Tyree Energy Technologies: ceramic as the solar skin of a building for the energy of the future
Tile Wars · trends · · Tile Wars
At UNSW in Sydney, the Tyree Energy Technologies Building turns extruded ceramic baguettes into a high-performance solar control system, earning a 6 Star Green Star rating.
At the entrance to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) campus in Sydney, Australia, the Tyree Energy Technologies Building is far more than a research centre. Designed by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) and completed in 2012, it was conceived as a place where research, education and industry could work together on new sustainable energy technologies.
With roughly 15,000 m² of laboratories, teaching areas, research space and collaboration zones, the project earned a 6 Star Green Star certification, one of the most demanding levels of the Australian environmental rating system for buildings.
A facade where ceramic does a job
One of the building's defining features is its facade, where ceramic stops being a simple cladding material and becomes a genuine architectural device for climate control.
The envelope combines large glazed surfaces with extruded ceramic pieces acting as louvres and sunshades. These pieces were designed specifically for the project and developed over more than a year before production began.
The strategy is simple but highly effective: vertical and horizontal ceramic louvres filter solar radiation, cutting heat gain during the warmer months while allowing more sunlight in during winter. Their non-reflective finish also helps control glare.
Ceramic therefore works simultaneously as solar protection, facade element and compositional resource.
Special pieces developed for the project
The project demanded serious ceramic product research. According to documentation from Ceramic Architectures and Tempio, special extruded fired-clay pieces with a natural finish were developed for the building.
The facade combines flat pieces with deeper ceramic elements, creating a surface that looks straightforward but is volumetrically rich. The result is particularly interesting because the building keeps a monochrome palette yet achieves depth and movement through the geometry of the pieces and the shifting incidence of light.
The manufacturer's documentation also notes different piece solutions: oval baguettes of around 300 mm for certain glazed areas and straight baguettes for the teaching zones.
Ceramic and sustainability
The use of ceramic at the Tyree Energy Technologies Building is entirely consistent with the building's purpose. This is not a decorative material added to a technological architecture, but a material used to improve the performance of the envelope.
The high-performance facade combines ceramic pieces with high-specification glazing and a support system designed to optimise the structure. A post-tensioned system reduced the amount of structural concrete, while roughly 80% of the waste generated during construction of the concrete structure was reused or recycled.
The building also incorporates other environmental strategies, including photovoltaic panels, efficient ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and rainwater harvesting.
A facade connecting technology and nature
FJMT's architecture seeks to integrate the building with the existing campus landscape. The project is organised around large atria, bridges, stairs and circulation spaces that encourage interaction between researchers, students and visitors, while the building's forms weave through the existing vegetation.
In that context ceramic plays a fundamental role: its repetition generates a texture that contrasts with glass, steel and the building's large structural elements, while the shadows cast by the louvres keep the facade changing throughout the day.
When tile becomes architecture
The Tyree Energy Technologies Building is a strong example of how the ceramic industry can go well beyond traditional cladding.
Here the ceramic piece was designed specifically to respond to climate conditions, control solar radiation, reduce glare and give the building architectural identity. The result shows that ceramic can work as an active second skin, combining technical performance with architectural expression.
In a building dedicated precisely to researching the energy technologies of the future, it is particularly telling that one of its most recognisable elements is a material as ancient as ceramic.
Project data
Project: Tyree Energy Technologies Building Location: Sydney, Australia Year: 2012 Architecture: Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) Client: University of New South Wales Ceramic: extruded fired clay / terracotta pieces, natural finish Application: facade and solar shading Building area: approximately 15,000-16,850 m²