Home Energy Management Cambridge Introduces Solucent Mesh Shading System

Cambridge Introduces Solucent Mesh Shading System

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CAMBRIDGE, MD.—Cambridge Architectural, a full-service provider of sustainable architectural mesh systems, introduces Solucent, an energy-saving and daylighting mesh shading system for building exteriors and interiors.

Solucent, “Where the Sun and Shade Mesh,” has been developed to meet the ever-increasing sustainability needs facing architects today, but without sacrificing beauty in design. The system combines the unique and striking aesthetic of architectural mesh with its shading and daylighting capabilities to create a one-of-a-kind energy and light management solution. Cambridge has also unveiled a new website, www.cambridgesolucent.com, which serves as the online home for Solucent.

Solucent mesh shading systems reduce solar heat gain by shading the sun, leading to significant savings on cooling costs. Mesh is also a versatile daylighting material which can allow the desired amount of natural light through. As a result, Solucent systems reduce the need for electric light—the number one energy consumer in buildings and a contributor of unwanted heat gain.

Customized for Each Installation

Each Solucent system is designed based on building orientation and/or the direction that a building façade is facing. The mesh pattern is also chosen according to these specifications, allowing each piece of the system to fit together precisely and effectively. This method greatly differentiates Cambridge from other manufacturers, and has proven to be a successful solution for many projects.

One such project was an exterior shading facade for the Medicine Lake Union Building at the University of Washington in Seattle. The major medical research laboratory structure required a unique and modern shading system that would control solar heat gain while still permitting natural daylight to flow through the facility.

“We chose Cambridge Architectural’s metal fabric pattern because we were able to customize the exact opacity to meet our energy requirements,” says Andrew Clinch, project architect. “The metal fabric design turned out to be exactly what we were looking for—a lightweight exterior shading application that allowed natural light to fill in the lab spaces while simultaneously controlling solar heat gain and reducing our energy costs.”

Canopies, Wall Adornments

Although most often used as an exterior façade, the Solucent system also comes in the form of solar canopies and interior wall adornments—with new shading methods constantly being researched and developed by Cambridge.

“Solucent delivers impressive solar heat gain reduction when installed on building exteriors, and facilitates daylighting in a variety of ways,” explains Heather Collins, director of marketing for Cambridge Architectural. “Architectural mesh is visually striking and an ideal material for harnessing natural light, improving the interior environment and reducing energy usage.”

Cambridge’s Solucent system boasts many sustainable properties. Mesh is readily recyclable and manufactured from recycled materials. It can be mounted to existing building structures with minimal support, it can provide airflow into a building while shading, and it has a virtually maintenance-free and indestructible lifecycle.

Cambridge Architectural is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and helps architects take maximum advantage of LEED credit through the many categories in which architectural mesh systems apply. Most notably, mesh can contribute to as many as four LEED points for optimized energy performance, and can help in acquiring additional points for incorporating recycled content and introducing daylight and views into the regularly occupied areas of a building.

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