Week 5

The group looked over the various simulations made. They also added in a model of the Amtrak Cira Center as the building to which the facade will be added. At this point the group was still considering a double layered glass facade, placing the flowers inside the "chimney" of the facade. This facade could then be used to help cool or heat the building through convection. At first they thought that the convection current between the two panes of glass would allow the façade to remain in a more "open" position in hotter conditions. The cooling effects of the convection would allow light to enter to building yet filter the heat of solar radiation. However, they later reconsidered and decided to place the pieces on the outside of this double-skin facade. Doing this would allow the design, now called the Transformative Heat Monitoring Facade (THMF) to monitor the heat, rather than the amount of light. The facade would close when the facade was too hot and allow the convection current to recover.

 This image shows the facade piece from the front completely closed.

Here is another piece partly opened:

 This is another view of a section of the facade almost completely open.

This is an image of the facade pieces at various stages behind the outer layer of glass and affixed a certain distance from the existing windows, made before considering the benefits of monitoring heat instead of light.