Brutalist architecture is often decried these days as the epitome of ugliness and drabness that exhibits a general lack of feeling for its inhabitants. The fact remains, however, that the avant-garde architects at the forefront of this building style – Le Corbusier, for example – were actually most motivated by the idea of making life more smooth-running. While beautiful but dysfunctional buildings increasingly need additions such as brise soleil, glass louvres or external louvres to keep them aerated, insulated and light, the likes of The Barbican in London has these kinds of sensible instruments already built into its structure. Of course, many people would not want to sacrifice old or attractive buildings that contain within in them quirks and memories. Most people would not want to rebuild whole towns and cities using Brutalist master Le Corbusier as a guide. But the fact remains that we still hanker after more efficient living and working spaces that are more comfortable because the air circulates within more freely and the sun does not come glaring in.
The brise soleil actually optimises heat flow through buildings, meaning that sharply contrasting ice-cold and stuffy rooms within the same building can be a thing of the past. Certainly, these features turn buildings into better ‘machines for living’. Intelligent and environmentally friendly as heat balancing systems, brise soleils have the added benefit of helping to lower our heating bills: you won’t find yourself turning a radiator up to full blast in one particularly chilly room any more because the device redistributes and balances heat fairly and appropriately between larger and cold and smaller, usually warmer rooms.
At a time when we are all trying to be thriftier though energy costs are rising, such a ventilation and heating system really is a worthwhile investment. Beyond the home, the workplace can also benefit from modern systems that maximise the functionality of our offices. Very frequently workers enjoy and benefit from getting direct sunlight as they work but in some buildings pleasant brightness can quickly turn into a headache-inducing glare. To minimize this unwanted side-effect an external louvre is recommended: consisting of extendible slats akin to a mechanical awning, this piece of architectural ingenuity can be rolled out at the times when the sun is at its harshest and rolled back again at will. Glass louvres can function similarly but, tailored to the individual’s needs, are often the first choice of architectural style hunters.
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