Anyone who works in an office knows that there are coworkers who are always complaining about how hot it is, and others who always seem bundled up from head to toe.
For employees in giant climate-controlled buildings, Gizmodo reports, an answer to this problem may be coming. Sunbreak, a shading prototype from architects at NBBJ, uses sensors to measure and respond to solar activity. If there is too much solar activity, the shades will close to keep the building cool. If there is too little solar activity, the shades reflect more sunlight into the interior using solar panels.
A unique three-hinged shade is the lynchpin of the design. It morphs from an opaque shutter to an abstract set of vertical blinds to an awning, depending on what is needed.
Single panels can actually be moved to shade or allow sun into specific rooms or hallways with just a few taps on an iPhone. When no one is in the office, Sunbreak notices and puts the entire building on energy conservation lockdown.
This concept could give workers more control over their environments, and could save building owners money on lighting and climate control systems. Check out the video below to see how it would work.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Aug 23, 2023
Constructing multifamily housing buildings to Passive House standards can be done at cost parity
All-electric multi-family Passive House projects can be built at the same cost or close to the same cost as conventionally designed buildings, according to a report by the Passive House Network. The report included a survey of 45 multi-family Passive House buildings in New York and Massachusetts in recent years.
Regulations | Aug 23, 2023
Gas industry drops legal challenge to heat pump requirement in Washington building code
Gas and construction industry groups recently moved to dismiss a lawsuit they had filed to block new Washington state building codes that require heat pumps in new residential and commercial construction. The lawsuit contended that the codes harm the industry groups’ business, interfere with consumer energy choice, and don’t comply with federal law.
Government Buildings | Aug 23, 2023
White House wants to ‘aggressively’ get federal workers back to the office
The Biden administration wants to “aggressively” get federal workers back in the office by September or October. “We are returning to in-person work because it is critical to the well-being of our teams and will enable us to deliver better results for the American people,” according to an email by White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. The administration will not eliminate remote work entirely, though.
Building Owners | Aug 23, 2023
Charles Pankow Foundation releases free project delivery selection tool for building owners, developers, and project teams
Building owners and project teams can use the new Building Owner Assessment Tool (BOAT) to better understand how an owner's decision-making profile impacts outcomes for different project delivery methods.
Transportation & Parking Facilities | Aug 23, 2023
California parking garage features wind-activated moving mural
A massive, colorful, moving mural creatively conceals a newly opened parking garage for a global technology company in Mountain View, Calif.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Higher Education | Aug 22, 2023
How boldly uniting divergent disciplines boosts students’ career viability
CannonDesign's Charles Smith and Patricia Bou argue that spaces designed for interdisciplinary learning will help fuel a strong, resilient generation of students in an ever-changing economy.
Apartments | Aug 22, 2023
Key takeaways from RCLCO's 2023 apartment renter preferences study
Gregg Logan, Managing Director of real estate consulting firm RCLCO, reveals the highlights of RCLCO's new research study, “2023 Rental Consumer Preferences Report.” Logan speaks with BD+C's Robert Cassidy.
