Rethinking Glass Facade From The View Point Of Energy Efficiency

The climate of Hot-summer and cold winter zone is very extremity, nowadays glass facade are widely used in this zone, thus caused the building exhausted more and more energy and the urban heat island effect become higher and higher than before. In this condition the sustainable aim of our society just become a beautiful slogan. This research try to discover the misunderstandings of architects in glass facade design, to search for the suitable design strategies of glass facade in hot-summer and cold-winter zone. The research use following methodologies, reading theoretical books, measurement in suit and in the laboratory, combine qualitative and quantitative together. From the basic principles of architecture and glass facade, it means physical characteristic of glass and climate suitability of the facade, the author analyze the physical characteristics of glass, point out some problems of modern architecture in using glass and misunderstandings of contemporary architects, according to the new research result of biology and vernacular architecture, the author wants to rethink the methodology of contemporary architecture design and give a new concept: climatic suitable glass facade design. The author has done some experiments according to some glass facade buildings in hot-summer and cold winter zone and some problems have been found, The author has also done some laboratory experiments according to the glass facade, finally the author has got some scientific, economical and operable design strategies for the glass facade design in this climatic zone. These strategies are as followings: integrated design, architects must conformity all engineers in different fields, in the step of concept design to eliminate the ecological hidden trouble; design changeable facade elements in the construction details, to allow the glass facade to resist strong sun radiation inn summer and us the solar energy efficiently in winter. This research has praxis meaning in decreasing building energy, reducing urban heat-island-effect and improving urban environmental quality.