One of the ironies of modern “green” architecture and design is that in attempting to build more sustainable and comfortable structures and make use of the positive aspects of natural daylight we can sometimes accomplish the opposite.
All that glass allows us to reduce energy used to light and heat buildings, and there are documented improvements in health and productivity related to daylight and views. However, all that glass also leaves us dealing with some negatives. We have to use more energy to cool those buildings and to sometimes make up for heat loss. In addition, there are new issues created, such as glare.
© Barry Champagne
Far too often we’ve seen examples of ambitious all-glass buildings being turned into living infernos due to solar gain and glare. Thanks to the proliferation of various BIM tools and extensive sun studies, these issues can be relatively easy to prevent. However, what about older buildings with a large amount of glazing, typical suburban office park glass boxes, prebuilt houses, and building designs that aim to get the best of both worlds — transparency and protection? Due to climate change, regions across the world are experiencing dramatic environmental changes that affect the existing, as well as new, structures.
Using glazing to bring in the benefits of natural light must be balanced with an effective daylighting control strategy. Otherwise, you have beautiful sleek façades with unmanageable energy consumption. This situation is when smart shading systems come into play. Among other products, U.S.-based manufacturer Draper, with sales offices in California, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, produces shading systems for daylight control that reflect light and heat from the sun, reduce the amount of energy required to cool the building, and offer aesthetic options that can be harmonized with architectural design.
Over the last few decades, numerous green-agenda companies have sprouted across the globe. Although this new trend has brought energy efficiency and sustainable solutions to new levels of technological sophistication, corporate businesses operating within the building, transportation, and energy industries fully embracing sustainable solutions are still rare. Annual profits and competitiveness are often valued by heads of companies much more than becoming environmentally progressive. Old habits seem to be tough to break, but businesses like Draper prove that incorporating sustainable solutions into existing product lines and services can be a natural and pain-free process.
The company was founded by Luther Draper in 1902 as a manufacturer of window shades for schools, which remained its primary product for 60 years. Projection screens were added in the 1950s, and gymnasium equipment in the 1990s. Recognizing the growing need for efficient sustainable solutions in natural daylighting in recent years, the company took an interest in daylight management strategies and developed several lines of exterior blinds, shading, and louver systems that minimize solar heat gain and glare problems. Draper launched their Solar Control Solutions line at Greenbuild 2013.
There are many daylighting control solutions for buildings with large glazed exterior surfaces. If you have the right solution, the negative consequences of solar heat gain, glare, and lack of flexibility are mitigated and the efficiency of the building in terms of energy consumption and productivity is improved. As noted above, health, comfort, and productivity benefits of natural daylight and views to the outside can be overcome by those negative consequences.
First among the new products, Omega Venetian Blinds have one of the lowest shading coefficients out there and reduce solar gain by as much as 92 percent. They can change angle depending on the position of the sun and can be maneuvered to allow more daylight in the winter. Perfecting the angular accuracy, the company created their FlexLouver Rack Arm System for venues such as museums and galleries. The non-retracting louver system is made of standardized components but is custom-designed to meet specific requirements as well as unique applications such as angled and irregularly shaped windows.
At Greenbuild 2015, Draper is launching another solar control product: Topspin, a lightweight, retractable fabric shading system designed for skylight openings, reducing excessive solar radiation.
Topspin is made of a series of fabric panels mounted onto spring-loaded roller tubes. It can be installed on the exterior or interior on horizontal, vertical, sloped, curved, and, even, double-curved surfaces. The Topspin is available in sizes up to more than 10 feet wide and over 42 feet long. The spring rollers can be deployed and retracted according to need. Despite its light weight, the product can withstand wind speeds of up to 38 miles per hour when covering large areas.
Topspin offers various degrees of openness and protects against solar gain and glare while allowing natural light to reach interior spaces. Its full potential is best manifested when combined with an automatic control system.
The product comes in four hardware colors and can be manufactured in custom tones for an additional charge. Digitally printed graphics and images can also be applied to appear when the system is deployed or retracted. This feature allows clients to decide whether to blend the product in with the rest of the building or use it as a visual statement.
Draper will show a 26-foot-long Topspin unit at the upcoming Greenbuild 2015, the world’s largest international conference and expo focusing on green building and sustainable design solutions. Head down to Washington, D.C., on November 18 and 19 and check out the company’s booth (#927).