mockups to test appearance

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before construction begins. There is a small but growing interest in “performance mockups” in which full scale systems are assembled and tested to work out the design details and integration challenges with real hardware and people before final design details are approved.

Figure 8 & 9 Grid responsive facades and buildings the evolving and future decarbonized electric grid will be well integrated with the building energy end uses which today consume about 70% of electric power. A host of technology innovations that have already permeated other aspects of our lives are now entering the building space- wireless communications, ubiquitous cheap sensors collecting real time performance data, machine learning and AI to make that data actionable. Time of day tariffs in which the cost of electricity varies by hour and season may make it profitable to manage an active façade in new ways to save money over the hours of the day. Grid friendly active façade systems may effectively generate new operating income flows that help offset the increased construction cost of these systems.

Figure 10 & 11 Materials and The Long View: A renewed focus on Embodied energy/carbon shifts

THE GLASS WORD

Facades are intrinsically “integrated systems” –

and are logically integrated into an overall Smart Building Control structure

managing light, glare, solar gain, heat transfer, ventilation, power generation, energy storage,..

Daylight redirecting coatings

IOTbased sensor network

Smart Lighting

Automated Optimal Control of Integrated Façade/Lighting Systems

Active Solar Control Highly insulating glazing Highly insulating frame Energy Recovery Façade Ventilating System Renewable Supply: PV and Thermal

The Boss Thermal, Electrical Storage

Tool set to optimize dynamic envelope

Grid Responsive Tool to minimize demand

Figure 11. Facades as Integrated Systems

focus to durability, lifetime, reusability and the principles of a circular economy. A material with high embodied energy may be acceptable if it brings with it a very long lifetime and easy reuse and recyclability. While viewed as a constraint it can open new doors (or reopen old ones) for exploration- for example the role of light weight, thin glazing elements in triple and quad units to minimize weight and embodied energy. The long view with a focus on replacement and reuse could lead to more modular façade design solutions where the primary façade structure is designed with a 50-100 year lifetime but where glazing elements could be easily replaced on a 30 year update cycle and new smart controls might be changed out even more frequently.

Accompanied by a paradigm of design for disassembly and reuse, such an approach could dramatically reduce the assessment of embodied carbon in our buildings.

Standards, Building Codes and Metrics: Very few people are excited about building

codes but they serve a purpose, a method to coordinate and standardize at least the set of minimum performance requirements we expect all buildings to meet. Meeting the code is rarely a mark of design excellence- but it provides a platform or floor from which other options can be evaluated on a consistent basis.

Updated codes do drive some innovation although operationally most are designed

with current practice in mind. New voluntary rating systems, e.g. LEED, etc. have emerged and evolved over time to put continuous pressure on the design community to design and build to better performance levels beyond the codes. Traditional codes focused on prescriptive measures that must be met or exceeded. Newer codes provide performance tradeoffs based on alternative designs that

“In principle we have the intelligence, the creativity, the willpower and the motivation to address these earthly challenges, and solve them.

However in practice, things are a lot more complex and uncertain” intelligent glass solutions | spring 2020

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allow “equivalent” energy performance. Many codes have prescriptive limits on window area, e.g. 40% window-to-wall ratio, assuming conventional double glazed windows but these can be increased if higher performance triple glazing and/or smart glazing is used in its place. Numerous research studies and limited field tests have demonstrated that highly glazed facades can equal or outperform code compliant designs, assuming the aggressive design solutions outlined earlier are employed.

To reinforce the importance of delivering a result that works, new “outcome-based” codes are in use in some cities where the code is deemed to be met only after a year’s worth of measured performance data in the occupied building demonstrates compliance.

Many cities now benchmark and publish the energy performance of buildings so that the energy data at each street address are public for all to see. New York City envisions a future where these published performance values are compared to mandatory targets and fines are assessed if the performance targets are not met. This will also generate a renewed interest in reassessing and renovating buildings from the past that are artifacts of an era when energy was cheap and plentiful.

How Do We Pay for the High Performance Facades?: We cannot leave the topic of glass and façades without mentioning the “dismal science”, economics, that drives much of the decision making related to the building envelope, captured most clearly in the elegant design solutions consigned to the circular file in the “value engineering” process. First cost is often traded against operating cost with some agreed upon payback criteria although these are often too short to justify the larger investments needed to meet aggressive performance goals. Tradeoffs between systems have been noted earlier- a higher performance façade allows a downsized HVAC system which costs less. The brass ring in rethinking costs and cost effectiveness is expanding the concept of performance to include the health, comfort and performance of building occupants, the latter perhaps expressed as productivity or days of sick leave. There is intriguing new performance data that suggests the view from windows, daylight levels supporting circadian rhythm, improved thermal comfort, all increase “productivity”. While the interpretation and application of some of the newest scientific 120

data are still a work in progress, even marginal improvements in occupant performance will have a huge impact on any investment balance sheet as occupant costs are roughly 100 times the cost of energy use on a per meter squared basis of building floor space.

A different solution to the challenge of investment costs is not to directly purchase the façade but rather lease it from others.

Increasingly many former purchased “products” are now offered as a lease, often with maintenance built into the lease. Many software vendors lease their software on an annual basis and a large fraction of automobiles are now leased. In buildings, carpets are often leased and then replaced and updated on a regular basis. Why not extend that approach to “Façade as a Service” in which a high performance façade package is designed, financed and delivered as a package to the building, maintained by the lessor and then updated periodically as technology improves.

This approach is consistent with the life cycle renewal issue discussed previously. The business case for this approach has been explored in research studies. Whether an industry can be built around this concept remains to be seen.

