Making buildings more energy efficient is vital at the moment. Two of the best ways to do this are to reduce heating and cooling costs. That can cut consumption and reduce the operating carbon. Whether it is residential, public, or commercial architecture, it is a good idea to look at things you can do here.

Try a brise soleil

Solar gain is one of the main factors that can lead to a reliance on air conditioning. The sun shining on a building can result in a much warmer interior. Many materials are better when it comes to preventing this. However, glass tends to have very high thermal gain. With large windows and glazing systems becoming very popular, it presents a big challenge.

There is a very interesting solution here that is better than relying on air con. What you can do is install a brise soleil. This is a system that can offer solar shading to control the amount of light and heat that enters a building. The name is French and literally translates to broken sun.

Surprisingly, the idea of a brise soleil is very old. People have been designing building elements like this to offer shade since ancient Rome. In a contemporary sense, they have been popular since the 1930s. Pioneer Le Corbusier was one of the biggest supporters of the technique. He was a ground breaker here and his work made the shading a major component of modern buildings, especially commercial architecture.

Advantages

As we said above, a brise soleil can tackle solar gain. In turn it can reduce the need for air con and conserve energy resources. So, it can boost energy efficiency and minimise the carbon footprint of buildings.

There are plenty of other benefits in addition to this one though. For starters, the system can make buildings far more comfortable. They can address the path of the sun to automatically adapt the level of shading. That can maintain natural night levels while cutting glare. The system can make the whole interior better for users.

A brise soleil can also have a great impact on the interior maintenance. The reduction in heat and direct sunlight can protect furnishings, flooring, artwork, and more.

In terms of aesthetics, few features can provide as much value to commercial architecture as these shading systems. You can be creative with the design to enhance the facade of the building. There are lots of options including timber, aluminium, and more. Plus the fins or louvres can vary in shape, size, and finish. So, it is easy to create a striking feature that is also highly functional.

What to think about?

As you can see, a brise soleil is a great idea for most properties. However, there are a number of things you need to think about to get the best results.

For starters, you need to think about orientation and architecture. In the UK the sun trajectory is relatively easy to plan for. There is a higher risk of solar gain for south facing properties in the height of summer. Plus, high elevations get more sun. You need to plan for this with tall commercial architecture.

It is also vital to think about local conditions and what they mean for the materials. As we said, there are lots of options here such as timber and aluminium. But, you have to think about how the weather, pollutants, and climate will affect them. The last thing you want is to choose a system only to find that it is weathering and looking tired after a few years.

Plus, you should think about maintenance, how eco-friendly the materials for the system are, and other features. Some brise soleil have walkways integrated into the design to make them easier to access and maintain. Some systems are static while others can be active to move with the sun.

Talk to us about adding a brise soleil to commercial architecture

Coffey Architects is a team with a lot of experience with these shading systems. We can devise them for all kinds of properties, from private home to libraries and huge office buildings. Our goal is to make them exceptional features but also highly functional. At the same time, we want them to be crucial in making the property more sustainable.

So, if you are thinking of how to enhance your commercial architecture to save on energy and enjoy all the other advantages, speak to us. We can handle all kinds of projects, including retrofitting.