About Face: Giving Existing Towers a Modern Edge With Recladding

Using new curtain walls to improve high-rise façades for better design, value, and performance
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Sponsored by the Ornamental Metal Institute of New York
Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Learning Objectives:

  1. Determine the state of existing tall buildings including the obsolete nature of many existing curtain wall façades.
  2. Identify and recognize the characteristics of high-performance curtain wall systems as defined by common standards.
  3. Investigate the design potential and innovative opportunities to renovate existing building façades to make them safe, code compliant, and better performing.
  4. Assess the functional contributions of new curtain walls as they contribute to green and sustainable design.

Credits:

HSW
1 AIA LU/HSW

Construction methods for multi-story buildings have advanced notably in just the past 100 years. Where architects were previously limited to load-bearing exterior walls of masonry, concrete, or wood, the introduction of the now ubiquitous steel frame made a dramatic difference in the way exterior walls could be envisioned, treated, and detailed. At the same time, advances in glass and glazing technology allowed for better and bigger windows whether fixed or operable. Combine this construction evolution with predominant architectural styles that favored sleek, modern, and contemporary appearances and it is easy to see why high-rise buildings have become fertile ground for creatively applying new types of façades or building skins. The system of choice for multi-story buildings has become a curtain wall, which can be manufactured in several types, take on numerous forms, offer virtually unlimited design options, and provide high levels of energy efficiency. While architects and engineers find curtain walls to be appealing, building owners also favor them because they can help to identify or brand their building significantly. This is not only true for new buildings, but for existing buildings that may have an exterior appearance that has become worn and dated, causing the value of the building or its rental spaces to decline, not to mention its energy efficiency. Office building owners in particular often seek to upgrade spaces that are not currently attractive to modern businesses and their employees into Class A office space with better human comfort and energy performance.

Perhaps the single most important material common to recladding façades with curtain wall systems is glazing products. Long seen as purely architectural statements, the current generation of all-glass buildings is increasingly being promoted as an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly solution that enhances occupant experience as well as building performance. Technological advances are responsible for this performance boost with glazing currently available that can be treated to manage daylight and glare, feature low-emissivity for thermal control, and provide user privacy or transparency without compromising light quality. In concert with the pace of these technological innovations, recent investigations into the effect of the indoor environment on people suggest that basic design choices regarding the building façade—notably natural daylighting and ventilation—can dramatically affect the performance of not only a building but also the people who use it. Hence, no longer viewed as just an assembly of materials providing environmental separation between conditioned space and the exterior environment, the curtain wall façade is now recognized as an integral component of high-performance building systems with measurable user benefits.

Design teams that understand how to transform outdated building façades by replacing them with new curtain wall systems can meet the business objectives of the owner, enhance indoor environmental quality, improve energy performance, and create notable design statements in the process.

Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

Photo courtesy of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in May 2015

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