A conceptual framework for analysing bio-inspired weather adaptive envelope’s properties through simulations

The building envelope is a critical element which impacts both indoor and microclimate. Studies have shown that the building envelope system plays a vital role in response to climate change to confront future overheating and minimise the vulnerability of occupants to severe weather conditions. The weather-adaptive building envelope system is gaining popularity as it can adapt to provide enhanced performance depending on the changing outdoor conditions (such as outdoor temperature and solar radiation). However, estimating the impact of such material in terms of energy efficiency or urban heat island mitigation is challenging due to the limitation of simulation tools. Urban and building-level simulations require numerous inputs for materials (such as thermophysical properties and surface radiation properties) used in the modelling. These material properties are generally investigated in a lab setup or tested in the context of the built environment through an experimental study. These processes are resource-intensive and time-consuming. Some envelope systems, such as bioinspired envelope systems, are further complex when their directional reflectivity is investigated. Bioinspired building envelopes are systems in which the facade's design mimics a particular element or design process from a biological system. A conceptual framework is presented which envisions researching the bioinspired facade system property through comparative analysis simulation utilising the methods followed during the experimental examination.