Press Information
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| Issued: 22.12.08 |
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Seeing Through the Urban Environment
Intelligent engineering has brought to market a new breed of rainscreen that combines the ultimate in construction practicality with modern aesthetics. As an innovative alternative to traditional cladding solutions, urban glass provides a hardwearing, stylish finish which is affordable for a wide range of developments. William Harwood, T.I. Dynamic Facades, discusses the developments behind this latest panel technology and explains why glass systems have broadened the choice of panel finishes that can be used on a building exterior.
While the primary function of a rainscreen is to protect the inner leaf of a building from wind driven rain and ultra violet light, modern rainscreen design allows the use of a wide range of aesthetic materials. Previously the preserve of premium developments, advances in product manufacture and carrier system technology have helped reduce the cost of stylish exterior façade systems, making them more affordable than ever.
As well as reducing the cost of using traditional natural façade materials, such as stone and terracotta, leading façade innovators have recently developed man-made glass systems, such as urban glass, which are helping architects to keep building designs fresh but affordable. As part of a new generation of exterior facades, urban glass systems have enabled architects to push the boundaries of exterior envelope design.
Advancing façade systems
Manufactured by crystallising glass to produce needle-shaped crystals within the material structure, urban glass systems offer a non-transparent marble-like finish, reflecting light subtly to create a striking visual effect. The unique crystallisation process typically produces a tiling material that is smoother, and more uniform in texture than marble, enabling a standardised finish throughout the application.
Extremely durable and impervious to staining, these high performance façade systems are available in high gloss or honed finishes to create a gloss or silk look. As well as having a more uniform appearance than marble, urban glass façade materials have increased resistance to acid and alkali than traditional natural stone materials. As such, prolonged exposure to wind, rain, smog and other environmental elements will not damage the system, ensuring the performance is maintained throughout the lifetime of the installation.
Offering all the versatility of natural stone materials, such as granite, urban glass systems are thinner, stronger and more resilient. The high temperature used in the crystallisation process significantly reduces the water absorbency of the system, making it more resistant to the freeze/thaw phenomenon that can cause some natural alternatives to fail.
Flexible by design
Ideal for creating a visual impact, urban glass cladding systems can be used for a variety of applications including civic buildings, shopping centres, airports and hotels. Regarding aesthetics, urban glass cladding systems are offered in a broad selection of colours. Available in a wide range of tile sizes, these versatile façade materials can be shaped and curved to clad pillars and create rounded corners for additional design flexibility.
Intelligent engineering
The lightweight design of urban glass systems makes them ideal for use on buildings constructed from reinforced concrete, steel or timber structurally insulated panels (SIPs). Whatever the substructure, key to maximising the performance and preserving the aesthetics of the façade system, is the carrier rail.
There are two types of carrier system on the market – vertical and horizontal. While horizontal carriers have been in use for some time, vertical hangings are a more recent development, but offer a number of on-site benefits.
Compared with standard horizontal subframes, vertical systems significantly reduce the number of fixings required, and the fixings used are designed to be virtually invisible. As well as reducing the complexity of the installation, this preserves the aesthetics of the exterior finish. Ease of interface with other subframes accommodates flexibility in design, as a number of different materials such as stone and terracotta, can be used on the same elevation.
Engineered with ease of use in mind, well-designed vertical carriers make it impossible for a panel to be fitted incorrectly. As well as offering peace of mind to the developer in terms of site safety, this also contributes to increasing the speed of installation, because it is much simpler to find the correct place for the tile.
Once installed, a vertical carrier gives greater flexibility in terms of panel replacement and removal. Individual panel access makes the installation of service lines at the end of a site programme straightforward, as the panels are easily removed and then replaced, until the most appropriate point of entry is identified.
The advancement of innovative rainscreen technology means that high quality glass façades are no longer limited to premium developments. Delivering on aesthetics, as well as long-term performance and affordability, urban glass systems provide a stylish yet practical finish to a wide range of construction sectors.
