When designing a building on the edge of a desert, extreme climatic conditions are a particular challenge.
For California's El Centro Criminal Courthouse on the edge of the Sonoran Desert, Safdie Rabines Architects made sure that any windows were shielded from direct sunlight or oriented to the north to maximize natural light while minimizing solar heat gain.
The OKATECH Expanded Metal also plays a major part here. The shimmering copper glass façade not only adds visual interest, but functions as direction-selective daylight systems and ensures effective sun and glare-protection.