Due to the rapid transformation in the construction sector, developers have become more ambitious and are coming up with innovative design ideas. This has led to a quick shift in the field of façade engineering. A greater emphasis is being placed on enhancing a building’s energy performance, façade life expectancy, and sustainability. Builders and designers are pushing the envelope towards creating stylish futuristic designs that can add to the comfort level of the occupants along with achieving sustainability goals.
Futuristic façades are a creative combination of technically complex, and aesthetically refined designs. Façades of the future will involve complex geometrical patterns with distinctive characteristics that will enhance the comfort of the buildings’ occupants and drive the buildings towards their sustainability goals.
Even though there is still a market for classic façade building materials like bricks, stones, and wood, newer materials like composites made of ceramic, vinyl, and fibre cement are quickly gaining wide acceptance. Fresh technologies and materials are continuously being tested, and the market is receptive to these advancements.
Creating safe and sustainable façades
The huge glass forms and transparent designs are becoming increasingly popular. In addition to this, architects and designers are opting for unconventional approaches that use less steel yet provide significant strength to the structure. Glass is also being employed as a load-bearing component and is becoming the most prominent feature of a building. In the past couple of decades, there has been a considerable increase in the development of all glass solutions with huge dimensions. Cold or hot bent glass, curved insulated glass, and laminated glass panels are becoming the go-to solution for designers and this trend is expected to catch up all over the world in the coming days.
Adaptive façade systems can be optimised to respond to changing environmental conditions. For instance, insulating glass units with a built-in sun protection system offers protection from heat, noise, as well as sunlight. Another increasingly popular sustainable façade solution is deploying solar panels on building façades for energy harvesting in order to reduce the energy footprint of a building.
Key elements of a sustainable façade design
In addition to enhancing aesthetics, good façade cladding should protect against weather extremes, notably those found in India’s climate. This layer of protection should be useful while also allowing the building to breathe and establishing its significance and personality. This also implies that the cladding material and system must function in a variety of environmental situations, leading to the development of façade systems that are more durable, innovative, and flexible. The installation must be completed properly utilising the suggested and designated accessories, the appropriate tools, and qualified labour.
Leading manufacturers of façade materials are rapidly transforming their production processes to be environmentally friendly. They are also investing majorly in research and development to create the ideal green material. Some of the big names started designing buildings by keeping sustainability in mind as early as the 1990s. Several others are seizing the opportunity today and are working relentlessly towards a greener tomorrow and meeting the new set of market needs.
