Facades and history

The anthropological significance of Facades

Façade is an architectural term that refers to the front of a building that typically faces a street or an open, public space or any face of a building given a special architectural treatment.

The origin of the word “Façade” dates back to mid 17th century with the Italian word facciata (which comes from the Latin faccia or facia, both meaning face) and the French word façade, however the concept of façade is interconnected with the history of architecture itself which could be said to date back to the Neolithic period when people stopped living in caves and started building their own houses.

One astonishing finding that transpires from the studies of the history of architecture is evidence of how from the beginning of history houses were built with the purpose of providing shelter and a comfortable space to live in, but were also built around a conscious search for an aesthetic appeal and facades, of course, played a fundamental role here.

There is evidence that from the beginning of times façades have been both, consciously and unconsciously, used as a form of expression. Building facades tell us so much about the history of humanity that looking at facades alone, we could obtain an accurate picture of societal changes and geopolitics over the course of history.

Despite of its dynamic nature, architecture is in fact a constant paradigm that reflects the needs of societies throughout the history of humanity and as such it has served as one of the key fuels for anthropological studies. It is thanks to anthropology and thanks to archaeology specially, that today we are able to understand much of how our ancestors lived, what their needs were, how they were organised and how they thought and facades are a often a focal point in studies in these disciplines.

What is the significance of Facades in modern societies?

Although all types of constructions are inherently exposed to public scrutiny and indulgence, and that makes their design and construction necessarily intended to have an aesthetic flair, traditionally, the status of architectural significance was reserved to buildings of cultural or political importance.

The importance that societies have given to the aesthetic of construction through history is easily identifiable through the emergence of professionals and governing bodies to control this area of societal development.

Proof of the first urban planning system and designed communities dates back to the Mesopotamian, Indus Valley, Minoan, and Egyptian civilizations, however it was during the 20th century that the need for regulating the development and expansion of towns and cities was identified and town planning laws began to emerge worldwide.

In the UK, laws including The Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act of 1909 and the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 were passed to ensure homes were built to specific legal standards and to control the pollution and to manage the urban sprawl, and ribbon development characteristic of the construction typology during the industrialisation during the first half of the 20th century and facades were one of the focal points.

Facades today

Nowadays, developed societies all have local government departmental institutions specially dedicated to building control. These bureaucratic units’ role is to ensure any architectural changes within conservation areas, listed buildings and World Heritage Sites and new developments meet certain local policies related to planning, land use regulation, and community development.

Such ever so slightly constraining view of the townscape can sometimes clash with the often creative urge of those in charge of the design. As a result, architects are required to conduct assessments on and prepare documentation upon accessibility, sustainability and environmental impact mainly, and in order to gain understanding upon the specification and performance of the materiality, consultants and material specialists such as Telling Rainscreens ltd are often called upon to provide technical support and insight upon material specification.

It is because we understand our audience needs, that we recognise the necessity to keep on top of new building regulations and to be able to provide technical answers to architects, façade engineers and another consultants. That is why as a company, we have a technical outlook on facades and the reason we ensure any material we supply into the marketplace has passed the technical filter and we can give the confidence that it is suitable for its purpose, durable, of the best quality and market ready.

Want to learn about why a building facade is important? Read more here: https://tellingrainscreens.co.uk/why-is-a-building-facade-important/