RSA Design Brief
The Royal Society of Arts release a competition pack containing 8 briefs; I decided to challenge myself with brief 6: Home Sweet Home.
The question I was challenged with was as follows;
"How might we harness age-friendly design to 'future-proof' homes so they are sustainable, safe and inclusive places to live and enjoy"
As my solution to this, I researched into biophilic design and smart windows to find a way as to how these two subjects can be combined to form
an aspect of the home which is ‘future-proof’ and harnesses age-friendly design. If you would like to review this report, click here.
Using this research, I began sketching and researching into current windows and the common design amongst them all. I chose to go with a window that offers a small ‘awning’ window on the top left and a ‘casement’ style window on the bottom left. The right glass panels will remain static and not divided into several openings since this will offer the best OLED display. Also, the more frames I add, the more light is blocked and the more divided a picture will look when functioning.
Following on from this I created a Fusion 360 model of the window with the sketches and sizes I had noted down. Since aluminium cladding was more environmentally than uPVC (more recyclable and lasts up to 30 years longer) I chose the anodized dark grey aluminium since I believe this will function better with the electrochromic dimming features of the window which are greyscale colours currently. In future I would like to look further into any technology which can allow the panes to represent biophilic design further through changing colours to greens or blue’s instead of greys. However, in this instance the grey anodized frame offers best clarity and consistency in my design application. The hardwood frame can also be easily reclaimed compared to traditional uPVC windows which entails a process with a high carbon footprint in order to reuse the polymer again.
The glass panes are 6mm thick which is one more millimetre extra than standard glass used in current windows. Not only will this provide more strength and security features, but it’s also intended to provide more space for OLED pixels and the technology to be installed onto the glass pane itself. OLED pixels currently provide own source of light meaning no backlit board or lighting is required just an electrical current which will be supplied by a conduit fitted on the bottom and side frames of the window. Although, this concept has not yet been made into reality, but transparent, rollable, paper-thin TV’s are being made across the globe and with further R+D being funded this technology may be feasible by 2025 according to research articles.
Using electrochromic windows also have an impact on g factor values (amount of solar radiation entering the home through windows). This is because tinted windows can reflect more light and solar radiation away compared to clear windows. This in turn can reduce energy costs for appliances such as air conditioning or vice versa if the windows are clear, this can increase thermal temperatures in the home, thus reducing heating costs. Electrochromic glass have an expected g-factor of 0.39-0.05 (dependant on what setting the window is on i.e blackout offers 0.05).
