The term Double Skin Façade (DSF) covers a wide range of building façade systems and types from narrow, fully sealed glazing assemblies, to systems with fully operable external louvres or shading devices. All of them generally have one thing in common, the outer and inner skins are usually highly glazed. The use of DSF has increased significantly over the last 10 to 15 years, primarily due to the benefits attributed to them in regard to increased energy efficiency and improved daylighting. However some have queried whether these benefits would be more effectively provided by a well designed, traditional, single skin façade system. Indeed a 1999 German study concluded that “It becomes apparent that GDFs (Double Skin Facades) - apart from special cases - are unsuitable for our local climate (German) from the building physic's point of view. Moreover, they are much too expensive. If they are nevertheless designed in order to keep up with architectural fashion, building physics support is indispensable.”
This paper will survey the various types of DSF, explaining their features and functioning followed by an examination of recently constructed Australian and North American examples. The paper will then assess and analyze recent research and examples to attempt to reach a conclusion as to whether with a double skin façade, more is really less.

From a paper written by Dr Karl Gertis, director of the Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics, "Sind neuere Fassadenentwicklungen bauphysikalisch sinnvoll? Teil 2: Glas-Doppelfassaden (GDF)" published by ©Ernst & Sohn Bauphysik 21 (1999), Heft.