Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore

Windtech Consultants have developed an in-house reflectivity analysis technique to analyse solar light reflectance associated with the glass biosphere structure of Jewel Changi Airport. The technique was developed after a request to provide guidance on the impact of glare from the building façade and solar panels which are to be attached to Jewel. Due to the complexity of Jewel’sform, including adjacent surfaces which are non-planer, a standard solar light reflectivity study could not be relied upon.

Since its conception in 1991, Windtech has worked on over 1,000 solar reflectivity studies including a study on the Burj Khalifa which provided advice on the impact of solar glare on aircraft. However, solar glare is not an issue limited to aircraft as it can also irritate occupants of neighbouring buildings, motorists and pedestrians as was the case with Jewel. The study undertaken found that certain panels of the façade might have led to adverse solar glare. Proprietary ray tracing software developed by Windtech Consultants was used to develop recommendations to mitigate this adverse effect and enable compliance with the planning control requirements.

Windtech are honored to work on Jewel, which has been the winner of multiple best airport awards over the years and served over 54 million passengers in 2014. The centerpiece of Jewel is Forest Valley which is a 5-storey garden with thousands of trees, ferns and shrubs which maintain Singapore’s reputation as the ‘garden city’.