Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

Daylighting exhibition space in museums and galleries

2018-04-27T16:38:11Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited: Created page with "Museums and galleries are the perfect example of how natural daylight can have a huge impact on a building and its people, both positive and negative. Letting sunlight into an ex..."

Museums and galleries are the perfect example of how natural daylight can have a huge impact on a building and its people, both positive and negative. Letting sunlight into an exhibition space makes it a more pleasant place to be for the visitor, gets the colour rendering right for many artworks, and dramatically reduces energy costs, but of course the art itself must be carefully protected with precise regulation of light exposure.

Calculation of solar radiation exposure levels is an exact science, and must take into account many factors including the material composition and reflection of gallery surfaces, artwork lifespan, rate of exhibit change, and materials analysis of individual art pieces.

Where direct light is transmitted through glazing, careful modelling must take into account the variations of aspect, location and season. As an example, for permanent collections, the typical ‘limiting annual exposure’ is typically as low as 15,000 lux hours at an illuminance of 50 lux for highly sensitive materials.

So how can we let the light in without damaging the star of the show? Guthrie Douglas have recently developed shading systems for 2 innovative and contrasting answers to this question.

1. LIGHT DIFFUSION AT THE BROAD MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES

Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s ‘Veil and Vault’ design creates beautiful and unusual lighting effects throughout what at times feels more like passing through an organic mulch than a building. The top floor gallery is illuminated by 350 shaped skylight clerestories, carefully modelled by lighting designers at Arup to let in diffuse natural daylight, but not direct light to the space below. The ambient light level is controlled from 100% light ingress to 100% blackout with Guthrie Douglas TESS™660 tensioned blackout shades integrated into each skylight.

The end result is both magical and technically precise, recognised by a number of prestigious awards including AIA Daylight Project of the Year, Best Interior Lighting Scheme, and Engineering News Project of the Year. It is also one of only a handful of museums in the world to achieve LEED Gold Status.

[http://www.guthriedouglas.com/project/the-broad-museum/ >> READ MORE ABOUT THE BROAD HERE]

2. LAYERS OF LIGHT AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART, LATVIA

Daylight control in historic buildings often requires a creative approach to deal with existing windows and structures, and when Processoffice and Andrius Skiezgelas Architecture won an international design competition to renovate this Latvian cultural treasure, open space and natural daylight were key.

Natural sunlight floods directly into the attic gallery, a flexible exhibition space, through its angled glass roof. Guthrie Douglas collaborated with Latvian lighting and fit out specialists Multisell Sistemas, to design a shading solution that would allow the curators to choose from four levels of filtered light, including total blackout. Using TESS™ spring tension technology, multiple layers of fabric are concealed within the ceiling and floor, emerging fully or partially depending on the desired level of light, which changes on a daily basis to let the right amount of light in during exhibition hours whilst protecting the artworks when the museum is closed.

The building won the Latvian Architecture Grand Prix Award in 2016.

[http://www.guthriedouglas.com/project/latvian-museum-of-art/ >> READ MORE ABOUT THE LATVIAN MUSEUM OF ART HERE]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]]

Choosing Blind Fabric for Performance

2018-01-09T01:35:17Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited:

By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces

We are often asked for guidance on fabric choice, because these days, fabric choice is about much more than just aesthetics.

Engineers, architects and building designers understand that high performance fabrics can have a significant impact on the Total Solar Energy Transmittance, Solar Gain (gtot) and therefore BREEAM and LEED scoring systems for light pollution, thermal comfort and energy performance.

A key objective for most building designers is to reduce energy consumption whilst avoiding problems of solar heat gain and glare. Knowledge of the solar and luminous characteristics of fabrics therefore becomes imperative. Furthermore, when we’re talking to Facilities Managers, their concern is with maintenance and fabric lifetime being affected by issues such as mould and staining on fabrics.

When using retractable fabric to shade a building, the fabric must deliver the intended design aesthetic whilst also striking the right balance of performance and views to the outside. There may also be other specific requirements for a project such as privacy, insulation values, light pollution restrictions or concerns around thermal glass breakage.

There are hundreds of factors which may require consideration depending on the design context and performance specification. And fortunately, (or unfortunately), there are literally thousands of technical fabrics on the market. So, where to start?

