Brise soleil, sometimes brise-soleil (; ), is an architectural feature of a building that reduces its heat gain by deflecting incoming sunlight. The system allows low-level sunlight to enter a building in the mornings, evenings and during winter but cuts out direct light during summer.
Types Brise-soleil can comprise a variety of permanent sun-shading structures, ranging from the simple patterned concrete walls popularized by Le Corbusier in the Palace of Assembly to the elaborate wing-like mechanism devised by Santiago Calatrava for the Milwaukee Art Museum or the mechanical, pattern-creating devices of the Institut du Monde Arabe by Jean Nouvel.
In the typical form, a horizontal projection extends from the sunside facade of a building. This is most commonly used to prevent facades with a large amount of glass from overheating during the summer. Often louvers are incorporated into the shade to prevent the high-angle summer sun falling on the facade, but also to allow the low-angle winter sun to provide some passive solar heating.
Gallery
See also Awning Green building List of low-energy building techniques Mashrabiya, a type of latticework covered balcony or window in Islamic architecture Pergola Sudare
References
External links
Brise soleil at the Milwaukee Art Museum (Brise Soleil Commercial Applications) British-Yemini Society Influence of climate on window design (demonstration of Brise Soleil in commercial applications) AD Classics: AD Classics: Palace of the Assembly / Le Corbusier Technical possibilities (in German) Museum of everyday culture (in German) (Further reading on Brise Soleil from a supplier)