Essay

Featured Image Takeaway Design Strategy:

Be sure to think more holistically about what your building skin can accomplish. The building skin in the photo above helps to absorb traffic noise, and is also said to change perceptually as a visitor moves around the building. (1) So, what perceptual advantages does the design of your building skin give your occupants? While temperature control or amazing interior to exterior vistas are wonderful occupant benefits, how else can you use your building skin to shape your occupants’ experiences for the better?

To Apply This Strategy, Ask Yourself:

AS YOU DESIGN YOUR BUILDING’S SKIN, THINK OF MORE THAN JUST A FEW EXTERIOR VANTAGE SPOTS FROM WHICH YOUR OCCUPANTS WILL VIEW THEIR BUILDING. ALSO, THINK BEYOND MATERIALITY THAT DEFINES HOW EACH MATERIAL IN A SKIN’S ASSEMBLY WORKS INDEPENDENTLY FROM ONE ANOTHER. INSTEAD, BE SURE TO ALSO CHALLENGE YOUR DESIGN BY DELVING INTO THE LANGUAGE OF ITS SKIN — INCLUDING HOW ALL OF THE MATERIALS WORK TOGETHER WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR CONTEXT. UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR BUILDING SKIN MOVES, PROTECTS, INVITES, DAMPENS, FILTERS, SELF-REPAIRS, CONCEALS, HIGHLIGHTS, OR EVEN FORSHADOWS. THE SKIN OF YOUR BUILDING HAS A PERCEPTUAL EFFECT, BOTH FOR OCCUPANTS IN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF YOUR BUILDING. USE WHAT IT IS CAPABLE OF DOING TO YOUR FULL ADVANTAGE.

‍Image Credit: © on1stsite. | Flickr