NanaWall Systems, a company that supplies operable glass wall systems for deployment in large sized architectural building openings, declared that three teams, which have participated in the U.S. Department of Energy sponsored 2011 Solar Decathlon "Energy Balance": Florida International and SCI-Arc/Caltech” utilized its custom-built NanaWall folding glass type wall systems in the construction designs.
Florida International University’s Solar Decathlon 2011 PerFORMDance House rendering showing two exterior walls of 21 NanaWall panels that fold open. Credit: U.S.Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
The event held at the National Mall in Washington, DC, showcased attractive looking, cost effective and energy conserving solar houses built by twenty partaking collegiate teams from all over the world. The participating teams from Florida, California and New York have utilized NanaWall products supplied by the company for entrances, for expanding inside spaces to the outside to improve passive cooling and day lighting in the constructions. The CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK and FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY figured among the top contestants.
The City College of New York has displayed ‘Roof Pod,’ a solar powered home, an easy to assemble modular construction that can be set up over the flat roofs of mid-rise commercial constructions or apartment houses. The modular home featured 9 ft and 8” wide NanaWall folding glass wall to provide entry for the visitors as well as protection from wind and cold when closed and the similar sized NanaWall enables the extension of the living area into the porch.
Florida International University showcased its ‘PerFORMDance’ incorporating an open pavilion design with NanaWall SL73 folding glass walls meant for use in hurricane zones and useable louvers to connect interior and exterior. The 60 ft floor-to-ceiling high NanaWalls with their north orientation enabled maximum sun light with the least level of heat gain. The seven openings in the NanaWall construction allowed unseamed passage between inside and outside to make the house a truly functional one.
The “Compact House with Infinite Possibilities” (CHIP) displayed by the California Institute of Technology and Southern California Institute of Architecture used NanaWall window and NanaWall panels to improve air ventilation within the construction.
Source: http://www.nanawall.com/