How can you use smart glass technologies for energy saving? Show us by joining the Switch2Save Architectural Design Competition!

Glass is considered one of the integral components of modern architectural design. Think about today’s office buildings, airport terminals, train stations and shopping centers – their designs often incorporate glass façades or roofs. Glass is attractive, versatile and provides a visual connection with the outside world, which is why large-area glazing remains a continuing trend.

However, large glass areas can significantly increase the energy demands for cooling and air conditioning in summer. In fact, modern buildings with large glass components consume up to 100% more energy each year than buildings with small windows. With the aim of reducing energy demands in buildings featuring glass façades, roofs or large window-to-wall areas, the EU-funded Switch2save project is holding an Architectural Design Competition to collect energy saving design concepts for such buildings.

The competition focuses on non-residential sites – either new or renovation projects – and sets no design restrictions regarding the site size, location or climate. Participants are invited to submit design concepts which include an optimum exploitation of the Switch2Save electrochromic (EC) and thermochromic (TC) smart glass technologies. These are transparent energy-smart materials with switchable total energy transmission values to control the transfer of solar radiation into the building. EC and TC technologies also have the added advantage of providing greater indoor lighting comfort than conventional mechanical window blinds.

The competition is open to young architects, students, and/or multidisciplinary teams that include building physicists or engineers and are led by young architects or students enrolled in an academic programme from an accredited educational institution. Teams can have up to three members of any nationality.

For more information about the competition terms, important dates and the exciting awards, check the Switch2Save website.

To participate in the competition, register HERE.

The Switch2Save (Lightweight switchable smart solutions for energy saving large windows and glass façades) project aims to help make electrochromic (EC) and thermochromic (TC) smart glass technologies more easily available and affordable so as to contribute to the EU’s goal to become climate-neutral by 2050. The project is demonstrating the potential of its two representative buildings – Greece’s second largest hospital in Athens and an operational office building in Uppsala, Sweden. A total of 50 windows and 200 m2 of glass façades will be replaced with a switchable smart glass solution, following which a “before–after” comparison will be conducted of the energy consumption in both buildings for one year.