SHELL
Problem Description: One of the pressing challenges in architecture and urban design today is ensuring indoor environmental quality (IEQ) while simultaneously addressing energy efficiency and climate adaptation. Traditional building envelopes often struggle to balance these needs, particularly in diverse and changing climates. Static façades fail to adapt to outdoor environmental conditions, leading to increased energy consumption and discomfort for occupants, impacting both health and sustainability. Implemented Solution: SHELL addresses this challenge by offering a customizable, adaptive building envelope solution that dynamically responds to varying outdoor conditions. By leveraging interdisciplinary approaches—building physics, biomimicry, and computational optimization techniques—SHELL automates the design process for creating high-performance façades. SHELL’s adaptable units are designed to enhance IEQ by optimizing key environmental factors such as thermal comfort, daylight, and solar radiation. These units are created using a Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm (MOEA) that balances the needs of different climates and building forms. SHELL’s envelope system can automatically adjust in response to environmental changes, shifting from the traditional "adjust to respond" to an "adapt to comfort" model. This solution has been successfully implemented on a prototype model and further tested in a real-world application on the TRIO skyscraper in Milan, demonstrating its capability to reduce energy demand and improve comfort levels. SHELL's adaptability ensures it can be applied in various geographical contexts and building types, making it a scalable and sustainable solution for climate-adaptive architecture.
Climate And Environmental Technologies
Technologies for the healthy environment
4 years
EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA, ITALY, DENMARK
Competitive Advantages of SHELL: Adaptive Functionality: Dynamic Response: Unlike traditional static façades, SHELL adapts in real-time to outdoor environmental conditions, ensuring optimal indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and energy efficiency. This dynamic capability sets SHELL apart from conventional building envelopes that do not adjust to changing climates. Integration of Advanced Techniques: Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm (MOEA): SHELL utilizes advanced computational techniques to simultaneously optimize multiple factors (thermal comfort, daylight, solar radiation), which is a step beyond traditional design methods that may focus on only one or two aspects. Biomimicry: The use of biomimicry in SHELL's design process emulates natural systems to enhance building performance, offering a unique approach that integrates nature-inspired design principles with cutting-edge technology. Scalability and Customization: Flexible Design: SHELL is designed to be scalable and customizable for various building types and climates. Its adaptable units come in different geometrical typologies and can handle a range of environmental features, making it versatile for different architectural needs and project scales. Mass Customization: SHELL allows for the mass customization of building envelopes with minimal human intervention, providing a cost-effective solution that maintains high performance across diverse applications. Holistic Workflow: Comprehensive Performance Analysis: The software integrates various performance metrics (thermal, visual, solar) and employs a holistic workflow to balance these factors, ensuring a well-rounded and effective design. Sustainability and Efficiency: Energy Savings: By optimizing energy use through adaptive design, SHELL contributes to significant reductions in energy consumption compared to traditional façades. This results in lower operational costs and a smaller environmental footprint. Enhanced IEQ: SHELL’s focus on improving indoor comfort and health offers a competitive edge over other solutions that may not prioritize occupant well-being to the same extent.
1- Honorary dissertation from both Architecture and Energy department in Politecnico di Torino- Italy 2- Media Recognition from Polytechnic di Torino as one of the best sustainability practices. 3- Shortlisted in the International competition of the skyscrapers design SKYHIVE 4- Recognition from ASCAAD Committee for the AI practice in Architecture.
Politecnico 25991 - Italy | CAAD futures - Netherlands | ASCAAD - Jordan
