SLICE Innovative components for smart building envelopes

One of the goals of research in building techniques is to investigate innovation in the field of smart materials. These can be used to create responsive components and allow users to get different performances according to their needs and the conditions of the surrounding environment. The proposed paper will show the prototyping of an innovative foldable component based on smart materials, in which a high efficiency photovoltaic system is integrated on flexible support, resistant to atmospheric agents, able to implement sustainability in the use phases. These features offer new ideas for the realization of foldable coverages, shielding systems and pavilions, easily transportable and reusable. The work is part of a multidisciplinary research carried out by the University of Catania, in partnership with the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urban Planning – UAUIM and the Meridionale Impianti Group, a local company that operates in markets of renowable energy sources. Keywords: responsive architecture, foldable envelope, photovoltaic, lightweight