As regulations and demands increase for energy efficiency in all facets of modern society, the building industry has found itself in a balancing act when it comes to the exterior. Architects are challenged to find the center ground between admitting natural light to improve the occupant experience and effectively managing a building’s lighting, heating and cooling energy consumption.
While natural to focus on the glazing material itself since it comprises a large portion of the curtain wall and window area, an important variable is also the framing. Curtain wall and window framing establishes the total possible area of unobstructed glazing, provides support for high-efficiency glass units and can improve thermal performance. As evidenced in the 804 Carnegie Center in Princeton, N.J., today’s progressive framing systems can even go so far as to help achieve equilibrium between light transfer and energy outcomes.