Proceedings of the International Association for

Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium 2013

„BEYOND THE LIMITS OF MAN”
23-27 September, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland
J.B. Obrębski and R. Tarczewski (eds.)

Experimental research of the adaptive building envelope (ABE)

Przemyslaw Kolodziej1, Pawel Zylka2
1
MSc Eng. Arch., Wroclaw University of Technology, Wroclaw, Poland, przemyslaw.kolodziej@pwr.wroc.pl
2
PhD Eng., Wroclaw University of Technology, Wroclaw, Poland, pawel.zylka@pwr.wroc.pl

Summary: The research presents an experimental concept of the adaptive building envelope (ABE) based on the electoractive polymers (EAPs)
application. The main establishment for the ABE sustainable technology is a development of low – energy buildings that controls their energy transfer
in an open system’s cycle. The presented technology can be potentially applied on the wide spectrum of building structures with the special emphasis
of the architectural membranes.

Keywords: smart materials, architectural membrane, adaptive architecture, adaptive building envelope (ABE), biomimetic, bioinspired, electroactive
polymer (EAP),

1. INTRODUCTION environments with HVAC systems, artificial light, mechanical shading

The adaptive building envelope (ABE) is a new emerging technological
concept of an architectural intelligent skin which is able to regulate
building parameters with a direct airflow control between the internal and
external environments and an indoor solarisation. The recent problem
with the ABEs practical application, is the increasing complexity of their
structure which requests a radically new technological solutions based on
the non – mechanical actuators. In this article we describe developed
technology based on the dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) components
and discuss the future development and application of the ABEs into the
building industry.
2. CONTEXT AND MOTIVATION FOR THIS RESEARCH
The background for this research are the analyses that showed that
buildings’ energy consumption has increased in the recent years to the
level that surpassed over 30% of a greenhouse gas emission in the world
[1]. The development for the worldwide building industry should more
focused on the new technologies for a better energy efficiency and a
reduction of the carbon footprint development. The low – energy
buildings based on advanced technological solutions must became a
building sector’s standard [2]. A model of sustainable architecture must
be extended not only to the new project guidelines but alongside with the
innovative building technologies that make possible to achieve the
assumed eco-friendly specifications. Contemporary building envelopes
refers to be a static systems, non – adaptive to constantly changing
climatological boundary conditions which in a result is the loss of
opportunity to energy savings and control of internal climate comfort. The
ABEs are founded on a design scheme of an active adaptation (climate
responsiveness) for changing environmental conditions and performance
requirements. The main ability of the ABEs is to operate natural energies
form surroundings in effective and intelligent way which potentially leads
to reduce energy demand with a better indoor air quality and the thermal
comfort levels.
3. ADAPTIVE BUILDING ENVELOPE (ABE) - BASIC
ASSUMPTIONS AND IDEAS
3.1. ABEs mechanism of adaptation
For the research purpose the ABEs mechanism of adaptation can be
defined as [3]:
‘an ability of the system to deliver intended functionality under variable
conditions through the design variables changing their physical values
over time’
The actively use of natural environmental energy and intelligent
maintenance of stored internal offers huge energy savings in comparison
to conventional building solutions. The core idea for the ABEs’ energy
savings is to mediating energies’ flow between internal and external
environment (i.e. airflow, heat flow, water vapour’s flow, solar radiations,
solarisation, etc.) rather than creating artificial, encapsulated
systems, which are high energy consuming.
The integration between external and internal mediums with the ABEs is
prospective to improve quality of an internal conditions like: humidity,
daylight diffusion, ventilation, temperature, sky radiation due to straight
real-time manipulations of the system’s elements during the
environmental fluctuations.
The building adaptation model was recently recognized in IEA - ECBCS
(International Energy Agency Energy Conservation in Buildings &
Community Systems) Annex 44, entitled: ‘Integrating Environmentally
Responsive Elements in Buildings’[2]: ‘Annex 44 concludes that the
development, application and implementation of responsive building
elements is considered to be a necessary step towards further energy
efficiency improvements in the built environment. Within Annex 44,
responsive building elements have been defined as building construction
elements that assist to maintain an appropriate balance between optimum
interior conditions and environmental performance by reacting in a
controlled and holistic manner to changes in external or internal
conditions and to occupant intervention.’[4].
The mechanism of adaptation time for ABEs can oscillate various range:
from milliseconds to day cycles – the high intensity of performance is
related to better manage of internal parameters but also involve higher
energy consumption and wear of actuators of their mechanical devices.
The general ABEs’ mechanism of adaptation can be divided into two
categories [5][6]:
- micro – level of responsiveness: the mechanism of adaptation
change system’s components material properties – i.e.
thermophysical or optical material properties, energy state change –
e.g. electricity to light due photovoltaic cells, or electricity to
thermal radiation;
- macro – level of responsiveness: mechanism of adaptation change
geometry of building’s envelope by moving its components to
demanded configuration (by folding, sliding, rotating, opening,
inflating, etc.).
The hybrid systems in which the mechanism of adaptation can perform
on both levels seems the most promising for the future ABEs development
(e.g. actuators supplied by the photovoltaic cells). For the purpose of this
research we focused on the airflow control for an adaptive envelope
development.
3.2. Analysis of the contemporary examples of ABEs
The implementation of the ABE in contemporary realisation is very
limited. One of the most recognised examples are: ‘Institute du Monde
Arab’ in Paris by Jean Nouvel, or more current ‘Al Bahar Towers’ in Abu
Dhabi by Aedas (Figure 1).

