RIPPLING SHADES

The modernist legacy in architectural facades, with its emphasis on homogeneous and repetitive elements, often overlooks the importance of surrounding conditions and local contexts. This is particularly evident in subtropical regions, where the widespread use of glass-curtained façades, a hallmark of Euro-American modernism, fails to address environmental and cultural needs, exacerbating the challenges of climate change.

As a parametric architect and designer from Taiwan based in Amsterdam, ZongRu Wu redefines façade design by integrating endemic climatic conditions, local materials, and innovative techniques. His work focuses on making architecture more responsive to the pressing environmental challenges we face today. He explores how varied façade forms can reduce reliance on mechanical air cooling by optimizing solar heat absorption. By pushing the boundaries of current formwork manufacturing, he expands the possibilities of concrete structures, creating sustainable designs that are more attuned to their environment.

Wu’s designs simulate the sun’s trajectories to generate façade geometries with superimposed functional ripples, creating self-shading patterns that serve as thermal buffers between the building and its surroundings. The first prototype features a 3D-printed mold with gently curving ripples, forming a translucent, wavering surface. These curves are not just decorative but serve a vital function: they maximize self-shadowing, effectively cooling the building.

The intricate patterns he develops challenge existing construction and material techniques. Traditional methods typically restrict concrete use to simple, reinforced castings, with molds and structures often discarded after use. To reduce concrete consumption and construction waste, Wu employs 3D-printed PETg molds that can be reused up to seven times without compromising their integrity. This approach optimizes material use, advancing sustainable architectural practices within the framework of parametric modernism.

His work represents a shift in how we perceive façades—not as static, isolated elements, but as permeable skins that reduce a building’s impact on the environment. This approach goes beyond mere techno-solutionism; it rethinks architectural norms in both form and construction, offering a new way to address the urgent challenge of climate change through innovative technology and creative use of materials.

Project credits: ZONGRUWU
Structure engineer: YuChou Chiang
Text by: Maxime Benvenuto
Photo shooting and video editing: Tim van Dortmont
Powered by: The New Raw
Funding by: Taichung Cultural Education Foundation for Architecture