Facades contribute to the insulation, resistance and energy efficiency of the building.
Accordingly, sometimes the choice of facade is conditioned by the structural needs of the building. However, today’s modern technological solutions allow architects and builders a wide selection of facade solutions that can satisfy both structural, functional and aesthetic needs of the building.
Facade or facade cladding?
It is important to understand the difference between a facade and facade cladding. The facade is the external appearance of the building, the outer part of the load-bearing walls on all sides of the building that look towards the street and the surroundings of the building. On the outside of the building, we see the entrance door, different colors, windows, shutters, ornaments etc.
A visually simple example of such a case is a traditional stone or wooden house. The stone or wood from which the house was built is also part of the facade, and additional insulation and protection were most often carried out towards the interior of the building.
Facade cladding represents the final layer added to the exterior of the building. Facade cladding is not part of the load-bearing elements of the building (except in cases where their weight is over 100 kg per square meter) and it does not contribute to its static stability, but is glued or built on to the facade of the building. In this case, from the outside we see, for example, wooden facade cladding, while behind this cladding the facade and brick house are hidden.
Facade cladding, for design or functional reasons, does not have to cover the entire existing facade of the building. It can serve for additional protection of the part of the house that is subject to certain weather conditions, and it can also serve as an aesthetic addition to the facade.
There are, of course, those schools of thought that say that at the end of the implementation of the facade cladding on the object, the cladding and the original facade actually represent the entire facade because together they have now become an external element of the object that looks towards the surroundings.< /p>
Architects use facade cladding to contribute to the building’s stronger resistance by creating better insulation, to protect against weather conditions and to regulate the influence of the sun, heat, cold and moisture. Modern technological solutions improve day by day the functional and protective possibilities that facade cladding provides.
8 most common materials for facade cladding in modern architecture
A modern facade should be simple, efficient, aesthetically elegant, easy to maintain and use as many modern application solutions as possible that will contribute to greater functionality of the object.
Another such traditional element are window shutters, which in their most modern edition can come in an aluminium format and perfectly imitate their original and traditional wooden form. At the same time, the entire building regains colors and character on its facade with the help of shutters.
Below we list the most common materials for facade cladding that are used in today’s architecture and construction. There are, of course, other variants, but they are often new, even experimental, innovative solutions that have not yet found their application on a larger scale.
Ceramic facade cladding
This type of facade cladding combines aesthetics, energy and economic efficiency and sustainability. The ventilation space that exists between the cladding and the building enables better regulation of moisture. Modern technologically advanced ceramic tiles can come in various colors and sizes, and are resistant to fire, frost, earthquakes, lightning, heat and cold.
There is also the so-called “terracotta“, a facade cladding made by processing ceramics, and it is most often used during the restoration of buildings. Generally speaking, according to modern needs and characteristics, ceramic coverings represent a universally good and economically acceptable solution that meets all the necessary parameters during construction.
Concrete facade cladding
It comes in the form of concrete panels. With a robust and massive appearance, is can find its application in various design solutions of modern architecture. However, such material also contributes to creating a feeling of coldness in the aesthetic appearance of the object. This effect is tried to be mitigated by mixing colors into the concrete mixture using different materials such as limestone, quartz and granite.
Precast concrete panels are an affordable solution that can be implemented very simply and quickly, and they are resistant to atmospheric influences. Concrete facade cladding is affordable compared to other solutions, and provides irreplaceable protection against weather conditions and erosion, resistance to cold and wet conditions, rust, fire and pests such as termites.
This type of facade cladding maintains a reasonable level of temperature inside the building throughout the year, and requires a minimum level of maintenance, which consists in principle of cleaning and painting to maintain aesthetics.
Stone facade cladding
Panels made of natural stone are most often used as an addition to an existing or prefabricated facade, but natural stone has always been the main element of the building, and therefore also the facade.
Stone is generally considered one of the best external protections of a building because it brings with it high resistance (especially to fire), as well as thermal and sound insulation. Many old stone houses still stand today and are adapted very quickly with modern technological solutions in an affordable and adequate way.
Stone is a material that can be practically completely recycled and repurposed at any time, whether it is granite, marble or, for example, sandstone, and as an aesthetic addition it can contribute to the creation of a rough, smooth, engraved, shiny, matte or natural effect looking facade.
Brick facade cladding
As in the case of natural stone, this type of facade is known to everyone and has been used for a long time. And in the case of brick, we have two forms of application: the brick is a structural element of the building or the brick is used for facade cladding.
