July 21, 2006

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Korky Koroluk

Edge monkeys need public support

The “edge monkeys” I wrote about last week may never come into use in commercial buildings. Their importance could be simply to raise the awareness of continuing research in the world of interactive building envelopes.

Robots in one form or another have been with us for quite a while now. Still, any time the general public hears of an innovative use of robots, imaginations are piqued.

The public, after all, has to be told about interactive building envelopes before they can start asking about them as a way to achieve healthier, more comfortable indoor environments. What better way than stimulating interest with a story about a useful little robot?

There is always some skepticism about new gadgets, about how soon they might break down, how difficult they might be to repair. We have, in the last couple of years, seen a failure of the actuators on the sun-control diaphragms which clad a building in Paris. And of course, such things can fail. But so can the fans and dampers we all take for granted.

One of the things that makes people wary is that there is still little data on the performance of the newer, higher-tech systems. Still, some have performed well enough that they are almost commonplace.

Daylighting control is one of these — perhaps because an operable shade or louvre is easy to analyze with tools built into most modern CAD platforms. Also, say researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in the United States, the energy profile of big commercial buildings is driving a move toward more automatic shading. Coupled with that is the encouraging performance of photosensors, lighting controls that dim automatically, “smart” windows, and still-new and novel devices for tracking the sun’s path across a façade.

Recent studies at LBNL have shown that the use of combinations of such devices can greatly improve a building’s energy performance — by up to 52 per cent in the summer; by up to 33 per cent in the winter. That may not yet be enough to justify the additional costs associated with interactive façades but, say LBNL researchers, “these systems will be used increasingly for occupant satisfaction, including thermal comfort, acoustical performance and access to fresh air.”

Also, energy costs continue their relentless advance.

Hybrid envelope systems are being designed and their performance is difficult to predict. The method used to control them is still an open question.

Controlling a smart wall or façade means making a choice between either independent or centralized control. One American example will integrate all façade operations into the building automation system. Another has a number of independent controls, but with an over-ride function that would be used only in emergencies.

One London project has an automation system that is highly local in nature. Sensors detect solar conditions for each “tenant zone,” and solar blinds raise or lower automatically depending on local temperatures and occupant preferences. Natural ventilation is also decided by occupant preference.

But there is still a need for an overall system to tweak the various component systems from time to time — much like edge monkeys would.

I’m not sure the concept of edge monkeys has yet made its way into the professional literature that architects read. But all the other things I’ve mentioned have. Where they are not common is in the public consciousness — which can be the biggest, most important, driver of any new ideas.

Public concerns about indoor environment become the facility owner/manager’s concerns, which then get passed on to the architecture and engineering end of the construction industry.

Bit by bit, governments at all levels are legislating more stringent standards for energy performance in their own buildings. As that move spreads, it is likely to be taken up by private-sector purchasers of construction.

Perhaps turning the public on to the idea of edge monkeys might speed the process.

Korky Koroluk is an Ottawa-based freelance writer. Send comments to editor@dailycommercialnews.com

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