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Sameer Kumar

The Future of Facades: Sameer Kumar

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The Future of Facades is the topic of this blog post. We take a dive and discuss with the renowned facade consultant Sameer Kumar issues like AI Design, key trends in facade design, urbanization, new materials technologies, embodied carbon etc. Sameer Kumar is the Founder of Techne, a building enclosure design and consulting firm based in New York. With over 23 years of experience in the field of architectural facades, Sameer’s accomplishments represent a consistent pursuit of design excellence through the balance of craft and environmental performance in a wide variety of material expressions on several prominent projects around the globe. Sameer extends his contributions to the architecture profession through his academic engagement as visiting faculty member with Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as through active participation in various architectural conferences as speaker and panelist. Sameer is a Fellow of the American Institution of Architects and a licensed architect in the State of New York. He holds degrees in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and CEPT University, Ahmedabad. He has been included in the list of “2024 Most Influential People” by US Glass Magazine and is appointed in 2025 AIA New York Nominating Committee. Skyline Facades: Sameer, do you believe that AI and data-driven design will have a major role to play in the development of facades in the next 20 years?  Sameer: Yes, I do believe that generative AI represents the next stage of computing, and it will have a significant impact on how we do our work. I often think about the early nineties when I was starting my architectural education, and we were still learning to draw by hand and produce ammonia prints. By the mid-nineties, there was a lot of buzz about the oncoming age of computers which included some bold speculations about the future of the profession, where computers would greatly devalue us, the professionals, to society. We are hearing very similar assertions being made today. Well, as we know, computers have brought about paradigmatic changes to how we think and produce our work, but they have not, in any sense, been able to replace us humans. I feel that the same is going to be true with AI. Skyline: What are the key trends shaping the future of facades, particularly in urban environments like New York City? Sameer: The climate crisis is the most prescient issue shaping our vision and our focus as professionals. I see two distinct trends: the first is around the rich interest in refurbishment and repositioning of existing buildings. We have good evidence from successful projects completed in the last few years that retrofit facades can bring unprecedented ideas to the surface, especially ones that would be unthinkable in the context of designing for new construction. It has mostly to do with the logistics of building the façade without having to navigate around the sequence and logistics of building the primary structure. The second trend is surrounding the growing emphasis on embodied carbon, which is rapidly becoming the new measure of the impact of human activity on the natural environment. We have spent the last 2-2.5 decades developing and mastering methods that ensure energy efficiency in buildings, which is entirely about operational carbon. The pivot to prioritizing embodied carbon would require a lot of unlearning and relearning and has the potential to disrupt many truths about facades that we have taken for granted in the past several years. Skyline: I recently read a study by United Nations projecting that by year 2050, 68% of the world population will live in cities. If we assume the territory as, more or less as granted, we expect to build vertically. What challenges this implies for the facades? Sameer: The design and development of the contemporary façade systems has largely been driven by the extreme needs of building tall buildings in high-density environments. For example, the evolution from stick-built systems to unitized systems was rooted in finding better performing façade solutions that could scale past the limitations of stick-built systems in terms of building height and the speed of installation. Going further too, large scale buildings, with their extreme requirements and economy of scale, shall continue to create fertile ground for innovation in our field, whether it is driven by the imperative of the climate crisis, the rapidly evolving impact of computing technologies, or the critical factor of labor and site safety. Skyline: What kinds of materials do you think will dominate facade construction in the next two decades? Are we moving toward entirely new materials or innovative uses of existing ones? Sameer: I would say both. The emergence of embodied carbon as a metric of performance is already showing significant shifts in the industries engaged in the production of construction materials. As you mention, there are two distinct lines of research and innovation that are evident: the first is the pursuit of new materials, mostly biologically “grown”, which carry the promise of carbon-neutral or carbon-positive alternatives to the traditional materials that are in wide use. The other, and probably the most important drive, is for industries producing traditional materials to find ways to improve the carbon footprint of their products. Thus, we see the emergence of low-carbon glass, metals, concrete, etc. This is not only easier to accomplish, the potential benefits of improving these materials would be tremendous and immediate, owing to the scale of use of these materials. Skyline: With growing awareness of embodied carbon in construction, how can facade engineers and designers minimize the carbon footprint of materials while maintaining performance and durability? Sameer: This is a great question, and one that I am very keenly engaged with within my practice and my teaching. Majority of the current conversation around carbon-conscious design relies upon a quantitative approach: there is a growing emphasis on EPDs, material databases, carbon calculators, etc. I find this process of “carbon accounting” to be too fine-grain and abstract for most early-stage design applications. The level of technical knowledge and involvement this

