Double-Skin Facade

Double Skin Façade is a system consisting of two glass skins placed in such a way that air flows in the intermediate cavity. The ventilation of the cavity can be natural, fan supported or mechanical. Apart from the type of the ventilation inside the cavity, the origin and destination of the air can differ depending mostly on climatic conditions, the use, the location, the occupational hours of the building and the HVAC strategy. The glass skins can be single or double glazing units with a distance from 20cm up to 2 meters. Often, for protection and heat extraction reasons during the cooling period, solar shading devices are placed inside the cavity

Double-Skin Facade Configuration

Image Source:http://architecturenotes.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/double-facades-001.jpg

One storey height facade modules
The air cavity is divided horizontally and vertically at the level of each
facade module. Naturally ventilated double facades with one storeyheight
facade modules are also known as a 'Box window' type. They
note that most of the mechanically ventilated facades in Belgium have a
one-storey-height facade module partitioning type.

Corridor facade
Corridor facades are characterised by a wide air cavity partitioned at the
level of each storey. Essentially this is a one storey module that forms a
corridor which can cover either a whole storey or several adjacent zones.

Multiple storey facade
Multiple storey facades are not partitioned vertically or horizontally. The
air cavity extends a large height with metallic maintenance grids at the
level of each storey allowing circulation. In extreme cases, the air cavity
can envelop the whole of the building without any partitioning.

Shaft-box facade
Shaft box facades are very similar in nature to the one-storey height
module. However the modules are linked with building high vertical
shafts by means of a bypass opening. The stack effect draws the air
from the box windows into the vertical shafts and from there up to the
top, where it is emitted.

Source: Belgian Building Research Institute Study (BBRI, 2002)


Ventilation mode
This area of the classification relates to the origin and the destination of the air circulating in the cavity.
Five ventilation modes are distinguished:

1. Outdoor air curtain
2. Indoor air curtain
3. Air supply
4. Air exhaust
5. Air buffer

Source: Wikipedia, Modelling Double-Skin Facades/Allan Dickson