Application of Active Knit Actuators to Climate Adaptive Building Shells

Abstract

Climate-adaptive building shells (CABS) utilize smart materials in order to respond to the changing, outside environment and reduce the loads used to cool/heat the building. In this research, nitinol, or shape memory alloy, is explored as a potential material for the CABS concept as it possesses the unique quality to remember its “austenite” form through heating. Various sizes of nitinol samples were developed in order to observe the tensions produced by the ambient heating as well as qualitative changes. Noted behaviors were then translated into a parametric model that resembles the basic shape and behaviors of a nitinol knit assembly.