Prologue
An architect should be a catalyst for positive change in the nature of buildings, cities and if possible our lives. In order to achieve this it is necessary to consider the entire context of architecture and to nurture innovation. In a summary of his speech at the Bartlett International Lecture Series, Wolfgang Rieder commented: “Architects are degenerated into beautifiers of buildings and not involved into the whole process. The focus is on appeal rather than functional innovations and smart design.” (Rieder, 2013) The ideas in this paper can be seen as a road map to reverse this trend.
There are many factors that influence architectural aspirations. Both governmental and public sectors demand increased performance, and improved efficiency. Environmental concerns and global economic difficulties require innovative solutions being created with ever diminishing resources. The world is rapidly changing. Our ideas and creations should change as well. Dynamic facades can change to provide optimal performances in relation to their environment. As Ziona Strelitz comments, “The static ‘best fit’ approach to facade design falls short of the optimum performance that could be attained relative to changing climatic conditions outside buildings. Dynamic facades that are able to respond to such changes may therefore become common place.” (Strelitz, 2005)