It’s always comforting when good looks and practicality go together. Whether it’s a pair of well-fitting jeans, a carefully chosen antique fruit bowl or a hip yet functional family car, most people would tend to combine beauty with function wherever possible. This holds just as true for buildings, even more so when many aspects of function are non-negotiable due to energy-conscious building regulations. From this need has grown the burgeoning market for the brise soleil, aluminium curtains and external louvres. You may not be familiar with these terms but you will have seen them numerous times, probably without registering that they were anything more than a stylish flourish to finish off a building in need of an identity. Not so.

The term ‘brise soleil’ effectively means ‘sun block’ in French and it was a French architect, Le Corbusier, who first popularised their use. Although Le Corbusier was famous for using concrete moulding on his designs to prevent the sun from glaring into rooms, these days it is much more common to use aluminium curtains or external louvres as the 1960’s enthusiasm for concrete has receded. These architectural additions give a lighter, more modern, visual touch but they are far more than simple adornments.

While in our homes we are likely to think about insulation, in offices with a high number of computers, all pumping out heat, cooling is just as much of a problem and an energy drain, as heating. Add to this the fashion for large windows and the heating effects of the sun are even more pronounced. However, large windows can also be used to improve the building’s energy efficiency by minimising the demand for artificial light and, if the sun’s heat can in some way be captured, can also meet some of its heating needs in winter.

The most efficient way to achieve this balance is by addressing these issues in the initial design of the building, although retro-fitting is also an option. There are even companies now, such as Maple Sunscreening, who not only manufacture and attach such solutions but who can also analyse either the plans for a new building or an existing structure. They plot the course of the sun not simply over one day but across the whole year, proposing style-conscious solutions which will help to maximise heat retention and light in the winter while preventing over-heating and glare in the summer.

The ingenious part about these structures is that they are, although usually fixed, able to create different effects at different points in the year through careful angling, blocking out summertime glare but allowing precious winter light to enter. Not only does this increase energy efficiency, it is now common knowledge that employees benefit mentally from natural daylight, especially during the colder months, making them less prone to both poor concentration and depression. So, the next time you walk under a brise soleil as you head into an office or admire the style of an aluminium curtain or external louvres, you will know that you are looking at a building with more than just a pretty face.

Please visit http://www.maplesunscreening.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.maplesunscreening.co.uk/

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