. So, we are going to discuss about Facades
and Fundamental of Facade. So, I am Selvam. I am part of a glass academy board. So,
this subject is purely to understand the basics of facade and just to highlight you how the
facade element plays a important role in our building first what is façade? A facade is
generally an exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. And word
French it is called frontage or face of a building like our "face".
So, building got different forms of faces. First in architecture a facade of a building
is often most important aspect from a design standpoint. As it sets the tone for rest of
the building, as it says yes a building is of a good facade will have lot of
yield in form of savings, in form of energy and lot of complier and other things.
From engineering perspective of course, facade plays a a bigger role. It shelters the building
against lot of energy impact which you know, it is a nature many facade are historical
and local zoning regulations. And, it is governed by most of the time local bodies, when
I say local body the government and the terrain and to lot of those parameters who govern
the facade. In mid-century is on a twentieth century a
structural concept been there just going to a shear wall a external walls of the building.
No longer had support high dead loads and it could be designed much lighter open then
before. In olden days of course, you can see the whole facade wall like a palaces like
fort there they use the wall as an structural element. But, nowadays we are finding ways
to minimize that amount of load and hence making it much lighter. So, that invention
has given rise to finding use of glass as a material and so and so forth. There are
lot of materials involved in forming this new breed facade systems.
Curtain wall term is used to describe a building facade which does not carry any dead load
from the building other than it is own weight. So, it did just non load bearing wall which
is attached as a skin, but it should take care of lot of other factors which governs
the building function. Now, let us start looking at transformation
of façade, how we transformed? Let us go back to what we believe we are and so, this
is the transformation taken place with us. So, I always like to compare ourselves to
a building, because I believe the building is in is in a live form it lives, like us
it it breaths, it contracts, it expands and moves. So, when you believe it almost same
like us. So, when we look at old ages yes there is
a first known manmade stone house maybe something else would have been there. Then, yes the
marvels what people believe they built? A nice facade you can see here pyramid and the
other things of course, it shelter lot of a good things inside the tomb, but that
is a good stone façade. Same here if you see during those days they used leather as
an facade for sheltering them self, against adverse climate. Eskimos of course, you know
they used ice itself as a igloo and then they started living there.
Then, came slowly where this is where you know they started building a structure, where
the facade became more of a load bearing system. Then, yes they added light vent everything
to the facade to bring in more of natural element into the building, that then got transformed
to much more colonial type of structures, where this facade have taken lot of transformation.
And, today that is what we are you can see a buildings slender tall light, but taking
care of all the other factors which affect the building function . So, today this is
what we have. Now, look at various habitats like us what
they do? Where they live? And, what is a façade? Look at ant nest. It it carries lot of
function and of course, they live inside, but it protects them against the weather look
at birds nest. It is cuckoo bird nest is one amazing thing which keeps the bird away
from all natural disasters you know like rain water wind everything they hang there and
it is been built by them, but still we can not find a way, how they make those things
you know to stand against all these weather conditions bee hive spider web.
Then of course, from there the human being started learning, how we can build a shelter
for our self. Then came a form of hut, they use straws, grass, wood, whatever they can
find to form the hut. And, then yes they went to find a way to build a stronger structures
is using stone and other material . So, the life have transformed as well as the
facade element or the skin of the building or skin of a dwelling have transformed in
various ways. Now nature has given so, much to habitat where our living habitats have
started to build their own shelters to comfort them from ok, this is a nice picture we can
see a cat inside a boot. Of course, she feels comfortable inside she feel warm maybe ; however,
they take I have to take care of a environmental impacts.
What are environmental impacts? Not limited to though wind, then we have rain, then you
have seismic things happening, then lot of factors environmental impacts are something
which you can not really predict what will happen you know, when when a wind blows we
will not be able to really justify our self ok. This is how the wind pattern is going
to be or wind is going to be stronger or lighter .
Then climate conditions of course, a facade have to take care of all the climate conditions,
but it has to be well design in a way that it is taking care of the local terrain. We
can as say example do a facade considering a different climate conditions and then say
ok I have done this because it was done elsewhere. So, we had to be very careful when an approaching
this facade. So, climate condition play a very big role
in while you design the facades comfort and privacy what are those of course, if I put
a glass I do not want not in my bedroom wall where I want to see the outside what are people
to pick in. So, we need to see the privacy factors as well how to design it, what sort
of glass I can use or I can put something else to blank it off comfort.
Of course, we do not want to stay in a building or in a house or in a office, where you know
you start to hear. So, many things happening around you like noises around the building
or traffic or anything of that kind. So, you need to have a design which takes care of
comfort as well as privacy for the dwellers. And, now most importantly safety and structural
stability, whatever we design it has to be designed for the building life cycle say 30
years or 50 years. So, the material what you choose and the system
what you build have to be focused first start with safety, structural stability, at the
same time look at the life expectancy of the other thing. So, your choice of facade this
small things you can group together to bring up a system.
