Smart Panel

We spend most of our lives indoors, where nature is absent and where atmosphere is artificial. To make our habitat really sustainable, we need buildings which behave more naturally. Instead of searching for ways to isolate from the outside, can we find a solution that allows us to build in harmony with the environment? 

Smart Panel was developing a new building envelope inspired by nature that will maintain a stable temperature inside the building to ensure a comfortable living environment. Equipped buildings can create temperature gradients over all their façades by redistributing a calorific fluid within a network of channels in interconnected composite façade panels. Exposed to the external elements, these panels will create a homeostasis by exchanging heated and/or cooled saline water based fluids, which flow will be directed to the internal floor systems and ceiling panels, thus eliminating the need to use air conditioning.

Removing air conditioning will greatly impact the environment in cities by reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect that contributes to deepen the greenhouse gas planetary bill and urban biodiversity.

Construction and civil engineering annually consume around 60% of raw materials extracted from the planet and represent 40% of yearly global energy consumption.

Up to 60% of buildings’ energy consumption is used by air-conditioners. Smart Panel is therefore developing an innovative building envelope inspired by nature. It replaces air conditioning and their energy consumption, leading to drastic savings for the entire building’s lifecycle.

Dassault Systèmes’ solutions help Smart Panel bridge the gap between multiple levels of complexity. They enable the conception of the product, the simulation of fluid circulation within capillaries, and comparisons with natural systems such as leaves and skin. Collaborative project management on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform creates a community between Smart Panel’s internal team—including engineers, architects, industrial experts, and academics—and international partners in France, Japan, the UK, and the USA.

Dassault Systèmes’ product design software allows for the creation, assembly, and integration of various panel components. Simulation software supports the design of optimal behavioral systems. Artificial intelligence is integrated to use the generated data as input, enabling learning and continuous improvement of the system. BIM and construction management software are essential for constructing medium- and high-rise buildings with standardized systems.

Smart Panel was founded by Albert Abut, an architect (DPLG) with over 30 years of experience in energy efficiency and sustainability projects worldwide.

Co-founder Adrien Pichon brings expertise in industrial partnerships from the aerospace and automotive manufacturing industries, helping to drive innovation in material development at the core of Smart Panel.

After years of research, Smart Panel has assembled a team of technical experts and partners, including AAA, CEA Liten, UGA, NYU, and BuroHappold Engineering. All of these collaborators are now connected through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.