In the search for methods to incorporate Phase Change Materials (PCM) into Portland cement mortar mixtures, PCM based on paraffins adhered to a silica-based matrix appear as a suitable option. However, paraffin particles have been observed to escape from the silica matrix when water is added. There are only limited data on how the use of such PCM affects the behaviour of mortars. To evaluate the effect of this PCM addition, Portland mortar mixtures were elaborated with 5%, 10% and 15% of PCM content, and using CEM 42.5 I R and CEM I 52.5 R cement types. Physical properties such as density, open porosity, air content and water absorption were analysed for fresh and dry samples. The results obtained show that the PCM-added mixtures require greater water and cement amounts than the standard mortar mixtures to achieve similar compressive strengths. Compared to non-PCM mixtures the PCM-added mortars present a density lowering of 37% for fresh mixtures and near 45% for dry state forms. A maximum compressive strength of 15.9 MPa was reached for 15% PCM mixtures, while values beyond 40 MPa were achieved for 5% PCM mixtures. Thus, the proposed study contributes to broad the available knowledge of PCM cement mortar mixtures behaviour and their mix design.

Curtain walls are the façade of choice in high-rise buildings and an indispensable element of architecture for a contemporary city. In conventional curtain walls, the glass panels are simply supported by the metal framing which transfers any imposed load to the building structure. The absence of composite action between glass and metal results in deep frames, protruding to the inside, occupying valuable space and causing visual disruption. In response to the limited performance of conventional systems, an innovative frame-integrated unitized curtain wall is proposed to reduce structural depth to one fifth (80%) allowing an inside flush finish and gaining nettable space. The novel curtain wall is achieved by bonding a pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) frame to the glass producing a composite insulated glass unit (IGU). This paper selects the candidate frame and adhesive materials performing mechanical tests on GFRP pultrusions to characterize strength and elasticity and on GFRP-glass connections to identify failure module and strength. The material test results are used in a computer-based numerical model of a GFRP-glass composite unitized panel to predict the structural performance when subjected to realistic wind loads. The results confirm the reduction to one fifth is possible since the allowable deflections are within limits. It also indicates that the GFRP areas adjacent to the support might require reinforcing to reduce shear stresses.

Sustainable spaces are those that are optimized, accessible, promote user experience and aim to reduce CO₂ emissions while enhancing users’ well-being and comfort. The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology that was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand and improve the use of coliving spaces based on remote Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) analysis of the digital trail generated by the users. Applying the POE methodology based on data collection from IT infrastructure enabled to identify opportunities to improve the future design of human-centered spaces. The residential market, design-wise traditional for centuries, is now facing a high-speed adaptation to the changing needs, accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. New ways of living and shared spaces like Coliving are escalating. Technology is both an enabler of this shift in housing and the solution to operating and managing these new buildings. This paper demonstrates, through the case study of a Coliving space located in Madrid, Spain, the benefits of implementing data analysis of the digital trail collected from in-built IT systems such as smart locks, Wi-Fi networks and electric consumption devices. The conclusion is that analysing the available data from the digital infrastructure of coliving buildings can enable practitioners to improve the future design of residential spaces.

Data are required for optimizing workplace design, assessing user experience, and ensuring wellbeing. This research focuses on the benefits of incorporating post-occupancy evaluation (POE) data analysis by studying the digital trail of employees generated by the existing Wi-Fi infrastructure of the office. The objective is to enable a safe return to offices through compliance with COVID-19 space-capacity regulations and in consideration of the health and wellbeing of employees. Workplaces, teams, and people have become more digitalized and therefore more mobile due to the globalization of knowledge and cutting-edge technological innovations, a process that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. Now, hybrid work and fully remote working routines are increasing in a significant number of companies. Nevertheless, with the return to the office, understanding how to calibrate spatial capacity is now key for workplaces and companies. Traditional assessment methods are obsolete; new methods that respond to mobility, changing occupancy rates, and comfort are essential. This paper analyzes, through the case study of a pre-COVID-19 activity-based office, the advantages of using digital indoor-location techniques (such as Wi-Fi networks, which additionally have the advantage of being previously installed in the majority of these spaces). The paper demonstrates that the incorporation of digital POE of user trends enabled a more seamless, accurate, and scalable return to a new normal office work scenario and an improved post-COVID-19 design of workplaces.

The application of the systemic approach in architecture aims to promote an integral, holistic view of the architectural design process. The literature reviewed calls for models with systemic behavior, and for these models to be applied in concrete cases. This paper proposes an original approach, using the foundation matrix and the constructive logic matrix. Both matrices are part of a developing model that is being tested on a case study. The work presented here had two objectives: to check this part of the model and gain more knowledge about the model itself. The selected case study, the 2005 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, is a contemporary ephemeral construction of significant architectural interest. It is a reciprocal frame structure, linked to the construction history. The methodology used was a systemic analysis. In the first phase of the analysis, the reciprocal structures documented historically in the West were reviewed. The other two phases corresponded to the application of the two model matrices. Conceptual diagramming was used in all phases of the process. The results show the importance of the study of historical building solutions. The use of matrices facilitates the identification and understanding of the operations carried out in the design process of the case study. Matrices favor the organization of concepts and relationships from through a systemic approach. Understanding generation operations in an integrated way leads to a type of knowledge (relational knowledge) that allows architecture to be thought about in a holistic way. This makes the systemic view of art and technology as a unit possible, attending to the whole complexity of architectural thinking.

Framing of unitized curtain walls is dimensioned to carry wind load without taking advantage of potential composite contribution of glass. Subsequently, it is unnecessarily deep, occupying valuable space, and protrudes to the inside, causing visual disruption. Moreover, it is generally made of high thermal conductivity metal alloys, contributing to substantial thermal transmission at joints. An innovative frame-integrated unitised curtain wall has been developed that, compared to conventional systems, reduces structural depth significantly, allows an inside flush finish and reduces thermal transmission at joints. The idea is to adhesively bond a Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) frame to the edge of the Insulated Glass Unit (IGU), thereby achieving low thermal transmittance and composite structural behaviour. The frame is to fit within the glazing cavity depth. This paper provides a description of the proposed system and assesses its thermal transmittance and risk of condensation through comparative analytical and numerical thermal analysis with a conventional system taken as reference.