Development of new facades by combined modeling of thermal sound and ventilation aspects at early design phases

Facades must meet with continuously increasing requirements concerning design quality and technical performance. It will be shown that neither extremely simplifying nor highly detailed simulation tools with complete geometrical representation really help to develop new facade types during the early stages of design. Due to simplified physical modelling, conceptual variations may not be adequately represented and this means that different properties cannot be seen. Detailed simulation programs provide proof - but in most cases only with regard to a single aspect of facade qualities – of whether a well defined set of parameters is already given and if an adequate representation is already integrated. This often prevents the perception of interdependencies and hinders the development of ideas. Based on the author’s experience concerning simulation techniques and the process of facade consultancy services, a method with an adapted degree of abstraction was developed. Combined modelling of thermal, sound insulation and ventilation aspects during early design stages is described and a new multilayered facade is presented.