Smart shading reduces cooling load of new Van Marcke office building

Anyone who often drives the E17 in Belgium can't miss it: the gigantic building that serves as the office building for Van Marcke. The new building in Aalbeke (BE) of the Belgian plumbing and heating distributor is a showcase of sustainable techniques: geothermal heating, fuel cells, green electricity as well as architectural shading.

BREEAM

The company was aiming for BREEAM certification with the construction of its new distribution center. This label stands for sustainability in the broadest sense of the word; from a sustainable building concept to the use of sustainable techniques and materials. As many as 12,960 solar panels adorn the roof of the new distribution center. Large glass windows welcome daylight into the office for added comfort.

Preventing overheating

During the winter months, low incident solar radiation on window frames provides a welcome amount of heat energy. But sunlight also has its shadows. To prevent overheating in summer, it is important to avoid as much solar radiation on glass surfaces as possible. The architectural sun protection system DucoSun Wing provides relief from this. Result? A reduction in cooling load to 63% and a significant drop in temperature, without an energy-consuming cooling system.

Wing-shaped slat

The DucoSun Wing aluminum slats offer a structural solution in the fight against overheating while also providing additional architectural cachet. The wing-shaped slats act as an extra shell for the curtain wall. In Van Marcke's office building, every detail was calculated to break up the sunlight entering the building and thus prevent the interior temperatures from rising too high on hot days, while also ensuring that the employees in the office do not suffer from annoying reflections on their screens.