Solar Gain

Solar gain (also known as solar heat gain or passive solar gain) refers to the increase in tempetature in a space, object or structure that results from solar radiation. The amount of solar gain increases with the strength of the sun, and with the ability of any intervening material to transmite or resist the radiation.

--Wikipedia



In the research retreat project the huge windows in my design may cause solar heating indoors. As the sun moving all the time I was thinking to use blind to solve this problem, but my tutor Jim said you are an architecture student why not to solve it in an architectural way. This was couple days before th final presentation therefore I only do some research and then inspired by St. Andrews beach house an designed several moving bamboo layers to defuse too much solar gain in the summer.

inspiration

my design

It seems like the problems solved but after the final presentation I am still wandering how does the other architects solve this problem? How could a constant building meet even opposite requirments all the time? It is always in my mind. Luckily we got a Easter breake shortly and I do found something interesting on my tour in Edinburg and Balfast.

By cut of nearby space

 By adding roof

Similar to blind but use an architectural way.

Outdoor blind could also be a part of decoration.

The City called Balfast

Up for an early flight to Balfast I packed my stuff on the 5th of April alone with four of my friends. Three days and two nights in Northern Ireland I only went to half of the must go list on the welcome booklet. I never thought this would happened as it looks not too big on google map, I do believe I will go there again as there is so many interesting places I need to go.

I spend my fist day hanging around city center. Unlike Edingburg, Balfast feels like mostly be built in twenty century and the city planing is full of the shape of square. Also a mojority of the buildings there are using brick as their material rather than stone.

But the most important building Balfast city hall is made out of stone.

My favorate building in Balfast is the shoping center Victoria Square. It got three entrance the plan looks like airscrew shape. In the middle of this building is trangular floor suported by three columes to be the form of triangular pyramidrotate.With lever rise the trangular rotate 60° each level. A doom roof is on the top trangulars which could invite enough light in the building even it is raining outdoors.

The two longer wings are like swing arms of the trangulars

There are always two sides to everything. A separated middle part also brings a huge increase of circulation.

We spend the second day on the sightseeing and the third to visit Queen's University and Northern Ireland's Museum.

The Queen's University

Front

Back

Arch door

Gothic vaults

Inside

Classrooms

The Northern Ireland Museum is just besides Queen's Uni. As you can see from the photo belowe the left part of the building is added later. The old building is made out of stone while the part is concret. The architect first continued the form of the old building then transfered it into a modern looking smoothly.

The circulation of this building is really impresive. Each part of the exhibition area is divided by 2 or 3 steps therefore people do not need to climb stairs sperately.