How future façade systems will pay a major environmental role

One of the key buzzwords when you are looking at the design of a building in this day and age is sustainability. This is sustainability in terms of environmental impact, energy efficiency, as well as durability.

The owner of a structure wants to get the best bang for their buck in terms of the costs they are going to be paying for energy, as well as meeting and exceeding the environmental requirements that have been set out by the relevant authorities.

One of the more exciting trends in the field of façade systems has been the development of certain façades that have the ability to eat smog.

This is achieved through a treatment of a thin layer of titanium dioxide, which is a liquid or powder that can be applied to a façade system such as ours at Danpal and when the sun strikes this chemically treated surface, the process of oxidization begins of organic matter, meaning that pollutants will be transformed into carbon dioxide and water vapour.

This exciting new development has already been experimented with in certain projects, such as that of the Manuel Gea Gonzalez Hospital located in Mexico City. This is near the top of the list when looking at the most polluted cities in the world.

This is an exciting development and looks set to have a large impact way into the future. What stops us from coating complete cities is the material? This could be a stepping stone for all façade systems having air quality improvement features built in them during the manufacturing process, which could help to transform the environmental impact our buildings are currently having.

When looking at the environment on a global scale, up to 40% of the energy consumed is by building, so this could go a long way towards decreasing the damage that is being inflicted by these structures.

At Danpal, we have been focused on providing façade systems that are environmentally friendly. By using translucent faces, we are able to achieve a superior light diffusion. This means that not as much energy will have to be consumed when lighting up the interior of a structure.

The high thermal insulation and great R values of our system means that less money needs to be spent cooling and heating up a building, as the façade system naturally takes care of lot of these issues automatically.

Are dynamic and adaptive façade materials the way of the future?

When it comes to spotting new trends and developments in an industry, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly when a certain trend will start to kick in. This is why there are so many people on Wall Street every day trying to make these predictions, but only a few are ever right at any one time.

There is no doubting that the world of constriction has been moving more towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. The design process involves a lot more variables these days to judge the impact the structure will have on its surrounding environment, as well as looking at ways in which to minimise energy costs.

One of the more exciting developments in the façade materials world is that of façade materials which are adaptive and dynamic. While renewables and other technologies have been becoming increasingly popular, these types of façade materials could be a key development.

In certain areas of the word, most notably in North America, there has been a green revolution and designers have experimented with intelligent and dynamic systems which have a great impact when implemented together with standard technologies. These buildings are able to move, react and adapt to real life changing conditions.

What would you say if a building could naturally react to changing environmental conditions and become optimised for any outcome? Tenants would surely be delighted at having a decreased carbon footprint and greater energy savings and efficiency.

There will also be savings for the building owner in capital and operating costs. This could even be done without having to compromise at all on the visual aspects of the design and may even improve them.

‘Living building’ is becoming closer and closer to becoming a mainstream reality. Daylighting and solar shading used to be fixed systems on the roof or exterior of a building. Now there are possibilities of having them as dynamic and controllable systems that can react and adjust the changing environmental conditions.

Being able to adapt on the go makes logical sense and once the numbers add up, this will go mainstream. There is no doubting the energy savings that can be used through the use of different façade materials, but here still needs to be affordable initial cost prices to make them viable for your standard building owner. At Danpal, we invest heavily in our research and development, so we are constantly looking at improvements and innovation in the field of façade materials.

What does the future hold for roofing materials?

In the last few decades, the types of roofing materials chosen by designers and architects for different projects have changed drastically. As technology has now become so far advanced, there are many more options available to choose from. These include materials like polycarbonate, as well as your more traditional options.

The other big change was the shift in focus towards more energy efficient options to minimise the carbon footprint that is extracted from Mother Nature. Developers want to have environmentally friendly materials, as well as saving money on energy costs in the long run.

Roof insulation has seen its R values almost triple in the last couple of decades and this looks set to continue into the future. With advanced VOC regulations being enacted, there are a lot stricter rules when it comes to coatings, sealants and adhesives that are being used.

One of the big buzzwords in today’s world is “The Internet of Things.” It seems logical that this phenomenon will move its way to the rooftop, making it a lot easier and effective when integrating rooftop energy into the energy system of the structure as a whole. This means that the roofing materials themselves will play a larger role in how efficient the transfer of thermal energy may be.

Roofs will also become even more durable and resilient. As weather is becoming more volatile and stronger weather conditions have been hitting many buildings, something that has been put down in large part to climate change, there is a growing demand for more resilient roofs. This could mean being more resistant to fires, winds, hail and other adverse conditions. Roof ratings are set to explode even further in the coming years.

Finally, the removal of roofs will become very important, as people will start wanting to reuse these roofing materials when putting on the new roof. This is more environmentally friendly, as well as cost effective if it can be done in the correct manner.

At Danpal, we are always on the cutting edge of these new developments and are constantly tweaking and improving existing products to meet with these growing demands. We pride ourselves on having a roofing system that is aesthetically pleasing, as well as being fundamentally sound and energy efficient. Daylight is maximised in the winter, while solar heat will be blocked in the summer, making it a win-win.

How can translucent facades improve further into the future?

One of the biggest developments in the world of façades in recent years has been the sustained implementation of top quality translucent façade systems. Our team at Danpal have one of the best systems around and it has led to many happy customers worldwide.

Translucent facades combine a number of great qualities to always leave you with a top quality end product.

You have a lot of flexibility in design thanks to the flexibility of the polycarbonate that is used in the construction of them. The joints are concealed and the visual appearance is appealing. It is very durable against external stimuli like poor weather conditions and it is energy efficient thanks to special Microcell technology and structural design that has been implemented.

However at Danpal we are always trying to push the boundaries and improve on existing products, as well as constantly innovating with new products.

There is still room for growth when it comes to the translucent façades. Research is constantly being undertaken on ways in which even thinner panels can be achieved without compromising on any of the qualities that make this product so great.

To get even more transparency, there needs to be no secondary supporting frames whatsoever. This leads to complex mathematics and calculations that have to be done to ensure that the integrity of the building is not compromised simply for aesthetic reasons.

There is now an arms race when it comes to the energy efficiency of a structure. In the past, the carbon emissions and energy costs of a structure were not really thought about at all during the design process, but these days it is one of the first things on the agenda.

Each designer, manufacturer of building materials and developers are trying to have an end structure that is as energy efficient as possible. While our translucent façade system at Danpal has great thermal regulation and insulation effects, there is more room for improvement.

While we can cut energy costs when using our products, until energy cost reach zero, then there will always be room for improvement and innovation.

By experimenting with different materials, structural changes an designs, the energy efficiency of the translucent façades will continually get lower and lower.

Another area that will be massive for translucent façades is the use of them for advertising. These surfaces will very likely be able to be programmed and changed in terms of imagery and advertisements are played on them externally by the owner of the structure.

It is certainly an exciting time for the industry.