Perforated facades have been around for over 100 years, and have grown in popularity for good reason. The use of perforated facades on a building bring many benefits, so they are definitely a worthwhile option to consider for your next project. Perforated facades have many different forms, whether it be mesh, materials other than metal or various patterns. This blog will look at the benefits of installing perforated facades, and how they can be used to personalise a building design.
Would you like more architectural inspiration from Insol? Download our free Impressions Guide for more unique façade work from around New Zealand. Get your copy here.
Privacy
A key benefit of perforated facades is that they allow ventilation and light into a building without compromising on privacy. Take for example this residential building in Taiwan. It’s position and size meant it was quite dark, so a lot of natural light was required to create a more welcoming environment. An expanded metal perforated facade was the ideal option as plain glass didn’t offer the same privacy or security features.
Better building performance
Secondly, perforated facades offer an overall better building performance. They have the unique ability to allow light into the building, while reducing the heat produced by sun exposure. This ultimately reduces the need for constant cooling. The combination of increased sunshade and ventilation has been proven to reduce the running costs of a building, as the indoor temperature is better regulated.
Check out this example of Melbourne RMIT Design Hub
Style and creativity
Perforated facades provide a way to create a unique and innovative building aesthetic. They also enable graphics to be printed to the façade - a great feature for the exterior of commercial buildings. A variety of perforation patterns allows the designer to really show their flare and create cool shadows inside a building.
The Oasia Hotel in Singapore is a great example of a mesh perforated façade being used to create a really cool exterior.
Back Lighting
Perforated facades not only let light into a building, they can project light outwards from a building. Installing lighting between the building and the façade allows for another form of creativity, branding, or simply to draw the eyes of those passing by. For example, Sudima Hotels & Resorts in both Christchurch and Auckland feature a perforated façade which showcases their signature leaf design. At night, this façade is the feature of the buildings with back lighting to brand the building and capture attention.
Image sourced from Sudimahotels.com and Booking.com
Flexibility and durability
The materials used to make perforated facades are flexible, in that they can be manipulated to various sizes, shapes and perforation designs. They’re also lightweight while being durable, making for an easy material to work with. This flexibility naturally allows for creativity to take place.
Environmentally sustainable
Some perforated facades have the option of being developed from recycled materials (like metals) along with the ability to be recycled after use. Other environmental benefits include the better regulation of building temperature which means there’s less need for constant electronic heating and cooling. Ultimately this leads to less of an environmental footprint left behind. You can read more about the environmental benefits of perforated facades here.
The advantages of perforated facades are plentiful. Not only do they offer a great aesthetic, they also optimize the overall performance of the building. As a distinctive feature they have the ability to achieve an architects vision without comprising on performance.
Would you like more architectural inspiration from Insol? Download our free Impressions Guide for more unique façade work from around New Zealand. Get your copy here.
