Adaptive Façades: A Comparative Analysis of Bimetal Solutions

The current knowledge demonstrates that the expansion of adaptive façades, which contribute to improving the energy performance of built spaces, can combine biomimetics research into advanced materials. The bimetal is a smart material that bends when heated. Designers use the bimetal to propose architectural solutions adapted to different climatic conditions, classifying them, for example, into the following typologies: self-shading [SH], self-ventilating, self-energizing, and self-structuring. This work seeks to demonstrate the potential of bimetal in architecture. We report on 20 solutions, including installations and proposals for façades, published between 2010 and 2022, then classify them among the typologies mentioned before. We identified five solutions by bioinspiration. Modules make up the solutions. Together, they provide complex structures and geometries that are lightweight and responsive. We selected four SH proposals for comparative analysis because these typologies correspond to the scope of this research. SH proposals are designs of smart systems that use solar energy to block the sun, avoiding excess heat gain. The projects selected are modular solutions that can have different characteristics, such as being a commercial solution, aiming to promote visual permeability, containing a photovoltaic cell, or using bimetal as an actuator. We conclude that bimetal façades have the potential to provide solutions that combine creativity with climate performance, with unique standard elements. By associating nature’s strategies with development, it is possible to develop responsive solutions through the movement of modules. The elements adapt to different environmental conditions (that affect air temperature) and improve the energy performance of buildings.