Such façades offer a number of advantages, such as a comfortable interior climate, in winter and summer; optimal moisture regulation; rainwater penetration is minimized and condensation moisture is drained through ventilation; easy to adapt to current and future energy standards; endless design possibilities; combining superbly with a range of materials.
A new recycled product made by fly ash from thermal power plants will be used as external board for the ventilated façade which, compared to traditional solutions, presents a higher environmental profile and improved mechanical properties. The use of this low density product is beneficial in terms of structural load-bearing, as well as for acoustic and thermal insulation. A flexible, adaptable and easy to install aluminium structure will be used to support the ventilated façade allowing an easy assembly and disassembly works of the modular external boards, and reducing the loads on the existing façade.
Apart from the passive renovation with traditional solutions to be delivered to one of the demonstration buildings, around 1.300 m2 of external wall will be renovated with the ventilated façade researched in the project.
Previous to the installation of the ventilated façade, a layer of insulation foam will be applied on the external wall. Later, the aluminium structure strategically design will be anchored to the existing building structure on the slab edges and finally the external boards - recycled product - will be fixed to the aluminium structure.