Archive for the ‘Construction’ Category

External louvres can save power and money

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October 21st, 2012

As with so many such developments, brise soleil and other sorts of natural climate control have been around a while but are now becoming very popular due to cost and environmental reasons. A ‘sun breaker’, as the concept translates, can be a very simple structure (little more than a well-placed wall), or it can be very complex, as with the extensive and mechanical wing-like structures in use. Other variants are glass louvres and several forms of external louvres.

The overall idea in all cases is to avoid using unnecessary power to control the temperature in a building by making more effective use of natural resources. During the course of a day, and through the changing seasons, any face of a building will receive greater or smaller proportions of sunlight. The trick is to maximise the ‘passive’ heating provided by the sun in the winter, whilst making sure that in the summer the level of sunlight is lowered and ventilation increased, to keep the building cool. Obviously, getting the balance wrong could result in freezing or stifling temperatures.

Whilst some forms of external louvre are extremely complex, other types are really simple. Brise soleils can be little more than a wall, placed in such a location as to reduce the sun at certain points of the day and year. Louvres are generally positioned to allow the building to receive low-angle sun – at the beginning and end of the day, or during the winter, when the sun never rises very high in the sky. Higher-angle sun, at hotter points of the day and year, is stopped.

What this means is that the temperature of a building can be controlled far more easily, reducing the need for extra energy on heating or air-conditioning systems. It also makes for a more comfortable office, because the air has not been heated or processed to the same extent – something that can leave it dry and recycled. This means people are more comfortable, happier – and therefore more productive.

There are many examples of brise soleil and external louvres, which can be retrofitted to buildings. The simplest glass louvres are merely slats which open and close depending on the present conditions. However, depending on your needs and budget, there are some really imaginative examples around, which add to the character of the building and are part of its architectural appeal, as well as any functional upside.

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

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Construction, Sun Protection

Glass louvres are precision cut and tailored for architecture enthusiasts

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January 9th, 2012

Brutalist urban planning is often decried in our times as the epitome of ugliness and drabness that exhibits a general lack of feeling for its inhabitants. The fact remains, however, that the avant-garde architects at the forefront of this building style – Le Corbusier, for example – were in fact most motivated by the thought of making life more smooth-running. While beautiful but malfunctioning buildings increasingly need add-ons such as brise soleil, glass louvres or external louvres to keep them aerated, insulated and light, the likes of The Barbican in London has these kinds of sensible instruments already built into its structure. Of course, many people would not want to sacrifice old or attractive buildings that contain within in them quirks and memories. Most people would not want to rebuild whole towns and cities using Brutalist master Le Corbusier as a guide. But the fact remains that we still hanker after more efficient living and working spaces that are more comfortable because the air circulates within more freely and the sun does not come glaring in.

The brise soleil actually increases heat flow through buildings, meaning that sharply contrasting ice-cold and stuffy rooms within the same building can be a thing of the past. Certainly, these features turn buildings into better ‘machines for living’. Intelligent and environmentally friendly as heat balancing systems, brise soleils have the extra benefit of helping to lower our heating bills: you won’t find yourself turning a radiator up to full blast in one particularly chilly room any more because the device redistributes and balances heat fairly and appropriately between spacious and cold and smaller, usually warmer rooms.

At a time when we are all trying to be thriftier though oil costs are rising, such a ventilation and heating system really is a worthwhile investment. Beyond the home, the working environment can also benefit from modern systems that maximise the functionality of our offices. Very regularly workers enjoy and benefit from getting direct sunlight as they work but in some buildings pleasant brightness can quickly turn into a headache-inducing glare. To minimize this unwanted side-effect an external louvre is recommended: consisting of extendible slats akin to a mechanical awning, this piece of architectural ingenuity can be rolled out at the times when the sun is at its harshest and rolled back again at will. glass louvres can function similarly but, tailored to the individual’s needs, are often the first choice of architectural style hunters.