When brick is used as the foundation of the entire building, we are talking about a long-lasting, resistant and easily sustainable building. It is able to survive during earthquakes, heavy winds and fire. However, its downside is weaker insulation, so it needs to be improved in additional ways.
When brick is used for facade cladding, it is preferable that the structure of the building is made of steel, concrete or wood. The advantages of combining bricks with those materials are a much lower installation price, as well as the possibility of installation at any time of construction.
This type of facade comes in a variety of colors, textures, as well as ways of stacking and forming patterns. It fits perfectly with other building materials such as wood, cement and metal, thus providing more freedom when designing the entire facade of the building.
Glass facade cladding
Facades made entirely of glass walls are often used in modern architecture, and compared to nearby buildings, they easily stand out due to their external design and appearance. There is no need to emphasize the fact that this form of facade cladding provides maximum utilization of daylight, and at the same time creates solid sound and thermal insulation. They come in a synergistic combination with steel that supports glass panels and walls with a vertical system. This facade system can be used both in the interior and exterior of the building itself.
However, glass facade cladding causes a large increase in temperature inside the building during warmer seasons, while in colder seasons the effect is just the opposite, thereby creating additional energy costs throughout the year (both due to additional cooling and additional heating).
The air inside such a building also requires better filtration and ventilation, so we can conclude that glass facades bring with them a lot of negative factors. Depending on the type of glass facade walls, they can be, for example, automated or electrically heated.
In some solutions, the glass facade is based on the so-called “double-skin” principle, which some also call a closed cavity facade. This type of facade uses glass on the exterior and interior of the building. In other words, the basic facade of the building is glass, as well as the external additional facade of the building, and between them there is a cavity that serves to prevent the formation of condensation.
Inside the cavity there are often devices and automated systems that control the blinds or shutters and regulate the air flow. Shades are generally placed on the outer glass facade in this case, but they can also be made from the inside using the “double-skin” method.
Wooden facade cladding
When we talk about a wooden facade, it can come as the well-known basic and load-bearing part of the building or as a cladding on an existing building. Wooden houses, garden houses, sheds, rest areas and cottages are examples where the entire structure of the building is made of wood, the insulation of which can then be reinforced on the inside of the facade and structure.
However, as a facade covering, wood is used to combine traditional and modern architecture, achieve a warmer feeling of the object, aesthetic beauty and bring nature into the home.
There are different shapes, colors and ways in which wooden cladding can be installed. The type of wood (or their mixture) used in the implementation also plays a big role in achieving a high quality wooden facade. Wood has excellent insulating properties and, as a facade cladding, reduces heat transfer between the interior and exterior of the building. This results in better thermal regulation, energy efficiency and a more sustainable lifestyle.
Wood can not only be recycled, but also restored, so it represents an ecologically sustainable choice. Wooden facade cladding will protect the building against rain, wind and UV radiation, and makes life inside the home more beautiful with its good sound insulation ability.
Steel facade cladding
Steel has been used as a weather-resistant protective facade cladding for almost a hundred years. It finds its application in modern architecture due to its aesthetic advantages such as its polished shine.
As a material, steel will retain its original quality for decades, and is resistant to corrosion and rusting. Since in principle it can last forever and can be completely recycled, the choice of steel as a material for the construction of the facade is also an environmentally friendly choice.
Compared to aluminium, it is less flexible, which makes it more difficult to form into different shapes and dimensions. Accordingly, in the case of more complex designs, steel represents the load-bearing and fundamental part of the building, while the facade cladding is made of aluminium.
Aluminum facade cladding
Due to the characteristic properties of aluminium, this type of facade cladding is an increasingly used material perfect for creating unique and aesthetically stunning objects.
As the cladding on the facade still adds its weight to the object, and thus affects its stability, aluminium is an excellent choice for minimizing this problem due to being lightweight and easy to form into any required shape and dimension.
Due to the material characteristics of aluminium, aluminium facade cladding represents a long-lasting solution that is easy to maintain, is resistant to corrosion and provides an additional level of insulation against heat, wind and sound, and thus better energy efficiency. At the same time, it provides protection of the building against fire and earthquakes, and keeps up with the growing need for sustainability because it can be completely recycled and reused.
For the same reason, aluminium shutters on facades are an excellent choice.
Shutters as a functional and decorative addition to the facade
Regardless of whether the building design uses a modern or traditional architectural approach, a modern or traditional approach to facade design, a structural or cladding facade, aluminium shutters will contribute to the functionality and aesthetics of any form of facade.
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