Next Steps This complex mix of people, technology, industry and finance ultimately impacts most aspects of our lives. We have the opportunity with high performance facades to deliver buildings that are inspiring architecture, market viable and economical for owner/investors; that enhance health, comfort and productivity for occupants, and that ultimately help address the existential environmental challenge we face as a global society. While it is admittedly challenging, we are often at our best when the stakes are highest. This is the classic opportunity to do well by doing good with a new generation of enhanced façade designs in our buildings. Most of the key technology elements are available and even better, more affordable ones are emerging. But it will take an extraordinary effort and some transformative change across the building industry, combining passion and skill, to execute solutions at the scale needed to deliver the outcomes we desire and need. We have an exciting and challenging decade ahead to test our responsiveness to these critical challenges.

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Stephen Selkowitz Principal, Stephen Selkowitz Consultants Affiliate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Selkowitz is recently retired as Senior Advisor for Building Science, LBNL, after leading the Building Technologies Department and the Windows and Daylighting Group for 40 years and is now a consultant and advisor to global building industry clients. He is an internationally recognised expert on sustainable design and high performance green buildings serving as an advisor to governments and business R&D teams globally. Selkowitz has extensive technical expertise on advanced glazing and window technologies, building façade systems, daylighting designs, software tools and integrated building system solutions and he partnered with industry to develop and demonstrate new technologies, systems, processes and design tools that address energy, sustainability and occupant comfort.

He has presented at over 400 scientific, business and industry venues, co/authored over 200 technical papers and 5 books, and holds 3 patents. In 2012 he received LBNL’s first “Lifetime Achievement Award for Societal impact”, in 2014 was awarded McGraw Hill/ENR’s prestigious “Award of Excellence” for “relentlessly working to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings” and in 2016 was elected to the Façade Tectonics Institute College of Fellows.

AUTHORS DETAILS SPRING 2020 BRIAN JOHNSON Godwin Austen Johnson Managing Partner The Iridium Building Umm Suqeim Street 1st Floor, Office 110 7185, Al Barsha Area 1 Dubai , UAE mail@gaj-uae.ae +971 4-323-7555 www.godwinaustenjohnson.com PAUL GROVE Meinhardt Facade Technology Managing Director Building 5 Sheikh Zayed Road Office 126 Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, Gold & Diamond Park 282478 Dubai, UAE info.db@mfacade.com +971 4-380-9422 www.mfacade.com MICHELLE BACELLAR Meinhardt Facade Technology Technical Director Building 5 Sheikh Zayed Road Office 126 Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, Gold & Diamond Park 282478 Dubai, UAE info.db@mfacade.com +971 4-380-9422 www.mfacade.com FIRAS HNOOSH Nordic Office Architects (NOA) Managing Director Nordic Office Architects FZ-LLC (NOA) Unit SD2-041 Building 3, Level 3 Dubai Design District info@noa-design.com +971 (0)52 102 7393 www.noa-design.com

BENJAMIN BEER Ramboll Associate Director and Head of Facades First Floor, Emerald Building Oud Metha Road PO Box 116921, Dubai, UAE info@ramboll.ae +971 4 334 3616 www.mea.ramboll.com

MATHIEU MEUR DP Facade Pte Ltd Director 6 Raffles Boulevard #02-249 Marina Square Singapore 039594 dpf@dpfacade.com.sg +65 6338 3988 www.dpfacade.com.sg

AGNES KOLTAY Koltay Facades Director Office R-101-A, Podium Villa R Executive Towers, Business Bay Dubai, UAE Contact form on website +971 4 4253593 www.koltayfacades.com

JOAN TARRUS CRICURSA Marketing Director / International Business Dev. C/ Camí de Can Ferran s/n Pol. Ind. Coll de la Manya.

08403 Granollers Barcelona cricursa@cricursa.com +34 93 840 44 70 www.cricursa.com/en/

STEPHEN SELKOWITZ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Affiliate, Building Technology and Urban Systems 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States seselkowitz@lbl.gov www.lbl.gov

DOUGLAS SUM Aurecon Associate, Facade Services Group Leader at Aurecon 8th Floor, Elite Business Center Al Barsha 1, Dubai dubai@aurecongroup.com +971 4 4081500 www.aurecongroup.com

BELARMINO CORDERO AESG Technical Director + Head of Façade Engineering Cayan Business Tower, Office 601 & 604, Barsha Heights, P.O. Box 2556, Dubai, United Arab Emirates info@aesg-me.com +971 (0) 4 432 6242 www.aesg-me.com

ROBERT STEPHENS Inhabit Executive Director & Founding Partner Office 102 & 103, Al Barsha Business Centre, Al Barsha 1, Dubai Post: PO Box 454491, Dubai Contact form on website +971 4 3716 200 www.inhabitgroup.com

MIRIAM DALL’IGNA Foster + Partners University of Westminster Associate Partner | Design Systems Analyst Faculty of Architecture | Computational Design Professor Riverside, 22 Hester Road, London, SW11 4AN, United Kingdom Contact form on website +44 20 7738 0455 www.fosterandpartners.com ANDREW JACKSON Foster + Partners Senior Environmental Engineer and Partner at Foster + Partners Riverside, 22 Hester Road, London, SW11 4AN, United Kingdom Contact form on website +44 20 7738 0455 www.fosterandpartners.com FRANS VAN VUURE UNStudio Director + Senior Architect Stadhouderskade 113 1073 AX Amsterdam The Netherlands info@unstudio.com +31 20 570 20 40 www.unstudio.com JAMAL BATINEH Waagner Biro Steel and Glass Project Director 22 Fish Street Hill London EC3R 6DB, UK office@waagner-biro-steelglass.com +44 20 7337 2240 www.wb-sg.com

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