Inhabiting the architectural envelope : a design-based research on redefining the climatic and atmospheric performances of architectural envelope

Abstract

Contemporary facades commonly emphasize the separation of architecture from its local context by positioning them as support zones for various optimization demands or technical requirements. This dissertation rethinks the position of the façade as an inhabitable in-between space; a threshold that can be experienced; redefining it as the building envelope. The context-specific spatial potentials and qualities of the building envelope is thus discussed as a dynamic interface between the building, the climate, and the inhabitant.

By providing an overview of the primary concepts and theories on of the building envelopes, overlooked atmospheric potentials and characteristics, and proposing a potential design approach, the research offers a comprehensive understanding of building envelopes that links the architectural thinking to its practice. The research’s taxonomy of envelopes and the mapping of specific concepts contributes to the field of research on location-specific buildings by facilitating the identification of various design problems and how they can be approached.