There is no replacement for carrying out solar shading analysis on a building’s design, including simulating the effect of environmental structures, during all seasons and times of day. The resulting analysis will determine the performance parameters required of the shading system, to meet the objectives of the building. This then allows for the most efficient fabric to be selected, based on its performance and characteristics.

A fabric’s characteristics include openness of weave, transparency, colour and innovative materials.

Openness – Fabrics are manufactured with a variety of openness, graded in percentage scores. A 5% openness factor means that 95% of the fabric is closed. As you can imagine, the tighter the weave, the more solar heat gain protection the fabric provides.

Transparency and colour – Transparency is regulated by the openness but it is also determined by the colour of the yarn, and fabric. Many are surprised when we demonstrate how dark colours provide better view through and glare reduction.

Innovative reflective or environment resistant materials – High performance metallized fabrics have been engineered to provide the highest visual and thermal performance available and are available in a both light and dark room-side colours. This gives the highest performance in terms of reduced Solar Gain, and best performance for glare control, without having to select a dark internal colour. Light coloured internal fabric can also reduce glare if specified correctly. For fabrics which require specific resistance from their environment, such as humidity, sea air and chemicals, there are specialist coatings and treatments which can be applied.

We work with engineers, architects, and building designers to help them make the right choice of fabric in conjunction with the glass specification to optimize the total energy performance of their buildings. Our analysts can calculate the thermal and visual performance each fabric will achieve within a specific building dependent on its location, whilst our engineers have meticulously tested a wide range of fabrics for thousands of cycles in extreme conditions to ensure lasting performance. We like to carry out this service as early as possible to ensure your building works.

User:Guthrie Douglas Group Limited

2018-01-09T01:34:49Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited:

Creating solar shading systems for extraordinary spaces. We can analyse your building to regulate heat gain and glare, whatever the angle or size of the glazing.

We seek to collaborate with architects and design teams as early in the process as possible, to specify a shading system specific to your project, that will disappear into its surroundings when not in use, harnessing the power of light and shade as positive architectural features, rather than restrictions or problems to be overcome later.

Sometimes great design is about what you can’t see. Building physics modelling and specialist mechanical and electrical engineering create shading systems that work in tune with aesthetics and atmosphere, evolving together with the building design, and delivering both efficacy and elegance.

== Articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Solar_Energy_Control Solar Energy Control]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Wind_Resistance_for_External_Blinds Wind Resistance for External Blinds]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Choosing_Blind_Fabric_for_Performance Choosing Blind Fabric for Performance]

User:Guthrie Douglas Group Limited

2018-01-09T01:25:45Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited:

Creating solar shading systems for extraordinary spaces. We can analyse your building to regulate heat gain and glare, whatever the angle or size of the glazing.

We seek to collaborate with architects and design teams as early in the process as possible, to specify a shading system specific to your project, that will disappear into its surroundings when not in use, harnessing the power of light and shade as positive architectural features, rather than restrictions or problems to be overcome later.

Sometimes great design is about what you can’t see. Building physics modelling and specialist mechanical and electrical engineering create shading systems that work in tune with aesthetics and atmosphere, evolving together with the building design, and delivering both efficacy and elegance.

== Articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Solar_Energy_Control Solar Energy Control]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Navigating_beyond_sustainability_buzzwords Wind Resistance for External Blinds]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Using_BREEAM_to_assess_the_sustainable_sourcing_and_use_of_aggregates Choosing Blind Fabric for Performance]

Choosing Blind Fabric for Performance

2018-01-09T01:22:54Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited: Created page with "By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical Shading Systems for Extraordinary Spaces We are often asked for guidance on fabric choice, because t..."

By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical Shading Systems for Extraordinary Spaces

We are often asked for guidance on fabric choice, because these days, fabric choice is about much more than just aesthetics.

Engineers, architects and building designers understand that high performance fabrics can have a significant impact on the Total Solar Energy Transmittance, Solar Gain (gtot) and therefore BREEAM and LEED scoring systems for light pollution, thermal comfort and energy performance.

