This monograph presents the latest research developments of innovative

building envelope systems. These systems have the ability to allow

building structures to be responsive to changes in outdoor conditions

to ensure comfortable indoor environment and acceptable indoor air

quality at higher energy efficiency compared to conventional systems.

In particular, the monograph overviews the basic operation principles

and thermal performance of four technologies described in three chapters:

(i) dynamic insulation materials that can change its thermal properties

in order to better adapt the building envelope with its outdoor

environment and reduce building heating and cooling thermal loads,

(ii) variable reflectance coatings for application on roofs to lower and

even eliminate the energy penalties associated with reduced solar heat

gains during heating operation of buildings, (iii) single layer breathing

walls to recover energy wasted from heat transmission inside the

walls and provide air ventilation to indoor spaces, and (iv) multi-layer

living walls to apply biomimetric principles and phase-change materials

to adapt building envelope properties with the changing outdoor

conditions.