External sliding shutters
|
|
Sliding shutters made of waterproof, hardwearing materials attach to tracks fixed to building façades. Like sliding doors, shutters can slide away completely, revealing windows in full. Furthermore, their inherently dynamic nature can enliven a façade’s appearance. When opened, shutters typically stack behind each other, while multiple shutters can be overlapped within the same track to fully shade wider windows.
| Overheating mitigation | High | Blocks most of the solar gains when fully closed. Effective in all orientations |
| Winter solar gains | High | Allows maximum solar gains when fully opened |
| Daylight | Medium | Depends on the free area of the shutters and how much they are closed. In winter allows maximum daylight when fully opened |
| Ventilation | Medium | Allows ventilation, but depends on the free area of the shutters and how much they are closed |
| Wind resistance | High | Robust device fitted within channels |
| Operability | Low | Manually operated that requires leaning out the window. Not suitable for reduced mobility occupants. The performance depends on occupant behaviour |
| Maintenance | Medium | Inspect channels and wheels |
| Cost | ££££ |
|
“ The sliding mechanism of the shutters and their Hanham Hall, South Gloucestershire |
This is an extract from Shading for Housing, Design guide for a changing climate, published by the Good Homes Alliance and the British Blinds and Shutters Association in 2023. You can download the guide in full at: https://bbsa.org.uk/new-design-guide-on-shading-for-housing/
--BBSA
[edit] Related articles
Featured articles and news
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.