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How might the passive flow of thermal energy through the components in the facade of a building be used as an organising principle for the physical re-arrangement of its component parts? Research carried out at the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL has been exploring this question using passive thermal actuators to operate movable building façade components. We have been investigating the potential of phase-change materials for thermal-to-mechanical energy conversion to operate and adjust architectural-scale window shutters and solar shading devices.

This raises the possibility of harnessing seasonal and daily changes in prevailing weather conditions to drive beneficial dynamic behaviour. Possibilities include appropriately varying the physical performance of a building façade in response to sunlight to reduce glare and cooling loads.

Short Bio: Christopher Leung is an architect by training and an associate professor of architecture at the Bartlett. He conducts research into industrialised manufacturing for the construction sector, specializing in digital design and manufacture for prototyping the physical interactions between environmentally responsive materials and the envelope of buildings.