1

Fig. 1. a) Detail of the Arab Institute’s ‘lenses’ mechanism of an
adaptive envelope, b) detail of the Al Bahar Tower’s shade system
adaptive mechanism [7].
Both examples of a solar shading system performance, rely on the
envelope’s geometry transformations with the application of the
mechanical actuators. The growth of a complexity of the ABEs’ schemes
has got an impact on their performance and maintenance. The increase of
the subsystems might be correlated with the probability of the minor, or
the major breakdown. The rising issues of the production, maintenance
strategy of the ABEs, leads us to searching of the potential equivalents for
the mechanical actuators which are their most crucial components of the
envelope’s system (Figure 2).
Fig. 2. Adaptive envelope’s actuator’s malfunction – Arab Institute [8].
For more examples of ABEs implementation please refer to [4] and [9].
4. EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME OF THE ABE
The experimental scheme of the ABE is designed as two layer structure:
a grid of active elements (e.g. ‘artificial pores’) and a structural frame (a
membrane, a complex multi – elements envelope with a support
structure). The role of the active elements’ layer is to analyze the
environmental data and respond according to the predefined behaviour
(e.g. control of the airflow with the ABE’s perforation parameters
regulation) (Figure 3). The building structure with the ABE creates an
open – system solution which is able to maintain building energies in a
direct way.
Fig 3. Concept scheme of the ABE: ‘1’ – ABE’s structural frame (e.g.
membrane), ‘2’ - ABE's grid of the active elements, ‘3’- ABE's active
element (EAP actuator).
2
The whole concept of the elements deformation relies on the non-
mechanical motor – mechanism. The overall scheme is based on the
mechanical properties of an electroactive polymer’s (EAP) material.
4.1. Concept scheme of the ABE’s active element
We developed simplified ABS’s active element scheme [X]. The overall
ABS’s structure can be presented as a group of separate subsystems
performing defined tasks (Figure 4).
Fig. 4. The schematic design of the ABE’s ‘active element’ (scheme
adopted from [6]).
The general control scheme for the ABE is designed as a ‘closed – loop
control’. The structure for closed – loop control consists of essential
elements like: sensors, processors and actuators. A sensor (which can be
also a MEMS sensor) is a component that is responsible for registering
alteration of the physical/chemical ambient parameters (e.g. temperature,
humidity, etc.). Data from the sensors are interpreted by a processors
which control the actuators behaviour in predefined way. The actuators
are responsible for converting the input signals into a mechanical (or
physical/chemical) reaction to control the internal climate parameters e.g.
closing/opening airflow channels.
5. DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER ACTUATOR (DEA)
APPICATION FOR THE ABE
One of the aims for this research was development of the prototype non –
mechanical actuators (soft actuators) for the ABE’s purpose. The
electroactive polymers (EAPs) were selected as a material group for the
actuators development. The EAP actuators are currently researched and
implemented mainly in the biomedical [10] (e.g. artificial muscles) and a
robotic [11] (e.g. manipulators, shell – like actuators) applications. There
was developed so far a variety of different actuators based on soft
dielectric EAPs for various applications however there is only a few
examples of the applications into an architectural field e.g. the
‘ShapeShift’ installation [12].
The EAP elastomer-based materials in particular received increased
attention for their strain potential and good overall performances as an
active material. The application of the dielectric elastomer actuators
(DEA) looks thus prospective for the ABEs where large deformation is
required. The DEA-based actuator consists basically of a capacitor with
thin dielectric elastomer film sandwiched between two compliant
electrodes. The mechanism of DEA actuation relays on material
deformation under the electric field: opposite charges collected on the
electrodes generate Maxwell stress which compresses the soft dielectric
leading to change of its geometry not only in the thickness direction but
also – due to incompressibility of the dielectric - in the planar direction
(Figure 5).
Fig. 5. Deactivated (U = 0) and activated (U > 0) state of the DEA
(scheme adopted from [13]).
5.1. ABE’s DEA bioinspired design

