CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY

CAMBRIDGE, MA

CASE STUDY: A DOUBLE-SKIN GLASS WALL

William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc. Boston, MA

Design Team: William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc. with Ann Beha Architects
A PIONEER OF DOUBLE SKIN CURTAINWALL TECHNOLOGY IN THE US

1. First US project to incorporate all key ingredients of advanced European Double-skin curtainwall technology:

3-0 Deep Airspace: provides added insulating depth and enables maintenance access
Multi-story Thermal Flue: the greater height improves natural convection and makes the heat capture and
exhaust more efficient.
Movable 1-0 Deep Sunshades: locating the blinds in the protected cavity allows them to collect the suns heat
energy before it enters the conditioned building. The lightweight aluminum louvers can be motorized to
provide glare protection at all sun angles (important on a southwest exposure).

2. European examples of this type: The design team visited over 10 buildings with double-skin technology in Germany and
London to determine how best to adapt this technology to a library. This research revealed the advantages of this type
iof double facade in providing the level of transparency, thermal comfort, glare control, maintainability, and energy savings
that were important for the library:

Bayer Headquarters, Post Tower, Helicon,

Leverkusen, Germany Bonn, Germany London, England

3. Other projects visited by design team:

ARAG 2000, Sparkasse Seestern, Stadttor,

Dusseldor Dusseldorf Dusseldorf Dusseldorf
3. Other projects visited by design team (continued):

ARUP Offices, Victoria Ensemble, Victoria Ensemble, Victoria House,

London High Rise - type 1 Low rise - type 2 Cologne

TYPOLOGIES OF DOUBLE-SKIN FACADES IN THE UNITED STATES: To date, approximately 12 major

double skin facades in a variety of configurations have been constructed:

3-0 Multi-story flue -- 12 deep operable sunshades in the cavity:
Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA (2009)
3-0 Multi-story flue with operable narrow sunshades in the cavity:
Information Commons, Loyola University, Chicago IL (2008)
3-0 Multi-story flue - no sunshades in the cavity:
Foundry Square, San Francisco, CA (2003)
New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA (2004)
Seattle Justice Center, Seattle, WA (2002)
Yazaki North American, Canton, MI (2000)
3-0 Multi-story flue with fixed sunshades in the cavity:
Occidental Chemical Building, Niagra Falls, NY (1982)
3-0 Deep Corridor Style: Airflow contained to single story
Genzyme Center, Cambridge, MA (2003)
University of Michigan Biomedical Science Research Building
Art Institute of Chicago - Modern Wing, Chicago, IL (2009)
Cleveland Art Gallery, Cleveland OH (2009)
Narrow +/- 8 deep System:
Manulife Financial, Boston, MA (2003)

FABRICATION AND ENGINEERING BY LEADING EXPERTS IN EUROPEAN DOUBLE SKIN TECHNOLOGY

A thermal model was created by Arup The facade was fabricated in Gundelfingen, Germany by Josef Gartner,
Facade Engineering (London Office) GmbH. Prior to fabrication, a full scale mock-up of the facade was
constructed and tested for air infiltration, pressure, water penetration,
and seismic deformation

Exhaust vent with operable
glass louvers
Winter Air Flow
1 Closed louvers shield from low
angled sun glare into building
2 Closed top and bottom vents
trap air inside double skin cavity
3 Air within cavity heats up, effectively
creating thermal barrier between
external and internal environments

1
Outer skin
2
Inner skin
Operable aluminum louvers

3
Glass visors

Operable windows
Structural ladder frame

Operable aluminum louvers

Bay Detail
Glass visors

Operable windows

Intake trench with operable

damper
 Spring/Fall Air Flow Summer Air Flow

1 Upper and lower vents can be 2 Operable windows allow natural 1 High angled sun is caught by 2 Cooler air is drawn into double 3,4 Air heats up and rises within cavity,
opened or closed to modulate ventilation horizontal louvers, heating the skin cavity through open lower creating chimney effect and drawing
temperature of cavity double skin cavity and providing vents hot air away from building mass
shade to building

4
1

2
3

2 2

Double-skin cavity, catwalk for window Aluminum louvers, adjustable to two Louvers adjust to low sun angle
cleaning positions
Double Skin Components
SHADING ELEMENTS VENTILATION ELEMENTS
1 Exterior Glazing 4 Operable Sun Shade 6 Lower Operable Ventilation
2 Interior Glazing 5 Sun Shade Canopy 7 Upper Operable Ventilation
3 Structural Frame
8 Maintenance Catwalks

3
4 1
2

6
Structural ladder frame erection Glass visor installation

Structural ladder frame Inner glass skin installed

Structural ladder frame Outer glass skin installed

A Unique High-Performance Facade:
The double-skin facade (two surfaces of glass,
creating an insulated airspace) is a multi-story (full
height), full depth (3), thermal flue. The facade allows
for complete transparency while ensuring protection
from excessive heat gain, heat loss, and glare:
Energy Savings and Comfort:
The facade saves energy (50 % reduction compared
with a conventional curtainwall) and maximizes
comfort at the reading spaces. The 3 airspace
can be open in summer to keep heat from entering
the building and closed in the winter to create an
insulating thermal blanket;
Natural Light:
The facade brings a significant amount of balanced
natural light into the library, carefully controlled by
fixed and movable sunshades.
Natural Ventilation:
Operable windows in the facade allow for fresh air
throughout the year (even in winter) without insect
screens blocking and without concern for stolen
books. In the winter, spring and fall, the windows allow
heat from the cavity to be brought into the building.
A Pioneer of Advanced Sustainable Design Technology:
The First Double Skin Facade on a US Public Library, the
project is also the first US Project to incorporate three key
ingredients of European Double-skin curtainwall technology:

3-0 Deep Airspace

Multi-story Thermal Flue
Movable 1-0 Deep Sunshades
PROJECT FACTS: COMPLETION DATE
Fall 2009
SIZE
104,000 SF DESIGN TEAM:
William Rawn Associates, Architect
76,800 SF New building Ann Beha Architects, Architect for historic building
27,200 SF Historic building (Van Brunt & Howe, 1889) Michael Van Valkenburgh, Landscape Architect
70 space parking garage Ove Arup Facade Engineering, Curtainwall consultant
Consigli JF/ White, General Contractor
OWNER Josef Gartner GmbH, Curtainwall fabricator
City of Cambridge LeMessurier Consulting Engineers, Structural engineer
Cambridge Public Library Vanderweil Engineers, MEP, FP engineers

Susan Flannery, Director of Libraries, City of Cambridge

Alan Burne, Project Director, City of Cambridge

DOUBLE-SKIN FACADE

William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.

10 Post Office Square, Suite 1010, Boston, MA 02109
t) 617.423.3470 f) 617.451.9205 www.rawnarch.com