Inspirational Design

By Chris Witte at Benchmark.

Complete envelope solutions are widely recognised as providing a fast, reliable and cost effective construction method, which delivers excellent performance and ensures buildings meet ever more stringent Building Regulations.

For some applications this is enough, but for projects that look to make a visual statement or even push the boundaries of aesthetic design, these systems often fall short.

Increasingly, architects and building designers are looking for materials which can help them create truly inspirational landmark buildings, but they are cognisant of the increasingly higher levels of performance that buildings need to achieve.

This has sparked the development of a new generation of complete envelope solutions, which throw the possibilities of building design wide open, while delivering exceptional technical performance - a real turning point in building design.

These 'next generation' solutions are thermally efficient, offer structural benefits and are cost effective. The big difference is that they can be finished in a wide choice of textures and colours, and there are no limits to what can be created in terms of shapes, styles and combinations. From modern metallic to traditional brick and warm wood finishes, these systems combine style and performance to offer the complete facade solution without compromise.

Here are just a few of the options now available as part of precision manufactured, high performance complete envelope solutions:

Coloured and Reflective

Coloured and reflective facades give architects and designers more freedom with glass than ever before. They are constructed using interlays which are made with head and light stable pigments instead of dyes in order to resist fading. This style of finish creates a glass facade that is strong, stable and reduces solar energy transmittance and heat build up.

Wall Glaze

Wall glaze finishes use solar photovoltaics (PV) to generate clean energy for buildings, even if the sky is overcast. Once installed every kW produced by PV has zero carbon emissions, helping to reduce environmental impact as well as energy costs. Systems should consist of a PV module, suitable for most wall applications on new build or refurbishment projects.

Ceramic Tile

A ceramic tile finish is the ideal choice for creating a contemporary, stylish facade. Tiles are usually available in a large range of surfaces and sizes to support endless design possibilities. Some suppliers offer exciting new coatings that not only keep the tile clean, but also absorb harmful oxides from the atmosphere. Ceramic tile systems provide a cost effective solution and combined in an insulated carrier panel system deliver high performance insulation. Facades are usually fast to install, easy to integrate and fully guaranteed.

Wood Composite

Wood composite facades are high pressure laminate cladding manufactured with a real wood veneer which exhibits all the natural variation, warmth and beauty of real wood. Panels are more often than not coated with a proprietary coating, based in synthetic resins and PVDF, which protect the panel from the effects of sunlight, chemical attack (anti-graffiti) and damage caused by atmospheric agents. Look for solutions that have at least a 10 year durability guarantee

Brick

Brick tiles are unique brick-cladding systems that combine the natural beauty of genuine brick with cost effective and fast installation. Leading systems feature brick tiles that are fixed mechanically to a galvanised steel backing section. This creates a versatile high-strength facade that can be fully industry tested and approved. A huge colour range of both matt and gloss glazed finishes are also available.

But of course these are just a few of the many options now at the disposal of architects and designers looking to create exciting and memorable buildings.

Aside from the aesthetics for a moment, it is worth noting that not all complete envelope solutions are the same when it comes to technical performance. This can be significantly affected by its design and the materials used when the different elements are combined

Therefore to fully reap the benefits of complete facade solutions, you need to specify systems that are backed by full warrantees and thorough testing procedures. By utilising a complete system from a single supplier, which has been fully tested as a single unit, architects can confidently ensure that they are avoiding the risk of theoretical performance diminishing in practice.

So with the right system, it is possible to combine excellent technical performance with design flexibility to create truly revolutionary buildings which will stand the test of time. I think the words of Douglas Martin really capture the current mindset of the industry and sum things up nicely:

"Questions about whether design is necessary or affordable are quite beside the point: design is inevitable. The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all."