American architecture firm REX recently designed two buildings in the Middle East that creatively use retractable window shades to cope with the environment's strong heat.
The buildings' window shades are white, rectangular-shaped and are inspired by a geometric mashrabiya design. As the hot Middle Eastern sun shines on the buildings, the shades are drawn to naturally keep the heat out of the offices. The white color of the shades also stops the heat from being absorbed and incubated inside the buildings. As the sun begins to fade, the window shades naturally retract to showcase the structural glass design of the buildings and allow the rest of the day's heat to seep into the offices.
The window shades also double up as LED lights and create a media wall that both companies use to advertise their news content quickly to the world.
Photo Credits: designboom, rex-ny
What's Driving This Trend
- Retractable Window Shades
- Opportunity for companies to develop innovative window shade designs that can effectively block heat and provide additional functionality.
- Geometric Mashrabiya Design
- Potential for incorporating traditional Middle Eastern design elements into modern architecture to improve energy efficiency and aesthetics.
- Multi-functional Window Treatments
- Demand for window treatments that serve multiple purposes, such as blocking heat, providing lighting, and acting as advertising media.
Who This Affects Most
- Architectural Design
- Architects can explore innovative solutions for heat-deflecting windows and incorporate them into their building designs.
- Window Treatment Manufacturing
- Opportunity for window treatment manufacturers to develop new products that combine heat-deflecting properties with LED lighting and advertising capabilities.
- Construction and Real Estate
- Builders and developers can leverage heat-deflecting window technology to create energy-efficient and visually appealing buildings in hot climates.