Next, understanding about facade, as I said in the beginning I always look at building
like equal to to us our self. Now, let us look at a human skeleton. Say a skeleton does
not have a life no form it is a skeleton. So, human skeleton without a skin imagine.
The same way you imagine a building without a skin. So, they do not function we you cannot
stay in it you it does not work right. So, without skin both of these elements does not
exist, I they do not help you. So, you need a skin not only a skin, but still lot of things
which goes inside. So, if I compare our human. So, what are the parts which goes inside?
So, if I go little bit more to understand a human skeleton. Now, if you see it got nerves,
flesh and bone everything the life organs they are, I look at them like the main systems
of the building, bone and other things considered to be a structure along with that all the
nerving system which you call your electrical, your plumbing, your fire all other things
which parts which forms part of the building I consider as the main nerve system.
So, now apply a skin. So, without the skin again the body does not function. So, a skin
protects all the important system of our body, whether it is your heart lung your nerve system
and everything. So, now, I hope you all can understand how important a facade is? So,
the sad thought also is people do not give attention to detail.
They always feel like ok you have done a structure, facade I do not I do not bother put something
else as now is building get get closed, but if you have understand the importance of having
seeing our self how we function? How our body is made, then you will understand the importance
of facade in a building. Importance and transformation of facade in a building was well briefed in
a simple form that is what I did. So, to make ourselves to understand easy at
the same time how important is facade, I have taken ourselves compared. Facade as important
as human body it is designed withstand all variance created by nature and environment
in a building or living space. Of course, a facade is not just a simple element which
stays dead there. It has to react to the weather condition; it has to communicate to the
outside world it has to you know live within the environment.
So, that is how facade plays a important role. We have learnt so, much from the nature and
start a explore various possibilities of defining a proper shelter for us to live in. Of course,
the trends are changing today, we are going back to find what are the best possible ways.
We can improve our livelihood look at our self today we cage our self-inside buildings
with air condition with light with so and so forth.
Back go back in old ages what they they did not had electricity they did not had anything
else, but they lived happily, they lived healthy. So, what they did they went to design things
which bring them more environmental I like light, like wind, like bit, if heat. So, they
made the comfort they use that comfort, but today we are trying to create a comfort by
means of inventions. So, the balancing of environment against the invention is very
critical and is very important when you start designing a façade.
Now, let us see some of the materials, which is been used in facade systems. As, I said
the skin can be of any form. But, during evaluation if you start to see they use husk that was
the prime thing they have done in an olden days they go to forest they pick up the leaves,
trunk, they have started building up. And, then they started using leather ok. Then
the animal gets killed for their food or anything, they use their skin as a shelter it is a good
shelter of course, it gives a little bit of warmth and then they started using stone.
When human being started to understand how to put stone together, then they started building
facade wall with stone that become a bearing structure. Then came slowly you know steel,
then we have timber, now when you now we have started using aluminium brass.
Ceramic like the ceramic ceramic tiles, they have copper, paper; paper also now been used
as a facade component. Glass of course, is one of the prime substitute, because it plays
a major role in communication. When, I say communication people can communicate
to the outside world through glass because glass you know it is transparent. And, you
start to see the outside world. So, the the invention also helped in a way to keep
the dwellers or the people. With the comfort of communicating to the outside world, yes
stainless steel gold example zinc. So, that is what limitation that is what I am trying
to explain with material material is a choice, if you know how to engineer it if you know
how to form it to put it into the a facade system. That is how they proven they have
gone beyond a types of material got changed and the invention is still going on. So, your
choice of material plays a major role as well in in while you are designing a facade or
understanding a façade. So, these are the things which you know governs
the material as well. Now, today if I am going to choose a material, what it has to be it
has to be stronger, strength on it has to have a strength which can with stand the environmental
impact. Second, it has to be malleable you know you you used to be able to work around
that material. It should not be hard enough where you know
you start to work, then it breaks or it get distorted or whatever, it should be easily
made up of easy to machine it, using a machine, stronger and less weight. If get the more
weight you create and then you spend more money and more into your building or structure
whatever you are building up; so, it has to be less in weight, but stronger good conductor.
It should be a a good conductor of of any environmental impacts and it should expand
as well because the building they breath they move.
So, your system or the facade what you design have to have all these compatibility and
corrosion resistance that is very important, because your environment carries lot of pollution.
So, whatever material you choose it has to be corrosion resistance, because your air
is polluted your your complete environment is polluted today. So, with material what
you choose have to withstand those. And, it should be non-magnetic, if it is magnetic
of course, you know what will happen to you building and non-toxic and recyclable. That
is more important, you know even if any accidents you know happen or fire it should not be toxic.
