The Pinal County Attorney’s Office in Florence, Arizona, is using biomimicry to create a building that mimics the native saguaro cactus and the cacti’s natural reactions to weathering the intense desert heat.
The resulting design uses a ‘ventilated’ façade system attached to the exterior of the building, consisting of ribbed metal panels that mimic the fins of a cactus. Metal panels absorb heat, but the projected form of the façade provides good air circulation and heat dissipation. At the same time, the office will bring in large amounts of natural light to improve the well-being and health of its residents.
A team from integrated design firm DLR Group investigated the ability of plants to protect themselves from extreme heat through a configuration of naturally formed, self-shading vertical fins. The fins redistribute heat, so no part of the cactus receives more than 15-20 minutes of direct sunlight at a time, offsetting the potential for sunburn.
The nature-inspired design interpreted the changing shadows of plants on hard metal fins, giving pops of color for aesthetic enjoyment of passing motorists. works for This is to ensure that the sunlight hits different areas. It redistributes heat over an extended period of time until natural air practices cool the ribs. Wherever windows are needed, metal wall panel systems carry angled windows protruding from them to act as self-shading elements.
The glazing in this project features heat reflection features for solar control, and a Low-E coating with light management features to balance visible light transmission and glare reduction. I’m here. High-performance glass helped lower the cost of mechanical systems, leading to lower long-term energy costs.
The company’s team measured results that relied on exterior shading. As a result, on a hot summer day in June, the conference room on the south side of the building saw a 22% reduction in solar radiation during the busiest and hottest hours of the day, compared to 14% for the training room on the west side. % decreased. descent. The team’s preliminary model also suggests a 39% reduction in energy savings compared to Zero Tool’s median Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 100 kJ/m.2/year (kBtu/sf/year) Existing buildings of this type in the area.
Another factor in saving building space and costs was that the design team produced 90% complete design documentation during the design phase. This allowed us to minimize the footprint of the building. For example, mechanical system equipment typically accounts for 6-8% of the total square meters (square feet) of a building, but this project saved 204m.2 (2,200 sq ft) is available with a 4% reduction in mechanical space. Costs were further reduced by compressing the floor-to-floor height to 14.5 ft (4.4 m), reducing the size and cost of the façade by 18%.
