Programmable Breathing

Programmable Breathing

Programmable Breathing investigates the potential of a dynamically insulated wall assembly using shape-changing, climate-responsive materials in order to mitigate air conditioning dependency in hot climates. This thesis uses 4D printing as a climate-responsive material system given its ability to quickly iterate with a streamlined workflow from computational design to digital fabrication. The specific focus is to create a humidity-responsive system that modulates air and heat flow based on relative humidity levels. By impeding daytime airflow when humidity is low and permitting nighttime airflow during high humidity periods, the Programmable Breathing building envelope enhances the thermal mass’s cooling effect, mitigating daytime heat stress.

The research encompasses three primary domains: firstly, the design of airtight 4D-printed components; secondly, the development of a bespoke energy simulation tool for evaluating the efficacy of the humidity-responsive breathing wall; and thirdly, a global analysis to pinpoint regions where this system can yield the greatest impact. The developed methodology is applied to a case study in Brisbane, Australia to demonstrate: the identification of when to actuate the humidity-responsive system, the design and programming of a near airtight 4D-printed component, where it is most impactful to place breathing walls on a building and a Life Cycle Analysis evaluating the impact of the 4D-printed intervention.  The case study concluded that converting 25% of the envelope into the developed humidity-responsive breathing walls can reduce cooling loads by as much as 56% in Brisbane, Australia.

ITECH M.Sc. Thesis Project 2023: Programmable Breathing
Peter Ehvert, Alina Turean

Thesis Advisers: Ekin Sila Sahin, Max Zorn

Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Achim Menges
Second Supervisor: Prof. Thomas Wortmann