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Why do projects delay

Why Projects Delay: with Matt Verderamo

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Matt Verderamo is Vice President, Preconstruction & Sales at Alliance Exterior Construction in Baltimore, Maryland. Alliance is a specialty subcontractor focusing on glazing, metal panels, and roofing. Matt is also a proponent of mental health and career growth in the construction industry. Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter, and check out his website here (mattverderamo.me) Our discussion with Matt is Why do Projects Delay. WHY DO PROJECTS DELAY In his national best-selling book, “Atomic Habits”, James Clear describes the importance of upstream habits. Let’s say you want to eat healthy. Clear would argue that one of the best ways to ensure you do that is to create an “upstream habit” that influences the behavior. For him, it is all about a morning workout. When he works out in the morning, he finds that he is more likely to eat healthy! He doesn’t need to try to eat healthy, he just needs to make sure he works out, and then he naturally wants to eat healthy! This morning workout also influences his alcohol intake, stress levels, and overall health. This is the benefit of an “upstream habit”: it is a simple habit that influences a lot of other good habits downstream. When I think about Construction projects and why they delay, I think about this same “upstream” mindset. Construction projects don’t delay because of one sub missing their submittal deadline, or one owner’s rep missing an important email, or one architect taking too long to return a submittal. They delay because of thousands of small “upstream” actions that aggregate into bigger problems that delay the project downstream. In my opinion, if we want to overcome these types of delays, then more and more time, money, and energy need to go into the Preconstruction phase of the project. There needs to be more incentives for doing good paperwork, more collaboration between stakeholders, and more investment into architect, engineer, and GC fees. In other words, develop healthier “upstream habits” that lead to more effective downstream results. It’s really easy for me to say all of this when I’m not the one holding the purse as an owner, and I realize that, but I truly believe that this early investment will pay for itself over the course of the project. Skyline Facades: Matt, when I asked you the question, I had in mind a more conventional answer related to projects delay. I really love your point of view; it does put the issue in a different framework. What would you think hinders the whole process from this “upstream mindset”? Matt: I think the focus on initial cost vs. project life-cycle cost hinders the upstream mindset. Humans like to have the lowest initial price without realizing it may not lead to the lowest final project cost. Skyline: You mention above the need for more collaboration between stakeholders. From your experience, in the majority of the projects you have worked, do you feel the mentality of teamwork between stakeholders or it is more of a “power and muscles” relationship between the parties? Matt: It depends on the project. One thing is for sure: it trickles down from the top. When an owner is collaborative, the whole project is collaborative. When the owner is hard, the project is usually hard. Skyline: How many times have you really listened the phrase “we screwed up” from any project stakeholder instead of just putting the blame to others? Matt: I hear people say it a good amount. Realists know that construction comes with its fair share of mistakes. It’s just how the industry works! Skyline: What is the point when you simply say “ok, this project is not for me” and you just step away? Matt: Usually when the client doesn’t do what they say they’re going to do more than one time. Usually after 2 or 3 instances where they make a promise that they don’t keep, I know I can’t trust them throughout the project either. Skyline: What’s your mantra for today? Matt: I will be kind, compassionate, and caring with myself.

