Facade Cladding Systems: Is Cladding Important for Energy Efficient Structures?

Facade Cladding

The cladding of structures is one of the most suggestive and complex points in any structural design. The facade surely is an elegant element of the structure, but the part it plays in reducing the structure’s energy consumption, perfecting natural lighting, and offering a better tailwind within the structure is also noteworthy.

Several concrete jungles are cropping up almost everywhere around us, and designers now got to check out a more holistic strategy when it involves designing facade cladding systems. Over the last couple of times, facade engineering has gained a lot of significance and fashionability, further and further structure systems are now incorporating cladding systems into their design.

Choosing the right building Facade Cladding System

Getting facade construction right is extremely important as it will considerably affect the structure’s lighting, heating, and ventilation. While many factors require consideration in building a facade, one among the foremost daunting ones is–Choosing the proper material. Also, your decision on the proper facade material must be made after considering a variety of things, like:

  • Water-Resistant
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Aesthetics & Texture
  • Versatility
  • Eco-Friendly
  • Durability
  • Cost

Different Facade Systems

ACM (Aluminium Composite Material)

Aluminum composite panel (ACP) - It's usage, pros, and cons
Photo by Architectural Cladding Modern Façade Systems

ACM or aluminium composite material is a type of high-strength coating that comprises a three-layer panel with two pre-painted aluminum plates connected to a polyethylene core (PE). ACM panels are applied to interiors and exteriors, with good dimensional stability, low weight, and a chic appearance that will have endless colors and textures.

Stone Façade

Cultured Stone | The Pioneers of Manufactured Stone Veneer
Photo by Cultured Stone

The Stone cladding system is one of the most expensive building facade cladding systems. They are available in 2 different options, real stone, and pretend stone. Installation of stone facades may be a very labor-intensive process drives up the value. This cladding system gives a really expensive and natural look to the building structure and it also carries higher lasting value. These also are immune to extreme temperatures, moisture, fire, and insects and also require zero maintenance.

Metal Façade

An Architect's Guide To: Metal Cladding - Architizer Journal
Photo by Architizer

Metal facade claddings are more commonly utilized in retro and modern styles sort of buildings. Aluminum and steel facade cladding are the foremost common metals used here. Starting with the plus points, metals are safe from water damage as they are doing not mold or rot. They require very less maintenance, do not fade, are eco-friendly, and are fire & insect resistant. Now the negatives, if these aren’t sealed and finished properly it can cause discoloration and rust. Aluminum facade cladding being a soft metal is prone to dents from rocks, baseballs, and rocks. Coming to the steel facade cladding, these are heavy, hence requiring more installation time increasing the general cost.

Wood Façade

8 Dynamic Wood Façades Built with Kinetic Cladding - Architizer Journal
Photo by Architizer

Wooden cladding systems are available in shingles and planks. The wood used for this sort of cladding usually comes from cedar, pine, and oak trees. Wood is an environment-friendly option, and it also offers good insulation, durability, and weather resistance. But when it involves maintenance, wood demands more maintenance, which is an annual yearly chemical treatment to cover against termites.

Clay Façade

Masdar Facade I - Fine Art Architectural Photo by Andrew Prokos
Photo by Andrew Prokos

Clay facades are environmentally friendly and hard modern facade that enhances the worth and therefore the design aspect of the building structure. Clay facades aren’t only beautiful to seem but also have many advantages over the opposite facade materials, like durability, minimal maintenance, thermal insulation, long-lasting and immune to the weather. They also offer an everlasting appeal. Clay facades are a popular choice of architects who want to leave their environment-friendly thumbprint in the world.

Argemax Façade

"#Argemax Composite panels offer a variety  of qualitative & functional benefits to the #Architect having Flexibility  in design, range of colors, vast application & maintenance-free, low water  absorption.
Photo by Twitter

Argemax Facades are made from composite fiber panels; these are an innovative alternative to contemporary facade materials. Argemax facades are large format panels that may be easily converted into any size or shape, providing you with many design choices. These panels offer a spread of advantages: low tide absorption, zero warpage, high strength, fire resistance, dry cladding, simple installation, and zero maintenance are few to call.

Ceramics

Feats of Clay: 5 Sculptural Façades with Ceramic Cladding
Photo by Architizer

Ceramics are formed through the burning of clay. Most modern processes add several other components to the mixture, resulting in extremely sturdy products which can take on any shape. The Coverlam products from Grespania include a 0.5 mm fiberglass mesh that leaves the fabrication of pieces of up to 1000 x 3000 mm, which may be installed on the metal mounts of ventilated facades.

Natural Slate

CUPACLAD, a natural slate façade for the world's first Active House, 'Home  for life' | Cupa Pizarras
Photo by Cupa Pizarras

With shades starting from dark gray to black, natural stone facades like slate give sobriety and class to any facade. In addition, the fabric adds thermal comfort and simple installation for ventilated facades. The slate supports extreme temperatures, barely accumulates snow, has fire resistance, and is completely waterproof. In addition, because it is 100% natural, it has a reduced environmental impact, and each piece is made by hand without chemicals or additional treatments.

Anodized aluminium Façade cladding

9 Anodized aluminum ideas | architecture, facade, building
Photo by Pinterest

The process of anodizing consists of “making an oxide film on certain metals through immersion in an electrolytic bath during which the metal to anodise is attached to the positive pole of a source of electricity, turning into the anode of the electrolytic Cuba.”

Precast Concrete Panel Façade

Concrete facades | Facade systems | Archello
Photo by Archello

Precast concrete panels are known for their quick and easy installation, resilience to weather, and as an affordable, sustainable option in new builds. They take a “functional aesthetics” approach, meaning they consider performance and appearance equal. 

Green Facades

Green Facades from Jakob
Photo by Archdaily

Green facades could be an unexpected category, but this contemporary facade design idea is capable of giving life to any space or structure. Vertical trellis panel and planter combinations can be a planted alternative to plastic and concrete barricades, plexiglass, or other hard surfaces, as they can also divide spaces. “Tree” and column wraps from greenscreen can create shade, filter light, and funky the encompassing air.

These facades are great for establishing different areas and settings in a physical space. They are often used on rooftops and courtyards to screen mechanical equipment, while restaurants use them to make boundaries between outdoor seating spaces and public walkways. These are often customized to suit needing by cutting at angles, notching, and curving.

Conclusion

In addition to these options, there are still several other options of cladding materials for facades. When making the selection, it’s important to think about whether the fabric meets the functional and performance requirements for the project, its resistance, the way it’ll behave over time, as well as the desired aesthetics.

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