A building’s exterior plays an integral part in the first impression it gives to the surrounding area, but a building’s facade can offer many benefits beyond aesthetic appeal. High-winds and the impact of airborne debris are two of the biggest threats to the skin of a building. Building facades made from perforated or expanded metal can reduce the need for artificial mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, these materials can reduce the amount of airborne particles.
Durability
The building industry devotes a very small percentage of its annual revenues to research in this area, and the amount of funding is far lower than in any other segment of the building industry. However, increasing awareness of the benefits of durable materials and façades could lead to a change in this situation. The U.S. Green Building Council will soon form a committee that will focus on this issue. It will determine how best to promote the durability of facades for buildings.
Buildings require robust facades for two primary reasons: structural and protective. Robust materials are usually the most expensive and difficult to obtain. Historically, stone was expensive and difficult to procure. But in regions with abundant clay deposits, brick was developed as a cheap and long-lasting alternative. It is a very good material for both new and retrofit design. It has the advantages of being waterproof and allowing for air flow.
Sustainability
Building facades play a critical role in the first impression that a building makes on visitors. But these facades also offer more than visual appeal. High wind speeds and airborne debris are the most common causes of damage to a building’s skin. Integrated green facades reduce energy consumption and airborne particles. They can also reduce the need for artificial mechanical ventilation. Here are the benefits of incorporating green facades in building designs, Browse around this site.
Sustainable facades are the cornerstone of sustainable construction. With advanced thermal break technologies, Kawneer aluminum curtain wall systems and window systems can achieve maximum building performance and energy efficiency. As building certification programs become more complex, building materials suppliers are actively involved in improving the energy efficiency of buildings. A great example is Krion(r) Lux. Besides offering aesthetic appeal, this product is incredibly durable and can even be recycled in a closed-loop fashion.
Cost-effectiveness
Facades are becoming more important, with increasing attention being paid to their environmental and life-cycle costs. With escalating electricity costs and growing awareness of greenhouse gas emissions, construction design teams are now focusing on environmentally sustainable designs that do not increase the cost of building ownership. To find the most cost-effective facade solution, designers must consider all the variables that influence a building’s performance.
The thermal performance of an external façade system is measured by adding all of its R-Values and taking the reciprocal of this total value. The highest R-values in exterior wall assemblies are found in metal stud wall assemblies. The lower R-value of the exterior metal stud wall assembly reduces to R-7, whereas the target U-value for an exterior metal stud wall assembly is R-30. In these cases, five or six inches of exterior insulation may be necessary. Early thermal bridging information may improve the quality of the technical documentation, minimize the risks of a redesign, and help the cost estimation process.
Energy efficiency
The importance of assessing the thermal performance of facades in buildings cannot be overemphasized. The façade can account for up to 50% of the total energy consumption of a building. In tropics, the building envelope contributes as much as 30% of the heat load. In cold climates, heating and cooling systems can account for more than half of the energy bill. Improving facade thermal performance is therefore crucial, since it can significantly reduce the size and power consumption of HVAC systems.
The study conducted in this project was a computer simulation that evaluated the effects of different façades on energy efficiency. The simulations used in this study were done with simple performance values in DesignBuilder. The simulations incorporated the solar heat gain coefficient, heat transmission, and visible light transmittance. Figure 2 shows the architectural characteristics of a case study building. The results of this study were compared to those of a static model.