Session 10 / Chicago Live Program: Can COVID-19 Drive the Evolution of Climatically Responsive Building Skins?

Edward Peck
Managing Director
Edward Peck Design, Chicago

As architects we have not consistently applied a concept first put forth by Vitruvius about how design must be climatically-response, but today there is overwhelming evidence that we must engage this concept. Designs must address climate and nature to develop innovative, high-performance, and resilient solutions for the built environment. Could Covid19 help us refocus on the basic design principles that can push architecture toward a sustainable future? Hermetically sealed office buildings with efficient mechanical systems and low air-exchanges may be energy-efficient but do they work during an airborne pandemic?

The most fundamental element in architecture that informs and drives high performance, energy efficiency, and carbon neutrality in a building is its skin or façade. Through an exploration of building skins, this presentation highlights new, intelligent, and more energy-efficient solutions for buildings skins that are attuned to their climate.