This was a group project I coordinated for the Advanced Building Systems course at Syracuse University. We redesigned and optimized the facade of Exeter Library by Louis Kahn to better accommodate lighting and solar heat effects at the different facade orientations.
Original window section in axonometric
Original typical elevation of library
Rhino and Grasshopper file setup for simulation and optimization modeling
Goals for optimization of environmental conditions
The factors which we iterated during the optimization process (visible below) were the depth of the double-paned window cavity, number of internal louvers, and depth of louvers. The louvers are used to reflect light deeper into the space, reduce glare, and mitigate solar heat gain where necessary. These are most dense on the South and West facades which receive the most intense and direct lighting.
Set of five options for window redesign per facade
North, East, Sourth and West Elevations
South facade redesign axonometric drawings
East facade redesign axonometric drawings
Left: summer stack effect to remove excess heat, Middle: winter stack effect to capture solar heat gain, Right: natural ventilation when reasonable