See now what is happening? This became a prime discussion today all around the world as I
speak today yes it is a debate going around the world. Recently as there are lot of accidents
happened and now the world woken up oh god ok I have chosen a material, but it became
toxic lot of people die. So, the cladding material choice is not just simply to first,
but it is more towards safety as well. So, non-toxic, but unfortunately today people
do not understand those factors, but they start picking up material which will hurt
them. So, facade elements in the simple form the
material choice, if you ask me and what I would recommend or I would strongly suggest
use material, which are non-combustible. The word non-combustible should give you lot of
things it means it should not burn. Even you touch it even you know any electrical damages
happened, the material what you choose should not create any form of additional impact.
It can break or do something, but it should not burn. So, non-combustible material is
a choice that is the only way you can have a beautiful façade, which helps which covers
you and keeps the building going up and recycle over.
Once, you start to see one of the material getting deteriorated you should be able to
recycle and bring it back because there is no more place left in the universe to go and
stockpile all over rubbish. So, we should find a way material or a choice of material
should be recycled. All the material today whatever they use most of them are recyclable
example glass you can recycle it 100 percent aluminum 100 percent. So, all the material
most of them which you will see in in further discussion, when we are going at the presentation.
. So, hope until here we have seen what a material
as how the material have transformed and what are the factors which govern them and your
choice of material? So, when you are designing a facade the importance you would have seen
it material choice you have seen availability of material, the invention everything you
have run through in the program you have seen it, but the choice is ours choosing the right
thing. So, until here we touch base clearly what is facade and how important it is for
a building and what are the materials, which were used in today's world or in the past
to create a building shelter. So, now, look at you know let us start looking
at the important aspect ok. We have seen the material; we understand what is the facade
now, how I am going to design a system? The system when you design not limited to what
is written here of course, it should be structurally safe, it should perform well structurally
it has to be seismic proof as much as possible. And, thermal expansion of course, when you
talk about thermal expansion it is a good subject. Whatever material you choose it has
to withstand on climate condition say a example there. So, much of heat it is should when
heat is there metal trying to expand like us when you breathe as I expand. And, then
I contract when I get colder the material in same, when I inhale then I get you know
going in. So, inhale and exhale same with metal they breath when there is heat they
expand. So, the system what you choose or material you what you choose should be able
to expand and contract without effecting the performance of the building.
Corrosion as I spoke a material should not corrode then it will become a risk for the
building, it will collapse, movement. What are movements available of course, the building
move? When there is a seismic a building starts to move, when there is a seismic force acting
on in the ground are normally with wind a building move, if you look at tall structures.
If, you start restraining yourself against the wind then your structure will become very
very strong which you cannot design. So, today the designers gone forward to design
buildings they are flexible, which can move against your wind or any form of movement
which happens or unlike seismic movement structure creep. Of course, today when you talk about
concrete, it is it is creep happens to the concrete. Throughout the life cycle they start
to shrink you know in the beginning of at least, now when after the a structure casting
everything is over they try to shrink little bit. So, the designer have to take care of
that. Then internal comfort as I said what are all
comfort factors, you can keep on telling ok I would like to have a wall, which should
talk to me ok. What a wall can how the wall can talk yeah. Today, there is technology
available a glass wall which faces exterior. Can be a medium wall it can talk to you I
mean it can be there can be a tv, but it is attached to it. So, comfort you know there
are lot of actors I do not want to hear outside noise. So, I want a silent glass I do not
want the heat to come in yes I want to have a uv glass.
So, the comfort is not getting limited day by day the requester for comfort is building
up. So, we need to find material, we have to design for all these. And, it should be
light weight as I said in the beginning. If it is not light weight then you start adding
more weight to the system. So, your building will not perform they will get heavier and
heavier they do not move . And of course, it has to be commercially viable
and also it should resist the other impacts of nature. So, when you design you know there
are unknown factors, you do not know suddenly one fine day you will see the whole environmental
condition changed, around your around your place of dwelling or due to the terrine
condition your whole wind pattern got changed. So, we have to think all those when you you
know start designing any building facade. So, there are lot of process involved while
designing a façade, it is not just simply ok put a building ok you just put some glass
and metal panel and done with that no I design a a facade carries lot of requirements.
So, I will play a small video now to show you are proof what I said like it building
breath or building move . Ok. Now, you can watch closely how that black building is moving?
This is a live video shot in Japan, you know in japan always there is seismic movement
every half an hour. This is a 50 plus floor building, if you watch the building very closely
see how it moves. So, the system what you design or the building what you design
should with stand all this movement. So, facade you look at there is nothing happening
to the facade glass is fine all the things are designed fine. So, these seismic movements
can can happen anywhere any part of the world. So, the design of us have to take care of
all this factors when you are designing it So, a material transformation have taken place,
but material when they design have to consider all these not only these wind rain. So, when
there is wind there is water, when there is water [laughter] you lot of factors will govern
it you know we should create a shelter for all this. So, your design of façade plays
a very important role yes you can have a beautiful building, if you do not know how to design
your facade right then yes your building will start to deteriorate immediately.