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Chat GPT: Facade Engineering Blog Post

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We are inviting Chat GPT to contribute in our Facade Engineering Blog. Below, is what the Artificial Intelligence software prepared for our blog. A Questions & Answers session follows, as we decided to challenged Chat GPT on what it says, as well as to encourage it to be as specific as possible. Facade Engineering is an important aspect of building design that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of building exteriors. The facade of a building not only provides aesthetic appeal but also serves functional purposes such as waterproofing, thermal insulation, and acoustic control. In this blog, we will explore the basics of Facade Engineering, its importance in building design, and the key factors to consider when designing a facade. Importance of Facade Engineering The facade of a building is its public face, the first impression that visitors, tenants, and passersby have of the building. A well-designed facade not only enhances the visual appeal of a building but also reflects its character and identity. Moreover, the facade serves as a protective barrier against the elements, noise and pollution. A properly designed and constructed facade can improve the energy efficiency of a building by reducing heat gain and loss, thereby reducing heating and cooling costs. Additionally, the facade plays a crucial role in providing natural lighting and ventilation, which can enhance the health and well-being of occupants. Factors to Consider in Facade Engineering 1. Function: The function of the building is a crucial factor in designing a facade. A commercial building may require a facade that showcases its brand identity and attracts customers, while a residential building may require a facade that provides privacy and security. 2. Location and Climate: The location of the building and the local climate are important factors to consider when designing a facade. The facade should be designed to withstand the local weather conditions such as wind, rain, and snow. In addition, the facade should be designed to optimize natural lighting and ventilation while minimizing heat gain or loss. 3. Material Selection: The choice of facade material plays a critical role in determining the durability, energy efficiency, and aesthetic appeal of the building. Some common facade materials include glass, concrete, brick, stone, metal, and wood. Each material has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and the selection should be based on the function, location, and climate of the building. 4. Structural Design: The structural design of the facade should ensure the stability and safety of the building. The facade should be designed to withstand the loads imposed by wind, snow, and seismic forces. The structural design should also accommodate the movement of the building due to thermal expansion and contraction. 5. Maintenance. The facade should be designed to minimize maintenance and repair costs while maximizing the lifespan of the building. The facade should be easy to clean and maintain, and the materials should be durable and resistant to corrosion, weathering, and other forms of degradation. Conclusion Facade Engineering is a crucial aspect of building design that requires careful consideration of several factors such as function, location, climate, material selection, and structural design. A well-designed and constructed facade not only enhances the visual appeal of a building but also improves its energy efficiency, provides natural lighting and ventilation, and protects the building from the elements. As such, it is important to work with an experienced and knowledgeable facade engineering team to ensure that your building’s facade meets your functional, aesthetic, and sustainability goals. Q & A Session Skyline Facades: If it is OK with you, we would like to ask you some questions on this very interesting blog. What do you mean by location and climate to be considered in Facade Engineering? Chat GPT: Location and climate are two important factors to consider in facade engineering because they can have a significant impact on the performance and durability of the building facade. Location refers to the geographic location of the building, and it can affect the local building codes, regulations, and standards that must be followed. For example, buildings located in areas with high seismic activity may require special structural designs to withstand earthquakes, while buildings located in areas with high wind loads may require special facade designs to resist wind pressure. Climate refers to the local weather patterns and conditions in the building’s location. Climate can affect the thermal performance of the building facade, as well as its ability to withstand weathering, corrosion, and other forms of degradation. For example, buildings located in areas with high temperature and humidity may require special facade designs to reduce solar heat gain and minimize the use of air conditioning systems. Similarly, buildings located in areas with high levels of precipitation may require special facade designs to prevent water infiltration and protect the building envelope. Therefore, in facade engineering, it is important to consider the location and climate of the building to ensure that the facade is designed and constructed to withstand the local environmental conditions and meet the specific needs of the building and its occupants. Skyline: Let’s be more specific on climate. So let’s assume we have a building in Dubai and an identical one in London. What are the factors to consider? Chat GPT: If we compare a building in Dubai to an identical one in London, there are several factors related to climate that would need to be considered in facade engineering: 1. Temperature: Dubai has a hot desert climate, with temperatures often exceeding 40°C during the summer months, while London has a temperate maritime climate, with average summer temperatures around 22°C. In Dubai, the facade would need to be designed to reduce solar heat gain and control indoor temperatures, while in London, the facade would need to be designed to provide thermal insulation to maintain indoor temperatures. 2. Humidity: Dubai has a low humidity climate, while London has a higher humidity climate. In Dubai, the facade would need to be designed to minimize moisture infiltration and condensation, while in London, the facade would need

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Facade Structural Engineering

