http://www.cwct.co.uk/design/options.

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Construction of facades
With modern non-traditional facades the link between appearance and form of construction is more flexible. For instance, stone may
be placed using traditional methods or may comprise thinner slabs bolted to a carrier frame. Conversely metal panels may give a
modern appearance to a traditional blockwork wall when they are used as overcladding.

It is common practice to think of design options in terms of materials, appearance and image, and indeed the client may well express
preferences in terms of precedent buildings. However, the constructor will be thinking in terms of function, buildability, safety, time and
cost.

These latter aspects of the façade depend on the following primary decisions:

 Should the façade be a heavyweight or lightweight construction?

 What areas of glass should be used and in what orientation?
 Should the façade be prefabricated or site-assembled?
 Should the façade be a bespoke design or a standard system?
 What are appropriate combinations of primary structure and façade?

Design guidance

CWCT has written a number of design guides as follows:

 Design for safe access

 Glazing at height - Available from CIRIA
 Thermal performance of curtain walls - To be published soon

Bespoke or standard design:

Although two building envelopes are seldom the same they are equally unlikely to be entirely bespoke. Most building
envelopes are constructed from systems of components. These offer benefits over bespoke design but are unable to deliver a
completely unique construction. Some of the benefits to consider are:

Benefits of standard systems Benefits of bespoke design

 Cost  Appearance
 Shorter design and manufacturing period  Greater structural capabilities
 Familiarity of construction  More advanced shading devices

 Use of existing test results

Standard system walls can be given a variety of styles by selecting appropriate infill panels and additional items such as brise soleil. It
has to be remembered that even the most standard of systems will have bespoke components such as brackets, flashings, and
interfaces with adjacent cladding. Modified standard systems are sometimes used. In these one or more of the framing profiles, such as
a pressure cap, is changed but the structural and sealing components remain unchanged.
Bespoke systems comprise framing components that are bespoke to a project. The profiles are designed and dies cut to extrude the
required cross-sections. Note that bespoke wall may also comprise standard systems components were appropriate.

Envelope types:

Walls are constructed using one of the basic forms of construction shown below. Further information is available in CWCT Technical
Notes:

 TN14 Curtain walling types

 TN15 Cladding types

Stick construction Unitised construction

This is the most common method of constructing curtain
walls in the U.K. although it is less popular elsewhere.
Simiar techniques are used to assemble roof glazing.
Stick construction consists of a grillage of mullions
supported from the floor slabs and transoms. These are
assembled at site and the resulting openings are infilled with the floor slab. Units are delivered to
glazing or opaque panels.
It has the advantage that it is economical and the
construction sequence is flexible. Disadvantages are the
lengthy intallation time and high dependence on site
workmanship to ensure acceptable quality.
Unitised construction consists of pre-
fabricated units normally the width of a
glazing bay and one or two storeys in
height.
Units are supported from the edge of
site glazed and infilled and only the unit
perimeter seals are made at site.
Unitised construction is marginally
more expensive than stick construction
but normally leads to a higher quality
wall. It should be noted that the choice
of materials has a greater effect on
cost.

Unitised construction is quicker to

install but requires better planning and
larger lead times are required.
Panellised construction
Panellised construction comprises pre-fabricated panels that
span from column to column. The panels are supported from
the columns and not influenced by movement of the floor
slabs.
The panels require structural integrity to transfer the loads
on them back to the columns. Either a precast concrete
panel or a steel truss is used. Hence the North American
term 'Truss wall'.
Panellised wall can be installed more quickly than other
forms of wall.
Structural glazing
Rainscreen
Rainscreen is a plane of panels
designed to protect the wall from rain. It
may be constructed as overcladding
supported on a brick or block wall or as
an integral wall supported from
mullions or studs spanning from floor to
floor.
Rainscreen overcladding is often used
on refurbishment projects but may be
used to advantage when constructing
new buildings.
Integral rainscreen walls supported
from framing members are dependent
on an inner air barrier to carry wind
load and give the required air
permeability.
Structural silicone glazing