As long as a façade is still perceived as a commodity and not as a breathing, living skin within an urban space there will be little in the way of positive action to retain its initial architectural design – it will simply weather, age and fail over a period of time until it reaches a point of no return. The correct façade care solution can remedy this.
Fundamental thinking needs to change within organisations, businesses and communities that reside in the surrounding space. When we underestimate the value of the façade, the skin is at high risk of failing and underperforming.
Our solution to build greater value to inspire action and change to protect and enhance façade skins, through façade care, is to set the context for each client, environment and desired outcome.
Each building and urban landscape is different, it requires a different set of unique foundations to create a more common ground and basis for such an outcome.
Building skins need contextual thinking to receive greater care, inspection and understanding. Only with a more uniform approach will greater information be obtained to truly assess the condition and action needed to protect the building skin and surrounding fabric.
Buildings and façade architecture do not always complement the surrounding space – we often see a mixed urban space comprising new innovations mixed with historic landscapes. This is what makes urban spaces and cities unique and exciting places to be.
The façade industry in recent years has witnessed significant changes. New materials, innovations, functions and performances have created an ever-changing building skin landscape.
The discipline of façade design and construction has become segregated by the need to work with varying specialists, often resulting in a lack of thinking and planning on how to practically care for the external building fabric in the future. Its future condition needs to be addressed during the design stage so that an understanding of how the building’s fabric changes could and should influence material selection and the overall design finish. By predicting the future weathering cycles we can help create more sustainable buildings and positive urban landscapes, where innovations are in line with façade skin performance.
