Natural anodised
Clear metallic grain with durable architectural restraint.
CONCEPT STUDY · ARTIVO R&D LAB
SOLVANE
EXTERNAL SHADING SYSTEM / DWG ART-0156
NORTH + WESTREGION A STUDY14 WEEKS
ClientInternal R&D
SectorArchitecture / building envelope
ScopeIndustrial design · extrusion profile · structural validation · manufacture-ready documentation
ProcessesAluminium extrusion · die design · CNC · powder coat / anodising
Standards referencedAS/NZS 1170.2 · AS 1664
Duration14 weeks
StatusConcept study
DrawingART-0156
THE SYSTEM / 00Engineer the kit.
Engineer the kit.
Not every project.
Most architectural shading begins again with every facade. SOLVANE concentrates the design work into a repeatable platform: one bracket family, three blade depths and one splice sleeve covering bay widths from 900 to 3600 millimetres.
The identity is carried by the extrusion profile and bracket kinematics—not applied styling. Fixed, hand-adjustable and motorised variants all grow from the same manufacture-ready logic.
LOCAL GEOMETRY / 01Designed below
Designed below
the equator.
In Melbourne, north and west facades carry the solar load. The geometry study uses a southern-hemisphere sun path—high summer angles are cut off while lower winter light can enter beneath the blade.
- North
- Seasonal cut-off
- West
- Afternoon control
PH1 / IDEATION + RESEARCH
Analysis before form.
Sun-path studies, blade-section sketches and bracket mechanisms established the problem before any surface was resolved.
PH2 / DESIGN + MVPOne platform.
One platform.
Three behaviours.
The same extrusion and bracket architecture supports fixed pitch, hand adjustment and a motorised link bar.
Blade6063-T6 aluminium extrusion
SectionElliptical aerofoil · ~2 mm wall
Pitch±45° · 5° increments
FasteningSingle stainless hex interface
IsolationWasher between bracket and steel
DrainageFree-draining · self-shedding
PH3 / TESTING + VALIDATIONMeasure what
Measure what
the facade feels.
The validation plan links design pressure, span and mid-span deflection, then checks drainage and bracket repeatability on a full-scale single-bay rig.
DEFLECTION FRAMEWORK / CONCEPT MODELFinal values pending engineering sign-off
Illustrative comparison of section stiffness only—not published performance data. Wind pressure, support condition, span and allowable deflection remain project-specific engineering inputs.
DESIGN BASIS
Developed with reference to AS/NZS 1170.2 wind actions for Region A and AS 1664 aluminium structures. Cyclonic regions are explicitly outside this concept study. Final member, bracket, fixing and substructure design requires project-specific engineering verification.
PH4 / MANUFACTURE-READYFour steps.
Four steps.
One Allen key.
Flat-packed components arrive as a repeatable kit. The installation sequence removes site interpretation from the critical connection.
- 01Set brackets
Fix the isolated bracket backs to the verified substructure datum.
- 02Offer blade
Locate the extrusion into the indexed bracket interface.
- 03Set pitch
Select the required 5° serration position across ±45°.
- 04Lock
Torque the accessible hex fastener and connect the link bar where specified.
FINISH SYSTEM / 04Three specifications.
Three specifications.
One profile.
Powder coat
Project-matched colour with controlled gloss and texture.
Sublimated timber
Warm visual character on a stable aluminium substrate.
Less bespoke engineering.
More resolved architecture.
SOLVANE turns facade shading into a configurable product platform—clear enough to specify, efficient enough to manufacture and simple enough to install consistently.