In Australia, there’s conflict in sunshine. We love it but spend a lot of time, money and effort trying to find a delicate balance between shade and light. Sunlight and radiation: true enemies. The challenge for many architects is to manage both and create beautifully designed, sustainable, and energy-efficient buildings. The interplay of light and shadow can transform a building from ordinary to mesmerising while offering relief from the powerful Australian sun.
Finding Escape from the Heat
Not just an Australian problem. India, the Middle East and the Mediterranean are the masters of dealing with the extremes of summer weather. One of the key features of Middle Eastern architecture is the use of specialist structures designed to cool a space. Windcatchers and mashrabiyas (balconies enclosed with wooden latticework) can be seen across the Arab world, from Egypt to Iraq.
These architectural features rely on the flow of air to cool spaces. The basic principle of the mashrabiya was to allow air to flow through spaces, replacing warm air in a room with cooler air from outside. The latticework feature means the air is filtered, removing the dust often associated with hot, dry climates, further increasing comfort levels inside a building.
This latticework was co-opted by Charles Édouard Jeanneret (also known as Le Corbusier), one of the pioneers of passive energy control in architecture, who designed the first modern “brise-soleil” for the Ministry of Education and Public Health building in Rio de Janeiro in 1937.
In Australia, similar concepts are applied to Queensland University’s Global Change Institute building. The custom perforated aluminium panels are integral to the success of the Hassell-designed building. These panels move as the light does, operated by the building’s management system. This innovative combination of technology and shade is the perfect example that shade can be more than functional: it can work to create an architecturally unique building.
Brightening Public Spaces
Sunlite’s versatile product range can be used to improve the visual appeal of any building while offering the benefits of privacy, shading and ventilation. Our sheets and screens can be adapted to fit design specifications to offer intrigue and interest to beige and bland buildings.
Energy Efficiency and Comfort: Reducing Solar Heat Gain
Sunlite’s shading devices ensure greater comfort for occupants inside the building by effectively blocking sunlight and reducing solar heat gain. Taking advantage of more environmentally friendly cooling measures can significantly impact bills.
Whole Building Design
By incorporating sun control and shading devices into their architectural designs, architects can create buildings that are energy-efficient and visually captivating. Sunlite’s shade solutions seamlessly integrate with various building components, such as overhangs, vertical fins, and landscape features, allowing architects to take a holistic approach to building design.
Sunlite: Your Partner in Visionary Architecture
Sunlite is a trusted partner for architects seeking shade solutions that elevate the beauty of their designs while providing all the advantages of shade. With our expertise in manufacturing and installing aluminium facade shading and natural lighting solutions, Sunlite is the go-to choice for residential and commercial buildings across Australia.
To be offered shade is to be cooled, comforted and transformed. Sunlite empowers architects to create sustainable, visually striking and aspirational architectural designs.