BUILDING FABRIC 49


BRIDGING CONSTRUCTION AND EFFICIENCY WITH SMART BUILDINGS


Paul Beech from Armatherm discusses the role thermal bridging plays in limiting building performance, and why ‘smart’ building design is the means to address it and achieve genuine energy effi ciency in residential buildings.


IMPROVING EFFICIENCY IS NO LONGER SOLELY ABOUT SPECIFYING MORE INSULATION


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mart buildings will play a vital role in the journey to net zero; however despite having energyeffi cient solutions like solar panels and improved insulation specifi ed into designs, buildings can still underperform, primarily because of an overlooked issue – thermal bridging. hen any building is constructed, structural connections interrupt insulation layers, creating opportunities for heat to easily transfer from interior to exterior and vice versa s a result, internal temperatures can fl uctuate, increasing the energy reuired to maintain comfortable indoor conditions


ooing closer at the general defi nition of a smart building, these are structures that use technology to optimise resource usage, effi ciency and comfort for occupants hey tend to be euipped with a variety of modern and innovative technologies, from artifi cial intelligence, augmented reality, and the nternet of hings mart buildings are designed


to monitor building performance on a variety of metrics, such as comfort, effi ciency and productivity o achieve this, theyre euipped with digital sensors that can gather data and connect with software to provide opportunities for optimisation.


his is a great development in the world of construction to ensure energy is being used as effi ciently as possible, with sensors monitoring temperatures, air quality and lighting to see where energy is required. Examples of smart buildings can be seen across the globe, including he dge in msterdam, apital ower ingapore and, closer to home, ottenham otspur tadium in the , where solutions have been incorporated as part of the stadiums wider intelligent building infrastructure With the rise of these innovative buildings, energy effi ciency targets appear closer than ever to being achieved owever, even the most intelligent


systems cannot compensate for thermal bridging within the building envelope. hermal bridging occurs when a more conductive material passes through or interrupts the insulation layer within a building envelope, allowing heat to transfer more easily between internal and eternal environments his often occurs at structural unctions such as balconies, parapets, canopies, slab edges and steel connections where materials lie concrete and steel bypass insulation layers. s modern buildings become more thermally effi cient and airtight, the impact of these weaer points becomes more signifi cant ven relatively small areas of thermal bridging can cause detrimental effects in residential developments particularly, thermal bridging can have conseuences beyond energy performance alone urface temperature reductions around poorly insulated unctions can increase the lielihood of condensation forming, contributing to mould growth


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