The raw materials of the expanded metal mesh are provided by JUNEN and planned and designed by the architect Gensler Office. The legendary architect M. Arthur Gensler has led countless world-class classic construction projects. He was also responsible for the design of Apple's first store. He is good at using glass curtains combined with various metal materials. The design is highly flexible and suitable for modern high-tech companies.



Sustainable “smart facade"
YOFC and Gensler have made a big push for sustainability design interventions for the YOFC Headquarters as part of the initiatives to reach carbon-neutral targets. Gensler has innovated a "smart façade" for the building that responds to the surrounding environment and light conditions. Inspired by the Chinese tradition of lattice windows, Gensler's modern interpretation adopts high-tech solutions to control the sunlight and heat coming through the façade with sensors and motors that control the louvers. The two-layer "smart façade" has a new design whereas the outer façade is made of two elements: the expanded metal facade and the front layer of glass, which all combined have created a system that enables the building to optimize self-heating and self-cooling. It adapts to extreme weather – high temperature, sun exposure, and heavy rains while conserving energy and creating a more pleasant indoor environment for employees. The façade louvers are equipped with motors and can rotate by 90 degrees, following the sun's position. Each rotatable louver is made of expanded metal mesh – providing transparency even when fully closed. Maintenance bridges are set up to support cleaning and repairs.


Location: Wuhan,China

Architects:M. Arthur Gensler

Area: 6,9645 m²

Year: 2023

Application: Buliding facade

Photographs:Source RAWVISION studio