Louvres have proliferated
on modern buildings as architects have wrestled with the problem of solar gain. In the
eighteenth century the louvres were in the form of shutters that closed across the outside of a window. Today they can be fixed in place with movable vanes.
Other designs are
immovable and only have an effect when the sun is at a particular angle. In some buildings the louvres become the main decorative element as well as having a functional role. The photograph shows the louvres on part of Gloucestershire College in Gloucester. They are fixed above the windows and project outwards. throwing shade across the window as the sun moves across the face of the building. In bright sunlight the shadows enliven the relatively plain facade.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Sony DSC-RX100
