Why is a building facade important?

Why is a building facade important?

A building facade is part of a building structure. The Facade is the external envelope that wraps the building and it can be viewed as one of the most important pieces of a building structure. It can add character to a building, making it unique. A building facade can come in a variety of different sizes and shapes giving it personality and helping it to stand out from other buildings. A building facade also provides a weather tight building whilst being energy efficient. 

Some people associate building facades with older buildings or prestige buildings, when nowadays most designers and architects refer to the external envelope as the facade which adds to the character of the building and gives it more life. It can add aesthetic features to your building and provide comfort to anyone inside. There are many other important factors as to why a building facade is important. Let’s discuss the following reasons below:

Does a building facade add Personality & Character to a building?

 A building facade gives a building the opportunity to showcase its design and character. Many buildings nowadays meet perfect building regulation requirements, however are lacking in design and identity. They have a basic design and are not energy efficient. A building facade can play a massive role in ensuring a building is unique and special. It gives your building the opportunity to stand out and become identifiable because of its design rather than just being another bland building that no one takes notice of. Argeton offer solutions of terracotta profiles with natural or bespoke glazed finishes to the clients architectural needs, as well as offering digital printing to create even more bespoke design concepts.  

Does a building facade save energy?

A building facade plays a very important role in energy efficiency. The facade can help to minimise heat loss as well as protect from extreme heat during the summer. It is effective at regulating heat and light exchange, providing a more comfortable environment for anyone working inside, therefore increasing productivity or living inside, making the environment more comfortable. A building facade provides a barrier between the internal and external environment. Having a building that is more energy efficient will save you money on your energy bills in the long run. Argeton as a system has a fully developed Environmental Product Declaration which outlines the benefit of the full system in relation to its carbon footprint, recycled nature and use of the materials at the end of its life expectancy which is well beyond 60yrs.

Does a building facade protect against weather?

A building facade does protect your building from natural elements such as wind, rain and extreme temperatures. Specialist cladding and facades are seen as desirable because of their resistance to temperature, corrosion and weathering. This is what makes a building facade an important factor as it gives it sustainability whilst maintaining character. It keeps anyone inside comfortable and also protects from humidity. Argeton is a rainscreen system which prevents the vast majority of wind and rain penetrating the facade and any moisture or rain that does penetrate is quickly dried out by the ventilation in the cavity behind the tiles. All the elements of support are either stainless steel or Aluminium and therefore non-combustible and corrosion resistant in most environments.

Does a building facade provide natural ventilation?

A building facade can provide natural ventilation through its design aspects. When choosing your design have a look at through wall build-ups and the holistic mechanical ventilation approach to the building, whether this be through air-conditioning or a natural ventilation approach to the design. The natural or mechanical ventilation keeps the air circulated and anyone inside the building is not in discomfort during harsh weather conditions. Argeton as a rainscreen system allows the cavity behind the tiles to cool a building down in the summer and hold in the warmth behind the cladding panels in the winter. Benefiting the occupier in reducing the amount of energy consumption required to heat or cool the building.

Does a building facade provide acoustic insulation?

A building facade will also provide you with acoustic insulation. This could be very important for anyone in busy areas or city centers. Noise pollution can be a big distracter when working or living in a busy city center. This makes a building facade more important. Acoustic comfort is also not compromised through any air circulation or design of the exterior. The acoustic performance of the facade is controlled by using dense materials within the facade construction build-up which is difficult to achieve when optimizing the use of lightweight facade systems, so care must be taken, selecting materials which will help to absorb the impact noises such as rain and wind as well as traffic noise to the surrounding areas. Argeton terracotta tiles are very dense sections of clay which absorb impact noises very well in comparison to metal cladding facade panels and help with the overall acoustic performance of the facade. 

Does a building facade offer comfort and improve productivity?

Having a building for staff to work in or that is comfortable to live in means that the facade has been successfully designed using the correct materials and only makes life easier. Regulated light and heat will increase the overall building’s comfort levels, leading to more productivity in the workplace, less distractions and more comfortable living in the home environment. Argeton can be designed to create profiled shapes across a facade which provides a form of solar shading to windows and curtain walling to control the light transfer into a building which in turn controls temperature conditions within the building. Argeton can also use barro baguettes across the face of windows and curtain walling to help further with solar shading to the internal side of the building.  

Does a facade provide extra security?

A building facade can provide that next level of security when planned in design. You can plan the building’s openings and facade elements to give your building that next level of safety if required. Protection can be enhanced throughout your building facade system. You can choose several technologies to be involved in the facade to help protect and understand potential threats. These threats can start at impact security for safety and serviceability through technical notes 75 & 76 of the CWCT guidelines through to bomb blast integrity of facades for elements of building design that are in inner city areas, central London, railway stations and buildings that require a better performance in the event of terrorism. Argeton is tested to technical note 75 & 76 for all kinds of tile combinations and is qualified in our BBA Certificate.  

Does a building facade add life to the structure?

A building facade when designed correctly uses materials that have an advanced manufacturing process utilising sophisticated technology to create the highest performing BREEM rated and Carbon Neutral buildings. The facade when designed well helps to prevent dirt, dust and bird droppings forming to the external face of the buildings. In addition the facade will also assist your building in coming to life and showcasing its exquisite design. Argeton helps develop ideas and your creativity to do this with the help of their technical support staff and designers at Telling Rainscreens.

What are some types of materials used for a building facade system?

Different materials can vary from metal cladding, brick work, insulated render, fibre cement and high pressure laminate boards to Argeton terracotta facade. To get your facade installation perfect for you, contact us today to see how we can help and what we have to offer to suit your needs.

How do I choose the right building facade?

It is important to put a lot of thought into your facade construction as aspects such as lighting, heating and ventilation may be important to you and your building and need to be right. Having a thorough plan is crucial to having a building that meets your needs. Some of the following factors you need to consider when choosing the correct materials are: 

• Cost
• Energy efficiency
• Water resistance
• Heat resistance
• Aesthetics
• Durability

A carefully designed building facade can have many advantages to the owners as well as the environment and any staff. The building can have character and life whilst reducing your energy bills and providing durability. Its performance can depend on what material you choose, therefore it is important to choose your materials wisely as to what will benefit you the most and what aspects are valuable to your building.

When it comes to the importance of building facades – the difference is Telling.