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

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Construction, Sun Protection

External louvres could be the right option for your project

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April 16th, 2011

Do you know your brise soleil from your glass louvres?  If you are dealing with an architectural project, the first thing you might like to do is to make sure you understand the key terms that are often thrown around.  Beneath the complex language often lie a few easy concepts that, once explained, are really quite straightforward and are likely to be very useful for your project.  If you would like to be confident when talking to an architect about external louvres, this article should be of some help.

The phrase ‘brise soleil’ is from the French, meaning ‘sun breaker’.  The term refers to all sorts of permanent sun-shading techniques, and the beauty of the technique is the range of architectural strategies that come under this umbrella – from the basic patterned walls used by Le Corbusier to the vast mechanical, pattern-creating devices of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.  In its standard form, this sun breaker is basically a horizontal projection attached to the sun-side façade of a building.  Façades with a large amount of glass can be in danger of overheating during the summer, and fitting a brise-soleil is a very good way of stopping this from happening.  The structure can be further tailored by incorporating louvres, which prevent high angle summer sun falling on the façade, and allow low-angle winter sun to provide passive solar heating.

Glass is one of the most widely used and multifunctional building products there is.  It can be used for many purposes, from creating striking glass façades to elegant internal screen solutions.  Glass louvres are used to control solar heat gain within buildings, and have traditionally been tinted to give the desired effect.  More elaborate finishes are available, too.  Ceramic frits, for example, involve baking a type of paint onto the glass.  These type of finishes create a more exciting appearance while reflecting the sun’s heat and helping to maintain an appropriate interior temperature.  These days, glass louvres are taking on a more active role in buildings than ever before, with light redirection and photovoltaic systems allowing for several different functions.  These louvres can offer building owners and specifiers realistic solutions in terms of creating environmentally friendly buildings by minimising the need for air conditioning while providing renewable energy sources as well as shading.

Basic external louvres, on the other hand, are usually mounted in the vertical, with a row of horizontal blades shaped and positioned to minimise the ingress of water.  With largely simple functions such as providing shade from the sun, the brise soleil, glass louvres and the like should not provoke confusion.  Once you know what they are and how they work, it should be fairly simple to assess which solution would be right for your project.

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

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Construction

Chelsea builders: a crucial investment for West Londoners in the property industry

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December 17th, 2010

Looking for North London builders can present quite a challenge.  Everyone wants to find a builder they can really rely on, and without recommendations from friends, scouring phonebooks and internet sites for ideas seems to offer little guarantee of identifying somebody who will do the best job.  Whether you are looking for chelsea builders or Hampstead builders, the following suggestions should help you in your search and make sure your loft conversion doesn’t turn into a paid excursion for some cowboy builders.

Most people will suggest that you go for a personal recommendation, but this can be a trickier business than just getting a name from Kate next door.  People who have had building done recently on buildings and projects that are similar to the one you have in mind will be the best placed ones to suggest builders who are most suitable for your needs.  You may also consider using online forums or websites as these seem to be increasingly developing with a local specialism.  Still, as with all online suggestions, these should be regarded with a healthy amount of scepticism.  MyBuilder.com is a sort of trip advisor for building work, so you will find previous customers recommending tradespeople by leaving feedback.  You can also search for different building specialisms, which gives you the best chance of finding someone who will do the best job on your particular project.  It is often worth consulting the Find a Builder service, as the Federation of Master Builders vets all the members on its books.

You should aim to get written quotes from three different firms.  The more details you can give about the work you work, the more accurate your quote will be and the less of a shock you might end up with when the project is finished.  As with other jobs, it is worth getting references from each builder.  Rather than just chatting to previous customers on the telephone, you should if possible visit the property so that you can see the quality of the job for yourself.  A conversation about the job and the service provided by the builders will be far more illuminating than a brief conversation where you hear that they did a decent job.  Once you have chosen a builder, you will need to draw up a written contract, which should be as detailed as possible.  It is always worth taking some advice before you do this.

There are so many North London builders that it really is worth taking the time and trouble to find the right one.  As property in these areas is often very valuable, you obviously want to be sure that your Hampstead builders or chelsea builders are good enough to enhance do as much for your house value as possible.

Please visit http://www.artisanlondon.com/ for further information about this topic.

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Building, Construction