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Assessment of Double-Skin Facades for Tropical Office Buildings

Abstract

Double-skin façades are increasingly considered as building envelope systems capable of improving environmental performance while providing architectural flexibility. The system consists of two layers of façade separated by an intermediate cavity that can influence heat transfer, solar radiation, daylight, and airflow. In tropical office buildings, where high temperatures and intense solar exposure can contribute significantly to cooling demand, the performance of double-skin façades is particularly relevant. Assessing their suitability within tropical climates can provide useful insights into strategies for improving office building energy efficiency and indoor environmental comfort. This study assesses the performance of double-skin façades in tropical office buildings, focusing on their influence on thermal conditions, solar heat gain, daylighting, natural ventilation, and energy consumption. It examines important design characteristics such as cavity width, façade orientation, glazing type, shading devices, opening configuration, and ventilation strategy. The study also considers how different double-skin façade configurations respond to tropical climatic conditions and how their performance compares with conventional single-skin façade systems. The intermediate cavity of a double-skin façade can act as a thermal buffer between the external environment and occupied interior spaces. Appropriate cavity design and ventilation can help reduce direct solar heat transfer and regulate the temperature of the inner façade layer. The effectiveness of this approach depends on factors such as cavity depth, air movement, solar exposure, façade materials, and the configuration of openings. Properly designed systems may reduce cooling loads while maintaining acceptable indoor thermal conditions. Double-skin façades can also influence daylight availability and natural ventilation within office buildings. The outer layer can provide additional solar protection while allowing controlled daylight to reach the interior, potentially improving visual comfort and reducing artificial lighting requirements. Where the cavity is appropriately ventilated, airflow through the façade may contribute to heat removal and support natural or mixed-mode ventilation. However, excessive solar heat accumulation within the cavity can reduce performance if ventilation and shading strategies are not properly coordinated. The study further considers the practical challenges associated with applying double-skin façades in tropical office buildings. Higher construction costs, increased façade complexity, maintenance requirements, cleaning difficulties, fire safety considerations, and limited availability of specialized materials and expertise may affect their adoption. The performance of the system can also vary significantly according to orientation, local climate, cavity configuration, and operational practices. These factors highlight the need for climate-specific assessment rather than assuming that a single double-skin façade configuration will be suitable for all tropical office buildings. The study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of double-skin façades as a potential strategy for improving the environmental performance of tropical office buildings. The findings are expected to assist architects, engineers, building developers, and environmental designers in evaluating appropriate façade configurations during the design process. By integrating double-skin façades with solar shading, natural ventilation, daylighting, energy analysis, and climate-responsive design principles, office buildings can potentially achieve improved thermal comfort, reduced cooling demand, and more sustainable environmental performance.

Keywords: Double-skin façades, Tropical office buildings, Building envelope, Thermal performance, Solar heat gain, Natural ventilation, Daylighting, Energy efficiency, Thermal comfort, Façade design, Cavity ventilation, Solar shading, Sustainable architecture, Climate-responsive design.