Program This project aims to create a new façade with a Double-skin system, creating an exterior ventilated shield for thermal and aucoustics improvement. Beyond giving this comfort improving purpose, the project offers a new image to the hospital and an efficient exterior gallery for fire-fighting interventions.
Concept The double-glass façade is positionned 1m away from the building, creating a 1m-wide ventilated gallery that acts like a thermal shield for the main building. To regulate the gallery’s temperature, motorized blades are installed on the top this volume. This new façade takes all the thermal and aucustics performances for the buiding, thus the existing windows of the main building remain untouched. This was important for keeping the building’s activity during the construction. During the cold seasons, this shield remains practicly closed (only the “air-quality” system is activated) and helps keeping the building’s warmth, reducing thermperature loss. In the warm seasons, the hight quality glazing prevents the overwarming of the building. The motorized-blade system located on the top of the facade can be opened to ventilate this volume – specially in the night – to efficiently lower the temperature. The metallic duck-boards used as decking give a soft and lightened athmosphère to the interior spaces.
Construction process / construction systems The façade structure is made of steel profiles and a curtain walling system with high performance double glazing. The main structure that holds the façade is made of galvanized steel tubes, hooked to the existing concrete consoles. This structure supports the metallic duck-boards used for deckings. The façade design features 3 types of screenprinted glazing. The different densities of drawing on the glass regulates solar impact and creates an animated façade to the building. All glazing have high performance qualities to assure thermal insulation and comfort during the winter, and they have enough solar protection to limit overwarmth during summer. The construction was entirely executed from the outside of the building, assuring the hospital’s activity during the construction phase.