Steven Sletten: Insights into Facade Structural Engineering

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Today’s guest is Steven Sletten, a Licensed Professional Structural Engineer and Project Manager for Larson Engineering in New York. Steve has great experience in the Façade and Curtain Wall Industry and has licenses from New York and Minnesota states. Has been involved in many great projects such as Transbay Transit Center, the Star Statue at Mall of America, Lantern House on NYCs Highline, One Madison Ave in NYC and many more. Works for Larson, one of the biggest firms in the field with 11 offices across United States. Skyline: What are the important items in a Facade Structural Reports and where do you give the most attention?  Steven: There are many important aspects of a façade structural report that bear mentioning.  The most critical items that should never be overlooked or discounted, are those pertaining to design loads and applicable building codes/standards.  The codes used today are established to provide an appropriate level of safety factor, in order to ensures a design is safe.  There are aspects of the design and engineering that can be up to the engineer’s judgment, however the minimum standard of care should always be to meet or exceed load/building code requirements. The second most important aspect, in my opinion, is providing an efficient design that will meet the project specifications.  This includes working closely with the client (fabricator/glazier/etc) to determine any project specific design criteria or specification requirements, including serviceability limit states, that may impact the design. These are important as they impact the clients’ bottom line, as well as owner satisfaction with the end product.  If specifications are not met, there is potential for the owner rejection resulting in rework or potential back charges to the client. The engineer’s goal should be to have an efficient design.  The project may have high corner zone wind pressures, but may only occur on a small percentage of the building.  It may be possible to get by with reinforcing system(s) only in corner wind regions, or maybe the loading is high enough in all regions, such that a change to the system extrusions/depths is warranted. Additional engineering time spent may be well worth the effort in order to provide the most efficient design for the client. Considering the additional cost of labor and material resulting from an excessively conservative or quick engineering design, may far exceed the cost associated with a more thorough engineering design. Each aspect of the overall design, should be reviewed with respect to the project specifications, applicable codes, and consideration for both the engineering and client budget. Skyline: Are the specifications and wind loads getting over-designed? Steven: Wind and code loadings are an ever-changing topic in the structural engineering industry. As more testing is executed, and more information is learned by the code agencies, the more accurate the resulting requirements become. This is paired in the facade industry with the need to be as efficient in design as possible.  These factors combined have led to our current codes and results in wind loads being dependent on many project specific factors, including but not limited to:  project profile (Manhattan skyscraper versus two-story building in Iowa), project complexity (unique building footprint vs box building), project location (Suburban area in Pennsylvania vs the coast line of Florida), applicable building codes for the project location, and also overall building design/construction. Typically, if a project is a low profile, simple building, the design wind loading for the project, likely wouldn’t be much different from older to newer codes much from older building codes. Skyline: What software you use for Facade Structural Reports? Steven: Wind and code loadings are an ever-changing topic in the structural engineering industry. As more testing is executed, and more information is learned by the code agencies, the more accurate the resulting requirements become. This varies within in the industry, but typical software includes: – Mathcad or similar engineering math software which is used in the creation of many calculation templates. – Use of Microsoft excel sheets, can be used in similar fashion, but may not be as friendly to the reviewer. – RISA or other similar 2D/3D structural analysis software. – RFEM or other Finite Element Analysis software. – AutoCAD or similar drafting software. – Bluebeam Revu or similar pdf editing software. Depending on your firm / expertise, you may have other complimentary software as well, used to support thermal analysis, acoustic analysis, etc. Skyline: What is the typical academic background for a Facade Structural Engineer? Steven: It is standard that a Facade Structural Engineer will have at minimum a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering – Structural emphasis.  It is also common for some firms to require a Master’s degree. Most engineers will have completed and passed the EIT exam, either prior to starting full-time, or during their first years as an engineer.  Most engineers will go on to take either the PE or SE exams for their respective state, and other states as required for the company/position. Skyline: What is the most challenging project you have worked and why? Steven: The most challenging project so far in my career, was a façade replacement for a high rise in New York City.  Due to damage on a portion of the elevation high up on the building, there was a need to remove and replace multiple bays of curtain wall system in an occupied building. The project was a testament to collaboration, as there were no drawings provided from the building owner, and also required to get an exact match to the adjacent existing curtain wall.  Careful consideration for site access and safety was maintained throughout the project, and the final product met all project requirements.  To this day, an unknowing eye, will most likely not be able to see that anything had been replaced. Overall, it was an exciting and challenging experience, as we spent more time than normal coordinating directly with members of the design team, the project building envelope consultant, and also a contracted façade designer that aided in all of

