external warm-weather heat loads, winter cooling loads, and internal heat
loads
- Double-wall conserves energy, offers daylighting, user comfort, and user
control
- People sit next to windows that can be opened and external blinds can
be lowered to reduce glare
- Note that the curtain wall is maintenance intensive
- Double-wall strategy does not work as well in areas of high summer
humidity such as Montréal since it limits the value of natural ventilation
Double-wall construction:
- A sheer layer of glass panels 68cm outside
an inner wall of operable glass
windows
- The outer glass panels pivot open up
to 70 degrees for warm-weather
ventilation
- When closed, the outer layer insulates
during the winter and benefits from
passive-solar gain
- The occupants can tilt or swivel open
both the upper and lower glass
panes on the inner wall for
ventilation
- Maintenance platforms, set between the
glass layers, act as horizontal
sunshades and are topped
by laminated safety glass to stop the spread
of fire and smoke
