Circadian Curtain Wall: A Façade of Curved Glass Panels That Responds to the Sun’s Path

Circadian curtain wall, a façade of curved glass panels that responds to the sun’s path and the 24-hour circadian cycle, has been proposed by HOK, an architecture and engineering firm.It boasts far greater inherent strength and wind resistance than flat-panel glass and allows for bigger window bays with fewer supportive aluminium mullions required to transfer wind load back to the primary structural frame. HOK’s ongoing research into building skins that reduce the use of carbon-heavy aluminium gave birth to the idea of Circadian Curtain Wall. The same curved windows offer 180-degree views which would bring in natural daylight while connecting its occupants to the outdoors by extending the interior out past the building’s main footprint. As the sun moves through the sky, the wall provides self-shading on adjacent window glass that passively reduces solar heat gain. It is estimated the circadian curtain wall can save 300 to 400 tons of aluminum in a 1 million sq.ft. building with 300,000 sq.ft. of skin (when compared to using traditional flat-panel curtain walls).