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Facade Structural Engineer

John Wheaton: a 40-year Journey on Facades

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Today we have the honour to host in our blog John L. Wheaton, CEO and Co-Founder of Wheaton & Sprague Engineering in Ohio. John is a legendary figure in facade industry, having engineered, consulted or directed on thousands of exterior cladding projects.  Including custom and standard curtain-wall systems, panel systems, stone facades, architectural components and most other types of exterior wall systems across United States and Caribbean. He is Structural Engineer by discipline and Professional Engineer in multiple States. Additionally, John is the host of the fabulous podcast Creating Structures (https://creatingstructure.buzzsprout.com/) featuring interviews and discussions about life, business, architecture, construction and more. The podcast is available on all favorite podcasting platforms, I personally prefer to listen it through Apple podcasts. Skyline: John, you are in this business for almost 40 years now. During this period, we have experienced 5 or 6 downward economic cycles. What is the relation of construction cycles relative to those in general economy? JLW: In our space we are at the tail of recession cycles. It’s seen first in retail, consumer goods, and similar, then other things downstream like home purchases, new home construction, then on and on until it hits the commercial construction space. We have long lead times to assess and monitor what is happening in the markets by being at the tail end of the downturns, typically. Through the process it’s expressed in fewer RFP’s, more competition, less work over time. We typically have been 12 months to 18 months behind, since many projects, once started, have to go to completion. This isn’t always the case, since all cycles of downturn are unique, but construction and specialty subcontracting is at the back end however long it takes to get there. Skyline: Many of the businesses in our field are family ownership and management. How do you see the performance of those businesses over time. JLW: The truth is that most business are privately held in general. All privately held businesses are “family businesses” (private money put up by someone that is at risk). My view is that it runs from poorly managed to well managed depending on may factors. Privately held “family” businesses, whether simply financed by private ownership with a management team or owned and operated by private ownership with a management team supporting, can be well managed or poorly managed. It depends on the level of function or dysfunction in the leadership. All companies rise and fall on the strength of ownership, and how they think, conduct, operate, finance. Skyline: Do you predict that the use of Revit will replace traditional AutoCAD in the near future. JLW: I am not big on predictions, but I have been both in the forefront and the backend of this question about the shift to REVIT. The question is broad and the answer depends on what context we work within. REVIT has been and is replacing traditional AutoCAD at many architecture companies. However, it will not replace AutoCAD in near future in the glass, glazing, façade, curtain wall space. Professional services firms, contract glazing companies, and architectural fabricators all use their own approaches. I know some that use RHINO, some AutoCAD, some REVIT in part or in full, and some INVENTOR. Some use a combination of all or part of them. It just varies based on the application, people, training, processes, and other factors. No one software fits all applications. They are all just “tools in the toolbox.” Skyline: We see lately bigger and bigger openings in buildings, let it be cladding panels or glazing. What challenges does this imply for structural engineers?  JLW: Bigger openings, taller, wider, panel, glass, infill, cladding materials, just make more opportunity for structural engineers to help support and inform the process. The challenges can lie in various areas on how it influences required system depths, anchorages, connections, and performance criteria of the “panel” itself. Some clients don’t think through the cause-effect relationship of how the bigger opening or cladding material may affect the framing that supports it. I like that things are “pushing the envelope” with ever increasing measure and exploring the limits of materials. It creates opportunity and value for those brave enough to step into it. Skyline: What is the real value of PE stamp for engineering. JLW: Well many may be surprised to hear me, as a professional engineer (PE), say this but there is no intrinsic value to the PE stamp alone, but in the knowledge, approach and integrity of the PE overseeing or executing the work. Fundamentally, the PE stamp is supposed to have value to a project in validating that the work is engineered according to the appropriate standard of care, performance criteria for the systems, and for the benefit of the health and welfare of the occupants, public or users. There should be a strong risk mitigation component that brings confidence to the client and all constituents that engage touch or use the building or systems supported by the PE stamp. But the PE stamp is only as good as the PE behind it. PE’s do much to make the world a better place, much of which is not recognized. Approached properly, a client should receive not only the peace of mind that the PE’s stamp certifies the integrity of the system, but that they also provide client-centered or client-specific value that is expressed in the cost-to-value ratio. This can be manifested in various ways such as material or labor optimization, simplifying design, reducing complexity, communicating clearly, and more. Skyline: What is a project that you really feel proud of? JLW: I feel proud of every project we do and complete. Some notable projects include University of Baltimore Law Library in Baltimore, MD, Rainier Square in Seattle, AJ Celebreze Courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio, University of South Florida Judy Genshaft Honors Building in Tampa, Florida, the RUFUS (Amazon) HQ buildings in Seattle, and many, many others across the USA and in the Caribbean.

