Abstract

Forms of advanced technology have influenced contemporary architecture; some
of which are related to environmental-climatic control systems, such as
Photovoltaic systems which fall under a set of concepts concerned with the
integration of building with the environment.
These concepts have emerged as a result of a basic idea, namely, the utilization
of technology by applying it to architectural design ideas in order to reduce energy
consumption used in operating a building such that it can reach a minimum. In
addition, photovoltaic systems can integrate with a building as finishing materials which become part of the external crust design, considered as elements having the
capability of responding and being evoked by external environmental causes.
Accordingly, the research problem is exemplified by the unavailability of
comprehensive knowledge concerning the nature of treatments or procedures that a
designer can adopt while employing the Photovoltaic systems as external finishing
materials in the crust of the building.
This research aims at getting acquainted with the methods of architectural
integration with Photovoltaic systems and the means of utilizing them in promoting
the formal acceptance of the final architectural product. This research also puts
forward the assumption that the Photovoltaic systems carry the potentials which
qualify them to have an effect on the shape of the building when they are employed
as finishing external materials.
The end of this research arrived at the conclusion that it is necessary to try to
balance two things: achieving the formal aspect of buildings and saving the energy
produced by those systems, in addition to the necessity of achieving a positive
conformity between passive and active systems in designing a building.