Achieving energy efficiency and aesthetics through windows in the Tropics

Abstract

The world today is faced with climate change issues and due to the activities man has been involved in over the years. World leaders have become very concerned with this and lot of measures are been laid down to mitigate this. The built environment is a major contributor since its construction process, materials used and even the daily operation uses a lot energy which is a major concern. Architects are therefore challenged with creating a balance between their traditional aesthetics of buildings and energy efficiency. This research therefore seeks to find out how this balance can be achieved in the tropics through the use of different window pane properties. The study therefore sought to identify developments of windows with regards to their pane properties to see how both aesthetics and energy efficiency can be achieved. Literature was reviewed to find out the current situation and then a case study building analysed for results. The case study buildings were then modified to see the effect of each modification. Comparative analysis was done with the original buildings and the modified buildings and it was found that reflection was a key to achieve both aesthetics and energy efficiency. Other factors had impact and influence on the aesthetics and energy efficiency but reflection stood out of the lot.