A key objective for most building designers is to reduce energy consumption whilst avoiding problems of solar heat gain and glare. Knowledge of the solar and luminous characteristics of fabrics therefore becomes imperative. Furthermore, when we’re talking to Facilities Managers, their concern is with maintenance and fabric lifetime being affected by issues such as mould and staining on fabrics.

When using retractable fabric to shade a building, the fabric must deliver the intended design aesthetic whilst also striking the right balance of performance and views to the outside. There may also be other specific requirements for a project such as privacy, insulation values, light pollution restrictions or concerns around thermal glass breakage.

There are hundreds of factors which may require consideration depending on the design context and performance specification. And fortunately, (or unfortunately), there are literally thousands of technical fabrics on the market. So, where to start?

There is no replacement for carrying out solar shading analysis on a building’s design, including simulating the effect of environmental structures, during all seasons and times of day. The resulting analysis will determine the performance parameters required of the shading system, to meet the objectives of the building. This then allows for the most efficient fabric to be selected, based on its performance and characteristics.

A fabric’s characteristics include openness of weave, transparency, colour and innovative materials.

Openness – Fabrics are manufactured with a variety of openness, graded in percentage scores. A 5% openness factor means that 95% of the fabric is closed. As you can imagine, the tighter the weave, the more solar heat gain protection the fabric provides.

Transparency and colour – Transparency is regulated by the openness but it is also determined by the colour of the yarn, and fabric. Many are surprised when we demonstrate how dark colours provide better view through and glare reduction.

Innovative reflective or environment resistant materials – High performance metallized fabrics have been engineered to provide the highest visual and thermal performance available and are available in a both light and dark room-side colours. This gives the highest performance in terms of reduced Solar Gain, and best performance for glare control, without having to select a dark internal colour. Light coloured internal fabric can also reduce glare if specified correctly. For fabrics which require specific resistance from their environment, such as humidity, sea air and chemicals, there are specialist coatings and treatments which can be applied.

We work with engineers, architects, and building designers to help them make the right choice of fabric in conjunction with the glass specification to optimize the total energy performance of their buildings. Our analysts can calculate the thermal and visual performance each fabric will achieve within a specific building dependent on its location, whilst our engineers have meticulously tested a wide range of fabrics for thousands of cycles in extreme conditions to ensure lasting performance. We like to carry out this service as early as possible to ensure your building works.

Wind Resistance for External Blinds

2018-01-09T01:14:59Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited: Created page with "By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces Ask any shading expert or building physicist for their advi..."

By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces

Ask any shading expert or building physicist for their advice on the best solution for reducing solar heat gain and they will immediately tell you to put the blinds on the outside. External shading systems can reduce heat gain to almost zero, and result in savings of some 65% on air conditioning costs. They remove the internal clutter of boxes or rollers around your windows, and can even provide insulation in winter. There is only one problem: the weather. For external systems to perform well, they must withstand precipitation, extreme temperatures and, most crucially, strong winds.

In recent years, thanks to the growing recognition of external blinds amongst specifiers, it has become harder to escape noisy sales messages about wind resistance and increasingly bold statements about wind speeds and product thresholds. At European level, a number of interrelated and complex standards have now been introduced or updated to regulate this area.

The wind is a powerful force. Even modern wind turbines are designed to be switched off at 100 km/h. In fact, during high winds, wind farms are evacuated and nearby footpaths and roads are closed.

If this is the effect the wind can have on structures designed to harness its force, imagine its potential effects on a sheet of fabric attached to the side of a building. It is for good reason that external shading systems are therefore regulated by European Norms under the Construction Related Products regulations (CPR), with mandatory CE marking of these products introduced in June 2013.

Whilst it is crucial for architects and design teams to have an awareness of the key points when specifying shading solutions, the plethora of interrelated standards that regulate shading systems does not exactly make for light bedtime reading.

In Europe, product manufacturers must:

* CE mark external blinds to these classifications, or specify that they are not classified
* Define a windspeed over which blinds must be retracted
* Verify that non-retractable parts of their products can withstand 800 N/m2 without deformation.