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Unitized Systems

Curtain Walls: Is a Unitized or a Stick System Better for Buildings?

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Definition for Curtain Walls can be as non-structural aluminium framed walls, containing infills of glass, stone or metal panels that are connected on the building structure. They can be broadly categorized into Unitized Curtain Walls and Stick Built Systems. The question of whether to opt for the one or the other, is a very common discussion in our Façade Engineering world. And as with most things in life, the answer “it depends”. Let’s try to examine below the parameters that can affect this decision. Left: stick system with exploded transom —- Right: exploded unitized system 1- Facade total size. The larger the facade is, the more arguments can be found in favour for the unitized. It will mean less total cost (*under certain circumstances that we will see below) and higher speed of installation. In a typical all-glazed building, for a standard curtain wall, the borderline for a unitized system to be developed and make sense is around 5.000 m2. For less than that, stick systems tend to be preferred as they will be more economically viable. Midtown Sports Complex, Tel Aviv, Israel 2- Repetition degree. When the height of the floor is constant and the distance between the mullions repetitive -what is called in our field as the “typical floor”-, it is sensible to break the façade into units of similar size. Prefabrication at the factory will take place, trucks will be loaded and transported to the site, installation will be completed with glass, spandrel elements and gasket, at a much faster pace than proceeding one stick at a time. Ah don’t forget, without the need of scaffolding as well. An important advantage of unitized systems is that most of the work is carried out in the factory. This simply means better control and without possible environmental adverse conditions like wind, rain or  snow. As we all know, 80% of the mistakes, will happen on site. 3- The building planarity. If the project has flat and vertical walls, stick systems are easy to assemble. This is not the case with complicated slopes and 3-D shapes, where unitized take the lead. Unit prefabrication, assembled in the factory, sealed in the factory and interlock joints so you can allow for on-site adjustments. And when more brackets are required for external sunshades and fins, it is better to produce them in the factory as a unit system. 4- Dimensions and shapes. Unitized systems are better suited to be used in high buildings (above 6-storeys) due to the shorter required installation time. Larger panel and glass dimensions also favour unitized. This is not the case with low and extended buildings that offer an easy to access façade from outside. Actually, the vast majority of low to mid-rise curtain walls globally are installed with stick facades and there are very good reasons to do so. Karel De Grote University, Antwerp, Belgium 5- Building Location. Having worked in many international cities and markets, we have observed major cost differences that can affect the overall decision. Material costs present minor differences among countries or even continents. However, labour costs tend to vary heavily among countries and wages in  USA are several times multiple in comparison to wages in some Eastern European or Middle East countries. Value engineering exercises have shown us that a certain building can be more economical in USA with unitized system while an identical building in size, height, geometry and complexity can be more economical in e.g. Romania with a stick system. And by far. We have found differences –though in much smaller degree- even within the same country, for instance a tower in New York City has different building economies versus a mid-town tower in a typical US Southern state capital. Another issue to be addressed, is the availability and relevant expertise of façade subcontractors. It is a universal fact that the pool of subcontractors with stick curtain wall systems proven experience is much larger than the similar pool with unitized systems experience. In countries like USA, Arab Emirates or Germany, there will still be a reasonable number of bidders. But in other countries like my native Greece or Cyprus, there is no more than a handful or even none such subcontractor. Bottom line We believe that the use of unitized wall systems will increase in the coming years, mainly due to two main drivers. The one, is urbanization. Recent studies have shown that by 2050, 70% of global population will live in mega-cities. And since land in those cities is more or less for granted, we expect to see larger and taller buildings. The second, is the ever more complex shapes that we see in modern architecture in all parts of the world. As the number of city towers increases, so does the competition between the developers to attract the wealthier tenants and buyers. The more unique design architecture wins and the last years we have seen designs and structures that seemed impossible a few years back. Majdoul Tower, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Cayan Tower, Dubai, Arab Emirates   Bibliography – Analysis and design of unitized curtain walls, Stefano Cascone 2016, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, ResearchGate. – Abul Abdullah, Marius Ronnett, 2010. Explanation of Curtain Wall Solutions, Perkins + Will Research Journal, 2010, 2, 33-55. – Khoraskani Afghani R., 2015. Advanced Connection System for Architectural Glazing. Milano: Springer, 2015, 125p. – Mc Farquhar Dudley, 2012. The Role of Building Façade. Building Enclosure Technology & Environment Council (National Institute of Building Sciences), 2012. – Patterson Michael R. 2008. Structural Glass Facades: A Unique Building Technology. Ph.D Thesis, University of Southern California Faculty of the School of Architecture, 2008 – Taywade Pallavi, Shejhal Santosh, 2015. Structural Design of a Glass Façade. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2015, 5, pp 1-6. – Tillman Klein, 2013. Integral Façade Construction. Architecture and the Built Environment, 2013, 3. – Ignacio Fernandez Solla / Director, Arup. – Should I Use a Unitized Curtain Wall of Stick-Built System? W&W Glass

