Cool Containers | Project 01/16
How can a façade keep modular housing cool without relying on mechanical cooling?
L.O.A.F. – Louvered Operable Architectural Facade proposes a self-standing, adaptable shading system using terracotta baguettes mounted on a lightweight steel and aluminium structure.
The idea combines two simple principles: shade the façade before solar radiation reaches it, and use thermal mass to moderate temperature peaks. During the day, the terracotta elements absorb heat and gradually release it again as temperatures fall.
But L.O.A.F. is more than a fixed second skin. The façade is modular, reusable and adjustable. Residents can manually operate the panels using a simple hand-crank mechanism, allowing them to respond to changing sun conditions and their own needs for daylight and comfort.
The system is designed around the reality of modular container buildings: it can be assembled and disassembled, adapted to different configurations and installed as an additional layer without fundamentally changing the existing units.
What we particularly like about the proposal is the combination of low-tech operation, architectural expression and climate performance. The terracotta baguettes are not simply cladding; they become shading device, thermal buffer and the visual identity of the building at the same time.
Project: L.O.A.F. — Louvered Operable Architectural FacadeStudents: Boris Korobitsyn, Brayden Tang, Lukrecia Stanic, Luthfia Khoirunnisa & Natalia Czajkowska
Supervisors: Marcel Bilow, Nadia Remmerswaal, Ate Snijder & Govert Flin
Bucky Lab — TU Delft
This is Project 01 of 16 in our Cool Containers series we did in cooperation with COA , exploring façade solutions for reducing overheating in modular housing.
facadeworld 