The inspiration for the ABE’s active component design was the plants’
stomata (pore) structure. The complex systems of plants’ gaseous
exchange regulation (stomata) depends on the network of single pore
performance. The single component (pore) opens and closes to regulate
the amount of a gas exchange between internal plant’s structure and
external environment [14] (Figure 6).
Fig. 6. Leaf stomata (pore): a) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) [15],
b) sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) (fot. P.Zylka).
For the research purpose the stomata scheme has been simplified to the
two – layer diaphragm dimple-like DEA actuator which controls the
airflow through its perforated structure by opening and closing air passage
(Figure 7). When electrically activated by high-voltage stimuli the DEA
changes its geometry (its surface extends), the “artificial pore” elevates
its valve-like lid over ABEs perforated substrate which finally allows the
air to flow between the internal and external side of the ABE. The airflow
mechanism (and in consequence the mechanism of heat transfer and
vapour flow) is thus controlled by an open/close state of a flux channel.
Fig. 7. Bioinspired EAP ‘artificial pore’ like actuator’ s details: a) upper
surface schematic view, b) schematic section (in deactivated state), c)
schematic section (in activated state).
For the research purpose the commercially available acrylic elastomer
film has been used (VHBTM F9473PC, 3M, USA) to manufacture the
‘artificial pore’ model. For manufacturing the electrodes multiwall carbon
nanotubes were used (a detailed procedure was given elsewhere [16]). The
Proceedings of the International Association for
Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium 2013
„BEYOND THE LIMITS OF MAN”
23-27 September, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland
J.B. Obrębski and R. Tarczewski (eds.)
central round electrode had a diameter of 18 mm, and the diameter of the
airflow’s channel apertures (upper and bottom layer) were 2.5 mm.
During tests the prototype ‘artificial pore’ was supplied from HV power
supply Trek 610e, its height was assessed using laser dilatometer Keyence
LK-H082 mounted over manually controlled x-y movable stage.
Charging current was monitored using digital oscilloscope Tektronix
MSO2014 connected to the current monitor output of the HV power
supply and the leakage current in actuated state was measured using Fluke
289 multimeter.
6. RESULTS
The prototype of a bioinspired ‘artificial pore’ is shown in the Figure 8.
Fig. 8. DEA based ‘artificial pore’ developed by authors: a) in a
deactivated state; b) in an activated state – excited with 4.5 kV voltage.
Figure 9 shows the component’s upper layer profile (high) in correlation
with actuating voltage.
Fig. 9. A height profile measured along the diameter of the top electrode
for different actuating voltages.
The results shows association with the high of the component’s profile
and the voltage used for an activation. The average height in an actuated
state with the 5 kV voltage (maximum tested) differs from non – actuated
state by approx. 0.9 mm which gives sufficient clearing for air to flow
through the bottom slits, internal opening and the central slit. The
‘bulging’ as observed for excitation voltages starting from 4.0 kV, it was
accredited to mechanical instability of the dielectric elastomer.
The developed device showed a silent operation, a low power
consumption, a low weight and an elevated reaction time to a given high-
voltage stimulus (Figure 10) – the rise time is approx. 300 s, however after
only 5 s 50% of the final elevation may be reached. The time needed to
close the pore is similar.
3
 DEAstomata - response time
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Presented results clearly show the potential of the DEA application into
existing architectural membrane structures, which can extend their
implementation into the new building types (e.g. offices, multi – single
family houses, temporary working place buildings, etc.), and a new
generations of the complex building envelopes. The authors hope that the
future technology improvement will have a significant impact on the new
models of a sustainable buildings development and building technologies
in general. The presented concept is currently patent pending.

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