In case of impacts of a foreseeable nature, the façade should not be damaged and should remain safe for users and passers-by. Besides strength, which is considered in the structural design mentioned earlier, the building envelope should be resistant to impacts, be they from building users, the general public, vehicles in and around the building, or the building maintenance equipment. In addition, the façade should be designed to be safe while in service.
It should be noted that regardless of how careful one is with the material selection process, no material or system can last for their intended lifespan without proper and regular maintenance. Under the effects of these elements, cladding materials may fade, crack, chip, craze, chalk, debond, warp, become scratched, etc. The façade of a building is susceptible to multiple sources of aggression, including the sun, rain, temperature variations, and other weather conditions. The building envelope should be designed using materials and systems that are durable.
Several considerations will influence the size of the building envelope framing members, including the type of system, material strength, testing, design code, modulations, loading and floor-to-floor height, amongst others.Īesthetics alone is not sufficient if the latter does not last for an adequate period of time.
#EXCELLENT WOOD FACADE SIGNAGE FULL#
The latter needs to be able to withstand wind load, live load, self-weight, seismic loads, snow load, as well as the building movements under various loading conditions, and all of the above should be accommodated for the full lifespan of the building envelope. All of these parameters, in conjunction with each other, define the appearance of the building.īesides the aesthetics, the design team needs to consider the structural aspects of the façade design. Other than the overall shape of the envelope, which ties with the internal space planning and layouts, the architect should be able to work on qualities such as modulations, texture, colour, reflectivity, gloss level, as well as the possibility to incorporate holes or patterns on the surface for aesthetics, daylighting or natural ventilation. It needs to exhibit flair and refinement. Consequently, the aesthetics of the building envelope is a fundamental aspect to consider. It defines its identity, and is often what the public would use to describe or to refer to a specific development. As designers, it is absolutely essential that we understand the pros and cons of each alternative, in addition to any possible limitations in terms of their size, availability, formability, cost, etc.Įtymologically, the façade is quite literally the face of the building. It thus seems appropriate to carry out a systematic review of the various other façade materials that reside in a designer’s palette, in order to assess the viability of these available choices. When considering a material or system to use in the design of a building envelope, one needs to bear in mind a number of performance requirements. The latter need to fulfil a variety of functions, including keeping the weather out, ensuring the safety of the public in and out of the buildings, helping achieve a comfortable living and working indoor environment and much more. Yet, there exists a plethora of other materials or systems that can be considered when designing building envelopes, and which offer an incredible array of aesthetics.
Building designers and the public alike have become used, or we should say addicted, to these types of façades. In the span of two or three short decades, glazed curtain walls and metal panel cladding have become ubiquitous, gracing the skylines of cities as distant and widespread as Chicago, Sydney, London, Singapore, Santiago and Johannesburg.
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