Potentials of hydroactive lightweight façades for urban climate resilience

Extreme heat and heavy rainfall events with severe inundations have a significant impact on urban architecture, resulting in considerable personal injuries material damage. Nowadays, the proportion of façade surface areas tall buildings is substantially larger than horizontal roof or ground areas. A high leverage effect climate resilience sustainability cities can therefore be attributed to building envelopes. Whereas majority existing façades are designed provide only minor qualities at district level, research Institute for Lightweight Structures Conceptual Design (ILEK) University Stuttgart focuses development new type hydroactive lightweight incorporating change mitigation adaptation strategies. textile- film-based element called HydroSKIN capable providing retention envelope building. With minimal amount embedded mass, energy, CO2 emissions, add-on suitable both buildings. combines rainwater harvesting (RWH) run-off water reduction by retaining precipitation that strikes time-delayed evaporative cooling (EC) its environment.