02 HATFIELD, UK SOLAR SHADING

Work was recently completed on Sheppard Robson’s 9000-square metre New Science Building at the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane campus. It has been designed as a simple orthogonal structure derived from the cellular grid of the flexible laboratory spaces within. The project has achieved BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent certification thanks to a distinctive cladding system. Fins, made from expanded aluminium mesh, wrap around the three solar exposed elevations of the five-storey building, providing solar shading and allowing natural light to penetrate inside. These fins can also change direction, depending on the type of internal space.