Investigating the sustainability potential of multi-angled façade systems as a renovation strategy for office buildings

This PhD study focuses on office building renovations between 1960 and 1980 with a special case study focus on Danish office buildings representative of the European office buildings built in the same era under the influence of Modernism. The study presents a multi-angled façade system as a new energy efficient concept with visual and optical potentials to renovate these office buildings and also as a façade concept for new buildings.

Currently, office buildings built between 1960 and 1980 in Copenhagen are facing problems related to the external envelope while, in most cases, the buildings’ internal body is in good condition. One can divide these problems into Economic, Environmental and Indoor Climate related problems; and Optical and Visual problems.

In this PhD study, the author includes qualitative research observations, exploratory structured interviews, case study analysis, simulation analysis, and a quantitative approach utilising statistical analysis. He used IDA ICE version 4.8, Autodesk software CFD, and 3DMax for the simulation analysis.

The simulation results show that the difference in the area-weighted total primary energy consumption when renovated with multi-angled façades is 4.1 to 6.3 kWh/(m2•year) less than the renovation with flat façades, depending on the façade’s orientation. The results also showed improved visual and optical quality inside the office room where, the period for which the shading device is totally closed for a flat façade is higher than that for a multi-angled façade system (one may close the shading device on one element of the multi-angled façade, but not both). The study results also show that the multi-angle design concept can potentially improve natural ventilation inside an office room compared with a flat façade. Furthermore, the average amount of heat removed by natural ventilation inside the multi-angled façade room was approximately 31% higher than the heat removed by natural ventilation inside the flat façade room.

This research contributes to our body of knowledge concerning the optimal configuration for designing a multi-angled façade system for office buildings to optimise daylight and solar radiation use penetrating through it. The configuration also reduces energy consumption for heating, ventilation, and lighting. The multi-angled façade’s optimal configuration also enhances natural ventilation inside the office room providing an acceptable indoor climate without necessitating mechanical ventilation.