What are the Modern Facade Designs of Tomorrow?

The way our houses and buildings look from the outside, has changed quite a lot throughout the last decades. We now see a lot of ceramic/terracotta facades, which are pleasing to the eyes. But if there is one element that we find on all of them, it is the addition of more windows, since natural light as become a must in every modern house. Here is more on tomorrow’s facades.

Let the Light come in

This sentence has to be the leitmotif of the 21^st century when it comes to architecture. Naturally, it translates itself into the facade systems of houses and buildings. There has never been as many aluminium windows and doors in our constructions, as there are today. There are two main reasons for that. The first one is that we are looking to live more closely to our environment. As an example, the kitchen and the garden tend to become one, thanks to the use of aluminium sliding doors. It is true of most rooms, as we try to open-up our inside world to the one outside.

The second reason that explains the increasing number of aluminium facade systems, is that we need to reduce the waste of energy in our homes. It has become a major point for all countries, which are helping their citizens to make the move towards greener houses, through financial support in energy efficiency renovations. These new aluminium windows and doors have thermally treated panes (often double), which helps regulate the temperature inside the house, in winter and in summer time.

The Arrival of New Materials: Ceramic/Terracotta

To understand the arrival of new materials, such as ceramic, we first need to look at the reason why they came to find their ways into facade systems. The answer is simple and clear: We need new sustainable materials to build houses. That is what ceramic/terracotta is, as it is one of the best in the field when you look at its use in construction, operation, and deconstruction, but also in its manufacturing process. There is another main reason, though, which is related to the first as well as to the explanation why there are so many windows in new houses: It enables the owners to save on their energy bill. That is because it acts as an addition shell for the walls of our homes, keeping it warmer in the winter, and enabling to keep the cool air inside, during the warm months.

If you ask people that are looking to buy a house, what they prefer about acquiring a home with a ceramic facade, they will probably tell you that what they like best is their aesthetic. In fact, the terracotta homes have a distinctive and very elegant look, that most of us do enjoy. Others will also certainly mention the fact that it is easy to care for and that it can stand the test of time, like not many other materials can. Current home owners can also decide to change their facade for a ceramic one easily, as the material can be applied directly onto the existing one.