Solar energy control

2018-01-09T01:10:58Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited:

By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces

The interaction of light with a glass surface is a complex area of study, and one we’re constantly examining. Advanced building physics modelling systems can simulate the effect of solar radiation and energy flows on internal environments, examining variables such as solar angle (dependent on geographic location and time of year), glazing type, shading system, and the aspect and construction of a specific building.

=== Thermal Gain ===

The g-value, or total solar energy transmittance, is the percentage of solar energy that reaches the interior of a building. It is calculated from a number of factors, including direct transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance.

External fabric shading can achieve a g-value as low as 0.02 for all types of glazing. This means that fabric shading can deliver the required environmental benefits while also reducing the overall project cost, as savings can be made on the glazing specification.

=== Energy Savings & CO2 emissions ===

Dynamic fabric shading can mean significant energy savings because it removes the need for artificial cooling, lighting and heating. For south facing facades this reduction can even be as much as 65%.

The biggest single area of savings is air conditioning, where external blinds can help achieve energy savings of over 70%. (Source: ES-SO). Savings are also significant for lighting costs, especially where building management systems synchronize shading and lighting use.

Whereas louvers, film or ‘solar control’ glazing cast a permanent shadow, automated fabric shades offer more versatile control and allow you to enjoy natural light, even in duller conditions. Finally, the use of highly insulating fabrics can even reduce heating costs in colder weather, especially when closed overnight.

If environmental credentials are important to the design brief, be assured that fabric shading will make a real difference. The appropriate automated fabric shade will deliver energy savings of up to 60 times its CO2 footprint over a 20 year lifespan. Approximately 86% of relevant emissions come from the extraction of raw materials and the production of primary products. Only 0.5% is created during manufacturing. This makes fabric shading a popular choice for any designer thinking about environmental impact.

We always aim to collaborate with architects and technical consultants as early as possible in the design process, to create a bespoke shading system that meets any project requirements, whether they be to achieve the correct balance of heat reflection, glare reduction, views to the outside, durability, safety, aesthetics, or a low carbon footprint.

Solar energy control

2018-01-09T01:08:26Z

Guthrie Douglas Group Limited: Created page with "By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces The interaction of light with a glass surface is a complex ..."

By [http://www.guthriedouglas.com Guthrie Douglas Group Limited] - Technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces

The interaction of light with a glass surface is a complex area of study, and one we’re constantly examining. Advanced building physics modelling systems can simulate the effect of solar radiation and energy flows on internal environments, examining variables such as solar angle (dependent on geographic location and time of year), glazing type, shading system, and the aspect and construction of a specific building.

Thermal Gain

The g-value, or total solar energy transmittance, is the percentage of solar energy that reaches the interior of a building. It is calculated from a number of factors, including direct transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance.

External fabric shading can achieve a g-value as low as 0.02 for all types of glazing. This means that fabric shading can deliver the required environmental benefits while also reducing the overall project cost, as savings can be made on the glazing specification.

Energy Savings & CO2 emissions

Dynamic fabric shading can mean significant energy savings because it removes the need for artificial cooling, lighting and heating. For south facing facades this reduction can even be as much as 65%.

The biggest single area of savings is air conditioning, where external blinds can help achieve energy savings of over 70%. (Source: ES-SO). Savings are also significant for lighting costs, especially where building management systems synchronize shading and lighting use.

Whereas louvers, film or ‘solar control’ glazing cast a permanent shadow, automated fabric shades offer more versatile control and allow you to enjoy natural light, even in duller conditions. Finally, the use of highly insulating fabrics can even reduce heating costs in colder weather, especially when closed overnight.

If environmental credentials are important to the design brief, be assured that fabric shading will make a real difference. The appropriate automated fabric shade will deliver energy savings of up to 60 times its CO2 footprint over a 20 year lifespan. Approximately 86% of relevant emissions come from the extraction of raw materials and the production of primary products. Only 0.5% is created during manufacturing. This makes fabric shading a popular choice for any designer thinking about environmental impact.

We always aim to collaborate with architects and technical consultants as early as possible in the design process, to create a bespoke shading system that meets any project requirements, whether they be to achieve the correct balance of heat reflection, glare reduction, views to the outside, durability, safety, aesthetics, or a low carbon footprint. [mailto:solar@guthriedouglas.com Contact our specifications team to discuss your project >>]