Scholarly record

INFLUENCE OF GREEN TECHNOLOGIES ON ARCHITECTURAL FORM

J. Barnas, K. Barnas

Abstract

The paper illustrates the author's analysis of green technologies in construction and how they alter the massing of works of architecture. Ranging from small buildings like single family houses, to large structures like skyscrapers - all types of buildings have their respective technologies that can be considered green, ranging from technology that focuses on the internal workings of a building's technical infrastructure, to those that affect its exterior, like solar or photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, external green walls and various types of materials that affect a building's heat transfer coefficient. All of these examples have some impact on a building's appearance. This can, for instance, be a direct impact - we can clearly see elements that are a part of a given technology on a building's facade, or indirect - a building can be shaped in a manner that is meant to hide those very elements, but it is still altered by them, as these elements require proper positioning to function and hence must be set up in a particular manner relative to the source of energy that they utilise, demanding that the designers address this problem. Certain elements associated with green technologies, such as green walls or vertical gardens, can be considered to have the most visible and direct impact on a building's aesthetic expression, as they introduce an element that is in itself dynamic - plants change their appearance over the course of the seasons and can be - and usually are - often replaced by new ones, that can be formed in different patterns and can be of different colours. The introduction of extensive greenery unto a facade requires that said facade be shaped appropriately to accommodate the plants themselves. Smaller plants can be placed on surfaces that can be of practically any shape, while larger ones demand support from below - not only to bear the weight of a plant, but also to make room for its roots. The author discusses the influence of the above technologies on the architectural form of buildings on the basis of both newly-built structures, as well as those that are currently in their technical or conceptual design stage.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/SGEMSOCIAL2017/HB51/S17.019

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