Smart Facade Controls Heat like a Plant and Insect

No one enjoys buildings that are too hot in summer or too cold in winter. That’s why the FlectoLine facade is designed with two bio-inspired mechanisms to automatically control the amount of solar heat entering through the windows.

Collaborative Development of FlectoLine System by German Universities

This system is being developed through a collaboration between Germany’s universities of Stuttgart and Freiburg, as part of the global Flectuation research project.

A prototype facade has been on a Freiburg greenhouse for two years, recently earning researchers a special prize at the first Bio-Inspired Innovations Baden-Württemberg Award.

Prototype Facade with Adjustable Fiber-Reinforced Shading Elements

The prototype covers 83.5 square meters of the greenhouse’s exterior with multiple shading elements. Each element features two fiber-reinforced thermoplastic flaps that can either spread apart or fold together.

While the design resembles Venus flytrap traps, the aquatic waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) actually inspired it with its prey-catching structures.

Veins in the striped bug’s wings inspired the pneumatic “hinge zone” at each flap’s base. Pumping air into this flexible hinge expands it, causing the stiffer flap to fold outward to one side.

Flaps Fold Out to Block Sunlight and Cool the Building

When the flaps fold outward, they block sunlight, cooling the building and cutting air conditioning needs.

In colder conditions, the flaps fold inward to meet in the center by stopping airflow to their hinge zones. This allows more sunlight to pass through, warming the interior and lessening the building’s heating requirements.

The facade automatically adjusts to conditions but lets users control it manually when needed. Photovoltaic cells on its exterior power the prototype.

“Given the challenges of climate change, architecture must evolve,” says Edith A. Gonzalez, a research associate at the University of Stuttgart. “With FlectoLine, we’ve shown the significant potential of adaptive facades in addressing these issues.”

Read the original article: New Atlas

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