December 2007
T.I. Dynamic Facades makes style a practical choice at The Merk
T.I. Dynamic Facades’ single skin Terracotta Rainscreen system has created a stylish, yet practical exterior finish for The Merk, a prestigious new apartment development in Glasgow.
Although the original specification was for a twin skin tile, developer Broadbase Construction and Maintenance Limited favoured the increased flexibility and ease of installation afforded by the single skin design. At the same time, overall performance of the single skin product was equal to that of the twin version.
Spanning all elevations of the angular building, the rainscreen covered an area of approximately 3,300m2. Achieving total coverage was simplified because the single skin tile was lightweight and easy to cut. Moreover, a unique vertical carrier system enabled Broadbase to remove individual tiles, facilitating the efficient installation of service lines, such as central heating ductings.
Michael Pater, managing director, explains: “If we had used the specified twin skin design, the only way to put in a service line would be to smash a tile to get behind it. With a total coverage rainscreen, this would have resulted in a lot of wastage. By using the single skin Terracotta Rainscreen, we were able to lift off individual modules, install the services, and then replace the same tile. This helped to minimise project cost and saved us a lot of time.
In addition to installation benefits, the durability of the single skin Terracotta Rainscreen is guaranteed over time. A special porcelain base and high baking temperature give the single skin Terracotta Rainscreen the lowest water absorbency on the market – making it more resistant to damage from freeze/thaw than silicon sprayed alternatives.
As the only complete terracotta rainscreen system to be fully BBA (British Board of Agrement) certified, single skin Terracotta Rainscreen is proven to require little or no maintenance and overall performance has been tested up to a height of 100 metres.
Terracotta Rainscreen is available in over 50 colours. At the Merk, a combination of cream, beige, dark grey and brick red tiles were used in a range of 400mm x 225mm and 400mm x 150mm panels.
William Harwood, T.I. Dynamic Facades, concludes: “The single skin Terracotta Rainscreen is designed with high quality and affordability in mind. The system substantially reduces site programmes by increasing speed of installation and reducing breakages. In doing so, it makes a traditionally premium finish accessible to all types of developments.