post detail page top

The Pivotal Role of the Façade System in Building Performance

By: Ar. Vikas M V and Vishwas Venkat, Crest Architects

The term ‘façade’ is derived from the Italian word ‘Facciata” which refers to the exterior or different faces of a building. With the development of new technology in the field of art and architecture and innovative designs and forms, façade has become a contested space for discussion among architects, designers and academicians. The definition of surface in an urban context is subjective and has various meanings and representations. In today’s contemporary world, the façade is treated as a stage for performance and demonstration and has an active integration with its neighbourhood.

Façade is a fusion of numerous art forms and has unexplored potential as a territory for architectural invention. It acts as a palette for creating ingenious patterns that interact with people and their settings. Façade adds a certain degree of character and personality to the building, acts as a shield barrier against external factors, plays a significant role in energy efficiency, light transmission, and acoustic performance and connects the inside of the building to the exterior environment.

An efficiently designed building façade will have a combination of different elements that work in unison to provide a comfortable environment for its users. Design strategies and innovations that control the physical environmental factors and improve the occupant’s comfort level must be an important element of the overall design process of any building.

In one of our projects, Floating Walls, the exterior surfaces are a blend of clean white walls juxtaposed against timber & glass. A series of staggered slits have been deliberately positioned at unconventional heights throughout the building to allow light and maximum views of the outside without compromising privacy. The striking inclined wall introduced at the front elevates the overall massing and adds a sense of dynamism to the building.

In Framed House, the building form was developed as an abstraction of cubes with planes extracted along different surfaces to produce an exquisite structure. The south-western façade was kept almost entirely plain with narrow slit windows to avoid the harsh sun. These windows are accentuated with Sadahalli stone chajjas which frames compelling views of the surrounding landscape. The striking vertical masses harmonise with the surroundings and articulate the function of the house creating geometric elevations.

In Mount Oak Apartments, the exterior façade has repetitive components with two louvered vertical cubes that forge a rhythmic impact on the façade. Incorporating jaalis, light wells and wind tunnels in the planning and design of the apartment complex helps in maintaining the micro-environment within the site.

The façade is the identity of any architectural project as it is eye-catching and an easily recognisable element that becomes a part of shared memory. The use of different kinds of façade elements, shading devices, ingenious materials, exceptional systems and a unique colour palette adds life to a building.