In these times, in which the newspapers carry a new story on the prevalence of cancer almost daily, we are fully aware of the need to wear sunscreen, particularly in summer between the hours of 11am and 3pm. We are less aware, meanwhile of the need to screen the buildings we live in from the sun – though there is a whole variety of brise soleil specially adapted to this purpose. And, while buildings are obviously not at risk from cancer, they should be causes of concern: careful upkeep of our buildings exteriors can help keep the insides running well. Energy efficiency, for example, can be greatly improved by controlling external factors such as heat and light. A building that uses glass louvres will normally require less internal heating and use of fossil fuel. And buildings with external louvres can act simultaneously as blinds and as air vents for the intake and discharge of cool or hot air. The latter, in hot climes or seasonal temperature highs, will perform much the same function as an air conditioning system – only at a much lower long term cost.

External louvres come in many different guises and can even be custom-designed and fitted to suit individual buildings. This is because their fabricators are sympathetic towards the hugely divergent styles of architecture in existence these days, but are also knowledgeable of their common requirements when it comes to heat regulation. To give an idea of what external louvres look like, it might help to imagine a heavy slatted blind or a set of narrowly overlapping sails. Given their erection outside, these sun-shading devices are always weather resistant with little maintenance required after their installation. This might be welcome news if the façade of your building now looks shabby or is in constant need of repainting due to weather-related cracks and peels; external louvres will protect whatever lies underneath them, behaving much like defensive shields.

glass louvres are more modern in appearance: think of the Louvre of the Parisian art gallery and you’ll have a good idea of their look. Clearly, some more traditionally minded home and building owners will not desire these sorts of extensions in their midst. But, given enough space such as a courtyard or green space, these louvres can truly come into their own. Brise soleil perhaps tread a middle ground: more conspicuous than external louvres they are useful in the creation of walkways between buildings, jutting out like awnings from the wall.

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When a climate is uncertain, oppressively hot or cold, or when a building is located in a polluted area such as a large city, external louvres are often used to provide ventilation and a regular circulation of fresh air. These are built from several slats placed at precise angles to ensure the best possible circulation for fresh, temperature-controlled air. Large structures, such as brise soleil, its name taken from the French (‘sunbreaker’) can also shade those around the building from either stifling sun or light precipitation. Smaller louvres control sand or dust from entering the building, as well as ambient echo. They are an extremely efficient method of reducing emissions from heating and from air conditioning, and for this reason have gained distinction as an essential feature of a ‘green building’. Air conditioning in particular is one of the most notable culprits in carbon dioxide production.

Some louvres have even more advanced and specific environmentally friendly uses. For instance, glass louvres actively and retain heat, leaving buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Some are even built in conjunction with solar panels: the slats are wonderfully placed to support frail photovoltaic cells, and the glass maximizes the amount of sunlight they attract. Many famous buildings, such as Paris’ Institute du Monde Arabe, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Chandigargh city at the foot of the Himalayas, designed by the father of brise soleil, architect Le Courbusier (‘the blackbird’), use louvres to create modern and efficient buildings.

However, architects are artists, and when placing external louvres on a building, they’re not thinking only of the functionality of efficient temperature and pollution control systems. It’s the indisputable beauty of external louvres that has made them a backbone of all kinds of architecture projects, from airports or entire cities like Chandigargh, to private homes and small offices. Louvres are found everywhere in unobtrusive forms made out of steel or aluminium, and many are designed specifically not to be noticed. But on the other extreme, an attractive structure made of wooden or glass louvres combines functionality with a design .

When sitting out in the garden, approaching the pool, or simply approaching a building, a louvre structure is fantastic way of providing a cool, quiet and relaxing space while also enjoying the serenity for inhabitants, workers and guests that comes from gorgeous architecture. It’s increasingly rare to find a shaded outdoor space attached to a well-designed building that doesn’t involve an attractive brise soleil structure €“ and with louvre installation becoming cheaper and more accessible to the average homeowner, the trend is only set to become more ubiquitous.

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