A kitchen in Centennial Park, Sydney was designed to have a glass ceiling to allow natural light and solar heat to create a more organic environment and reduce the need for electrical appliances. However, due to the size of the opening the room was susceptible to overheating and glare. With the window housing numerous shapes of glass panels, it was hard to find an adequate product, which was versatile enough to cover the entire opening.

Our solution

Our MicroLouvre solar shading was selected as the solution of choice and used in a unique way to create a clear view ceiling with optimal natural lighting while also providing adequate shading and heat reduction.

Due to the unique shape of the roofing, many products could not be used for this application. Our MicroLouvre was determined to be the best source of solar shading as it did not impact the outward view with its 80% open area rating. This was achieved due to our updated corner/joining pieces. We are now using 3D printed pieces for non-standard screens. Previously, we custom fabricated aluminium joining components, which often increased lead time and costs. This new production method enables us to create any shape at a much quicker rate allowing for the construction of more unique designs.

Due to the construction of MicroLouvre, it could be assumed that it only works when vertical; this is due to the use of miniature louvres, which are specially angled to prevent the penetration of light and heat when the sun gets higher and hotter. However, our lead engineer Scott Riley performed numerous tests to measure the amount of shading the attenuation screens provided, depending on the angle at which the screens were sitting (for this test the screens were angled at 45°).

The testing showed that similar to the vertical position, dependent on the time of day, solar shading was still provided. A key finding from this study revealed that despite the angling of the screen, solar heat gain was consistently reduced. This can be seen in the diagrams below:

Solar heat gain

Key benefits for this project:

Provided solar shading whilst also allowing plenty of natural lighting
Versatile screens were created in multiple different shapes
Reduced need for electronic appliances
80% open area
Made from sustainable materials
92% solar radiation absorption
86% reduction of solar heat gain

Project details

Project: Glass Open Ceiling in Kitchen

Location: 84 Lang Road Centennial Park, Sydney

Product: MicroLouvre

Application: Solar Shading

Completion: June 2018

Architecture & Design Team

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Greene Fire

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