A building envelope or cladding system which permits selective visibility from inside the building while rejecting solar heat and providing an optional insulative envelope. A vertical support mullion is on one side of a building structure. A module is attached to the mullion using a hinge, wherein the module is adapted to flip away from the mullion. A drive means includes a gear system housed within the module and a drive shaft connected through the building structure. One or more cladding elements is connected to and operable by the drive means. As a result, the cladding elements can both rotate and flip away to expose or cover an underlying glass surface. Each module is coupled to the drive means using a coupling assembly which is spring-biased to thereby rotate the cladding elements, thus modifying the effects of the sun and other ambient factors on the state of the building.