Brise soleil designs are an iconic part of 20th century architecture. Popularised back at the beginning of the century by prominent modernist architects including Le Courbusier (‘the raven’), a French design visionary, nowadays these structures are providing permanent shade for buildings ranging from elegant homes to university buildings and airports. And that’s not all: thanks to the ability of glass louvres to harness sunlight while they shade buildings from it, valuable solar energy is being generated through these designs, with a wide range of cutting-edge external louvres controlling air intake and discharge for maximum efficiency.
A brise soleil system is a series of blades angled to the optimum position for creating shade, restricting overheating and energy expending. When creating an efficient architectural design, glass louvres are integrated into shading systems to maximize sunlight during dark times, and to harness the sunlight’s photovoltaic energy on hot days. They help to protect buildings from sun damage and from overheating, and are popular for cutting down on air conditioning costs (and the associated release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere). They also provide a striking modern effect, and can be etched into or tinted to enhance the building’s attractiveness.
Meanwhile, the external louvres designed by architects provide further screening from unsightly elements of a building, while also serving the double function of maximizing ventilation while keeping out rain and wind. Generally, they cover grills over exhaust pipes and air supply points to ensure a steady circulation of air from the outside. Cutting-edge design allows them to serve this function while also shielding the building’s interior from the elements, even including the snow and hail found in chillier climates. Glazed louvres can also be used within windows and doors.
The architectural style which includes sun screening solutions hinges on an aesthetic of efficiency, creating buildings whose modern clean lines arenât merely decorative, but an integral part of the building’s workings. They are popular partly because of their streamlined look, but also because of this ability to offer multiple functions at the same time as being decorative. People who build using this method are looking for long-term solutions to air conditioning, heating, light and ventilation costs. Nowadays many glass louvres come with photovoltaic technology to actually harness the energy of the sunlight into a building’s generators. Looking to a future where buildings are expected to exist in harmony with their surroundings, and climate change becomes more and more pressing, brise soleil systems will become more and more ubiquitous as architects plan for the long term.
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