A climate façade is a façade with a large cavity through which air can be extracted or supplied, in order to maintain a comfortable climate in the building behind it — temperature, and where required fresh air and humidity as well. The façade is therefore not just a separation between inside and outside; it is part of the building services.
The classic build-up consists of an insulating inner glazing, a single outer glazing, and between them a cavity of roughly 100 to 300 mm in which the blind hangs. Room air is drawn out through that cavity. The blind is protected from wind and rain, while the heat that sunlight deposits in it is carried away immediately instead of radiating into the room.
Difference from a second-skin façade
| Climate façade | Second-skin façade | |
|---|---|---|
| Air in the cavity | indoor air, mechanically extracted | outside air, usually natural |
| Cavity width | narrow, about 100-300 mm | wide, often 0.5 m to walkable |
| Outer leaf | single glazing | single glazing or louvres |
| Control | via the services | via openings top and bottom |
Where it applies
- Offices and commercial buildings — particularly with large glazed areas on sun-exposed elevations
- High-rise — at height, external blinds are difficult because of wind load; inside the cavity they survive
- Noise-exposed sites — the twin-skin build-up adds sound insulation along busy roads and railways
- Refurbishment of glazed façades — an added outer skin in front of an existing façade can markedly improve comfort and acoustics
Points to watch
- Cleaning the cavity — the cavity must be accessible so glass and blinds can be cleaned; budget for recurring maintenance
- Overheating on failure — if extraction stops, the cavity temperature rises quickly; provide a fallback
- Cost — a twin-skin façade is clearly more expensive than a single curtain wall with external shading; that premium has to be earned back in comfort, acoustics or plant capacity
- Try the simple option first — for most buildings, good external shading plus good solar-control glazing is more effective and cheaper than a climate façade
Related terms
- Climate cascade
- Smart vapour control layer
- Cavity wall
- Indoor climate
- Glazing
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