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Powder Coating with Khalid Shamlawi

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Khalid Shamlawi is the Specifications Manager for Jotun Powder Coatings and looks after UAE region as well as Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Egypt. Among his duties is to establish and maintain strong relationships with key upstream clients and project owners to influence specification decision-making at the project management cycle. He’s a keynote speaker for all events in the region with expertise in Powder Coating. Jotun has been developing paints since 1926 and is now one of the world’s largest paint companies. Today, the group comprises of 67 companies and 40 production facilities across the world and employs more than 10.200 dedicated employees. Which type of paint you consider better, powder coating or PVDF? They are both good options, no question on that. For me, it is powder due to the following reasons. VOC contents are negligible for powder, while it is moderate to high for PVDF. You can achieve the required result with powder with a single coat, while you will need up to 3 to 4-coats for PVDF. Colour consistency is easier to control with powder, with PVDF is much harder to control. Easier process for the user. There are a much larger large number of approved applicators for powder coating. Guarantee comes at 25-30 years for all colours of powder, for PVDF is quite vague as it depends a lot on specifications. There is a richer finish on powder. What about anodization? Anodization used to be dominant in our industry but these days belong to the past as its share constantly declines. Main reason is the inconsistency of colour, it is very difficult to control. This is due to variance of metal constituents, temper, anodizing tank chemistry, shape geometry and material load size. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, we are moving towards healthier practices. Anodizing has low friendliness, there are concentrated acid baths (vapour concerns) and waste disposal concerns. Further reasons that anodizing market shares continues to decline is the very limited colour and finish choices and the high resource consumption. What is the optimum paint thickness for powder coating?   We measure dry film thickness as per Qualicoat standards. In the final assessment, none of the measured values shall be less than 80% of the specified minimum value otherwise the thickness test as a whole will be considered unsatisfactory. The results shall be assessed as shown by four typical examples (minimum thickness for coatings of 60 μm): Example 1: Measured values in μm : 82, 68, 75, 93, 86 average: 81 Rating: This sample is satisfactory. Example 2: Measured values in μm : 75, 68, 63, 66, 56 average: 66 Rating: This sample is good because the average thickness is more than 60 μm and because no value measured is less than 48 μm (80% of 60 μm). Example 3: Measured values in μm : 57, 60, 59, 62, 53 average: 58 Rating: This sample is unsatisfactory and comes under the heading “rejected samples. Example 4: Measured values in μm : 85, 67, 71, 64, 44 average: 66 Rating: This sample is unsatisfactory although the average thickness is more than 60 μm. The inspection is unsatisfactory because the measured value of 44 μm is below the tolerance limit of 80% (48 μm). Across different markets and climates, the choices of material for windows varies. In Northern Europe PVC is dominant, while as we move to Mediterranean countries and Middle East, aluminium takes over.   There is no question, aluminium is a far better material than uPVC. I can sum up advantages as below. Much more durable. An aluminium window has lifecycle of more than 60 years while uPVC is approximately 25-40 years. Maintenance. Aluminium does not crack, peel or rot and there is ease to change a broken glass by removing the glazing beads. uPVC on the contrary is a very soft material that can easily get scratched while you have to exchange the whole vent frame if glass is glued in for stability. Aluminium has high stability due to great strength to weight ratio and high wind as well as burglary resistance. uPVC needs steel or aluminium reinforcement steel to reach the same stability in same sizes. There is great colour variety in aluminium through powder, liquid or anodizing. On the other hand, there are only limited shades of whites, greys and browns and not all uPVC is UV resistant which leads to colour fading. There is lot of discussion lately for fire safety and regulation. This debate is global since there are several incidents with fires in building. Does paint contribute to fire performance and how much? We need to be able to interpret the fire classification test results. The latest Dubai Civil Defense Regulation has adopted European Standard EN 13501-1. A typical classification comes as e.g. B – s1- do. Let’s see what this means. First digit is the reaction to fire classification which determines how much (if any) a building material contributes to the spread of fire. Class A1 – A2     = non-combustible materials. Class B, C, D        = ranges from very limited to medium contribution to fire. Class E, F             = high contribution to fire. The “s” part relates to the total smoke propagation, during the first 10 minutes of exposure. These determine a “smoke” index: s1 = little or no smoke. s2 = quite a lot of smoke s3 = substantial smoke. The “d” part relates to the flaming droplets and particles, during the first 10 minutes of exposure. d0 = none. d1 = some. d2 = quite a lot. According to EN 13501-1, Jotun Super Durable paint fall under A2-s1,d0 category, while Jotun Durasol is plain A1.

