Switchable glass for Jean Peyraud Primary School

07/27/2021 | Print view

In the small-scale structure of the organically shaped facade, any additional external sun protection would have severely disturbed the unusual design. - © OX Architectures — © OX Architectures

In the small-scale structure of the organically shaped facade, any additional external sun protection would have severely disturbed the unusual design.

The Jean Peyraud Primary School and the Collège Fernand Lagrange are located in the centre of Pierre-Buffière in France. The municipality had decided to have the school building rebuilt. Here you can find out why switchable Sageglass was used there.

After the municipality of Pierre-Buffière realized that the old primary school was getting on in years, cramped and not very functional, the new building, designed by the Couzeix-based architectural firm OX Architectures, encompasses the almost 700-square-metre schoolyard in a U-shape. The new school building is set on two levels; in the west, it rises - supported by pillars - above a steep slope that drops 6m downwards.

In the west, the new building - supported by pillars - rises above the steep slope that drops 6m downwards.

Metal shingle facades and roofs in grey and gold

The outward-facing facades and roof are clad in diamond-shaped grey and gold aluminium sheet shingles.

To blur the boundaries between the interior and the surroundings, architects Marie Remillac and Laurent Billat of OX Architectures chose to use SageGlass dynamic solar control glass. These provide solar shading in the classrooms, the multimedia room and the shared workshop on the west side and to the southeast.

The tilt-and-turn windows also have switchable SageGlass

Almost a third of the total glazed area - 17 fixed glazed and tilt and turn windows - were fitted with SageGlass. The electrochromic 2-pane insulating glass adapts to the degree of solar radiation. This automatically regulates the amount of light and heat entering the rooms.

Almost a third of the total glazed area - 17 fixed glazed and tilt and turn windows - were made with SageGlass. Here in the switched state, in the picture below ...

The line of sight to nature remains completely unobstructed. "The added value of SageGlass lies in the intelligent control of solar radiation. This makes it possible to use only the good properties of the glass and at the same time remedies its greatest disadvantages: Glare and overheating. And this is independent of the orientation of the building, the time of day and the weather conditions.

Also interesting: Smart glass with a frameless all-glass look

...the glass is transparent and lets in a lot of daylight.

At the same time, sufficient natural light and the view to the outside are guaranteed, which contributes to the well-being and comfort of the building users. This has a positive effect on the students' concentration and output," the architects explain. An unobstructed view to the outside is relaxing, prevents a feeling of constriction and connects with the outside world.

How are the switchable glasses controlled?

In the small-scale structure of the organically shaped facade, any additional external sun protection would have severely disrupted the unusual design.

The glasses in the École Jean Peyraud are connected to a control unit. During the day, it automatically adjusts the tint of the windows in four modes depending on the daylight. The change from one tint to another is gradual and completely natural. If necessary, the glass can also be darkened manually with wall switches. This is good, for example, when teachers are showing a presentation ok.

Less energy consumption, no maintenance, high building aesthetics

The thermal regulation provided by the electrochromic glazing makes a decisive contribution to reducing energy costs. In summer, there is no need for an additional cooling system. In winter, the glass allows the heat from the sun's rays to penetrate.

This reduces heating costs. In addition, there is no need to clean and maintain sun protection attachments such as blinds, roller blinds or shutters. The fact that blinds or external shading have become obsolete thanks to SageGlass plays a decisive role not only for the comfort in the building, but also for the special aesthetics of the construction.

In the small-scale structure of the organically shaped facade, any additional external sun protection would have sensitively disrupted the extraordinary design.

"This system allows us to preserve only the qualities of the glass by correcting its greatest disadvantage, thermal radiation; in this way, and thanks to the coupling with an efficient building, it is no longer necessary to plan cooling systems for a school," says architect Laurent Billat.

The entire glazing concept was optimised in advance with the help of a thermodynamic simulation.