Tensegrity systems as responsive solar shadings

In 1987 the World Commission on Environment and Development released the “Brundtland Report”, a document that introduced the concept of sustainable development, focusing the attention on the need of a careful use of natural resources, which construction sector is one of the most consumer of. Moreover, a building exchanges continuously energy with the outside in order to guarantee the right comfort to people living inside it. The building envelope represents the interface between the interiors and the outdoor environment, so it is important to reduce thermal dispersions, controlling heat gains and losses. One of the ways to control solar gain is to use external fixed or mobile shadings. Among the latters, an interesting application can be constituted by responsive tensegrity structures. Tensegrities are reticulated spatial structural systems composed by a combination of bars in compression and cables in tension. They have the ability to change their geometrical configuration while maintaining their structural integrity. This peculiarity allows to design shading systems based on tensegrity modules, capable of operate a shape-change depending on the environmental conditions. Shadings of this kind can be adopted on new buildings and even on existing ones, which represent the majority in Italian architectural heritage. In the latter case, using tensegrity modules can be of help when trying to improve energy performance in buildings.