Sunshades can be compelling facade design elements that also deliver value to the owners and tenants of a building by controlling sunlight, making the space more comfortable to be in while managing energy use.

This approach can also be applied in design scenarios where you are having difficulty meeting energy goals and have had to minimize window placement, resulting in windowless areas. Passive sunshades can help enhance your design process by allowing for more windows while managing daylight effectively. This can lead to a more equitable distribution of natural light for building occupants, ultimately improving both physical and mental health.

Benefits of Using AMICO Materials for Architectural Sunshades

Glare control: Create subtle shade and improve the quality of experience inside your building

Reducing heat gain: Allow shade to reduce the load from your HVAC system and deliver meaningful long-term savings to

Facade beautification: Sunshades can become focal points of your facade design and are often used to help win awards

Natural light access: Passive sunshading allows you to introduce more windows into your design and still meet your energy goals

Architectural Sunshade Project Case Study

City of Hope Expanded Mesh Fin Sunshade

The west side of this structure features a promenade that provides air circulation and space for impromptu collaborative gatherings. The space is defined by the prominent expanded metal fins that define the building. This LEED Gold building uses aggressive shading strategies to let ambient natural light deep into the building while negating the negative energy effects of heat gain.

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Residential Sunshades that Maximize the View:

This home was the world’s first Zero Energy and Zero Carbon building to achieve ILFI and LEED Platinum certification. AMICO’s modest contribution to this brilliant project is in the sunshade screens along the exterior. The home has a beautiful view out onto the Mississippi River, but along with that comes a lot of sun, sometimes too much. AMICO worked alongside Archimania to develop a gradient mesh based on the APEX03 profile to maximize natural light and minimize glare where needed.  The panels were then inserted into a track system so they could be shifted as needed to follow the sun while maximizing the view of the river.