AIRSHADE
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Airshade is a responsive sustainable shading system powered by air that is sensitive to solar exposure with no need for any external energy source or sensors. Applicable on a broad variety of buildings, constructions, facades, roofs, windows as it can vary in scale, size, material and form. Exposed to solar radiation, the air inside the unit heats up, expands and forms pressure that open the shutters. When solar radiation reduces (or the sun goes down), the air cools and the shutters close. Airshade tends to make responsive shading self-sustaining, replacing complex systems with simple natural processes being a high performance and intelligent shading system that works on physical principles. Airshade consists out of multiple shutter units. The main umbrella like construction of each unit is made out of rods a metal cylinder with an air container that contains filtered air. When exposed to solar radiation the air expands its volume and actuates a pneumatic cylinder that opens the shutters. Once opened, the shutters prevent the sun from coming inside of a building. As time passes and the solar radiation reduces, the air cools down, creating under-pressure and the shutters close.
It hardly needs any maintenance, as it is entirely self-sustaining. Because of its ability to interact with the sun it responds locally to objects such as buildings, vegetation and clouds. This makes it possible for the shading system to remain open in some places on the building where there is no direct sunlight. Hereby, the comfort of the user is improved in comparison to conventional shading as well as the thermal regulation of a building. The shutters are slightly moved from the façade to act as a rear-ventilated façade, eliminating heat behind the shutters. |
