A better quality of life through the refurbishment of buildings’s façades with glazed balconies.

GANEM, CAROLINA; ESTEVES, ALFREDO

Santiago de Chile, Chile

Conferencia; 20th PLEA - International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture. Rethinking development. Are we producing a people oriented habitat?; 2003

Pontificia Uniuversidad Católica de Chile

Solar strategies that involve integral constructive elements of buildings such as façades are rarely considered when recycling or refurbishing a dwelling. It is importat that we take into account  that in a years perspective  the remaining buildings of the 20th century will originate most of the environmental impacts in cities. In order to be incorporated and adopted by inhabitants, solar concepts must respond to particular needs and enhance their living or working environment, adding architectural interest as well as value to the solution of a refurbishment problem. This paper studies the benefits of glazed balconies when refurbishing or recyling a façade. Glazed balconies have been studied in typical multistory buildings in the city of Mendoza (32.88º  south latitude, 68.85º west longitude and 827 m.a.s.l. and : Annual heating DD (base 18°C): 1384 °C day/year). In the case of an included full width open balcony oriented towards north, the annual amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere equals 1074.25 Kg/m2. By introducing energy conservation strategies this amount reduces to 355.41 Kg/m2 and by glazing the balcony the figure drops to 176.86 Kg/m2. But going further into the intervention and doing both, it is placed the opportunity of having only 12.75 Kg/m2 of CO2 emitted annually to the atmosphere. Nocturnal insulation in winter prevents the drop of temperatures. Direct gain control in summer as well as ventilation by opening windows prevents overheating. Other possible benefit is the integration of a PV system to the opaque elements of the balcony.