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Shop Drawings

Shop Drawings Curtain Wall / New York

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Part of our Shop Drawings submission for a New York project of our company in the area of Brooklyn. Scope of works for this project is Curtain Walls, Window Walls, Doors and Windows, Fins, Louvers and Metal Cladding. Our facades team has completed the full building envelope study, i.e. Concept Drawings, Shop Drawings, Structural Reports, Fabrication Drawings and Material Take-Off. The below drawings refer to Curtain Wall Plan Details. Published originally at LinkedIn. #facadeengineering #newyork #brooklyn #usa #architecture #facade #engineering #shopdrawings #drafting #outsourcing #skylinefacades #buildingenvelope #windowwwall #curtainwall #fins #louvers #metal #cladding #facadeconsultancy #glassfacade #teamwork #drawings #building #envelope #glazing #doorsandwindows #facadedesign #facadestructuralengineering Read More

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Facade Engineering

Airport in Canada, Shop Drawings Glazing

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Our latest Façade Engineering project is an Billy Bishop airport expansion in Canada. We recently completed the submission of our Facade Engineering study. Scope of works for our Facades team has been Shop Drawings, Fabrication Drawings, Installation Drawings and Material Take-Off for Interior Aluminium Storefronts and Exterior Single Glazed System. #facadeengineering #skylinefacades #toronto #canada #america #teamwork #architecture #project #facade #engineering #shopdrawings #drafting #outsourcing #buildingenvelope #glazing #storefront #aluminium #glassfacade #drawings #buildings #envelope #doorsandwindows #facadedesign # #facadeconsultancy #facadestructuralengineering Read More

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Aluminium Systems Design

Aluminium System Design, Sliding System

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At Skyline Facades, we design all kinds of bespoke aluminium systems. We have recently completed the design for a 60mm thermally broken Sliding / Lift & Slide system for North American market on behalf of a long-standing prestigious client. System complies to all NAFS standards. Below is an indicative section of the system. Visit us in https://skylinefacades.com #skylinefacades #systemsdesign #aluminiumsystems #canada #unitedstates #doorsandwindows #consultants #design #aluminium #systems #slidingdoors #liftandslide #glazing Read More

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