Examples now, now you can have put up a collection of world's tallest building. You can see they
are tall they are big you know they are 100 floors they are now I believe in the world
they are planning to create a 1 kilometer tall building. So, s challenge is there because
the urban development has gone. So, big the population is grown. So, people are trying
to see how I can create vertical buildings, because there is no more land mass available
for us to create. . So, people wanted to go vertical. So, when
you go taller, then your building have to have lot of controls you know lot of
points you have to think while designing a facade. So, it is not just simply you can
choose anything and put in this kind of building. So, you have to run lot of test your have
to understand you know which material will perform well in this building.
Facades are commonly called as curtain wall, skin of a modern building a structurally glazed
one. This is the common word today they use around the world, how you call a wall, as
is call the function as a structural system to hold the facade together with various in
fields as required by architect owner. Yes, when I design a facade there are there
is a commercial viability also have to be taken into account not only that like
us, yes see here I am dressed today with with a blazer, with a shirt, it adds more presentable
a future like same to the building. So, you want the building to be presentable to the
outside world you want the building to be you know in a better form, where
you know people will start looking at the building and start you know moving inside.
So, the façade plays a very important role, you know you you you you can use a facade
to invite people you can use a facade to you know invite environment around you.
So, today there are lot of things can be done with facade. So, choice of facade element
depend on various factor as listed in the previous slide. So, your choice yes the requirement
is there by client and architect, but the choice is limited to the elements what you
choose you can not have an unviable selection, where you want to put in on the facade and
the structure cannot support. So, your choice and the elements what you choose have to have
an simple compatibility, then only you will be able to create a better façade.
So, now we are going to talk about different forms of facade hope until here we are clear
where we started, we understood how the environment impacts the façade? What are the different
kinds of movements happening to rebuilding which the design I have to take care or the
facade have to take care of those. Now, we are going to talk about different form of
facade systems mainly used in a field in order. So, it started with fenestration with windows
what is fenestration yes of course, you make a opening on the wall you fenestrate. Then,
you put a window that is how they started you had a brick wall or a solid wall or stone
wall they made a opening. And, then they put a window there before glass was invented of
course, they had wooden windows they have jalis or you know some sort of barriers,
but they wanted only air and light to come in.
So, then they started to understand you know how we can change the things. So, like instead
of brickwork and stone work they went to do pre cast wall pre cast it is just like an
I do it do a wall in your factory and you attach to the building you precast system.
So, then came the invention of the stick system curtain wall. When we talk about a stick system
curtain wall curtain wall the term we discussed what is stick? You know you stick something
and on to the wall. So, you create a grid and then you stick something.
So, as the name specifies a stick curtain wall. So, you have a wall with a stick
on system then as the invention went up. So, we started slowly you know building up with
invention then they called a semi unitized curtain wall.
Later we will you know go in depth to understand what is the stick system and semi
unitized. Now, the trend when I say now not today maybe for last 40 50 years or more
they developed a system, which takes care of all those what we saw the movement, the
creep so, called expansion contraction. So, the advanced system what is available
today, where people wisely use for doing all these taller or shorter whatever building
form it is called pressure equalized unitized system.
So, later when we go through this presentation you will start to understand, what are the
pros and cons of each system? And, how they perform and why the transformation are happened
for what is the reason, that is what we are going to see.
Prior to that I just added the slide to show how the facades influence a building? Look
at the chart 50 percent of energy consumed today this was a old slide maybe today it
is little bit more, but all around the world this is the factor of 50 percent of energy
is consumed in buildings, when I say building your house your office spaces you commercial
retail whatever you call 25 percent is only to the industry and 25 percent to transport
. So, look at it we have lived in a environment without energy, but today we spend more money
and more energy to buy energy and spend. So, that comfort is what now you are return
by the now world realize this. So, they are going for reusable energy, they trying to
find energy source, where they will be able to compensate. How much fossil fuel we can
burn it is all over the more you go and take you earth is getting weaker.
So, they started going with wind they started going with how understanding how I can use
a sunlight more efficiently, but think why we cannot go back to olden days. Say a example
in this part of the world a place like say Bangalore. Throughout the year the temperature
there is very moderate maybe a 3 months or 4 months in a year yes it goes slightly closer
to 26 to 30 degrees, but rest of the year it is colder, but why I still need a AC. Why
I need to energize the building why I can not use fresh air think about it .
So, why I introduce the slide is to tell you how reverse we are you know going in our living
we are trying to kill ourselves by over doing it. So, let us start going back to the past
learn from there understand about the material use material which can breathe which can bring
in more air and more light .