What To Consider When It Comes To A Building Façade

Ian Mutuli
Updated on
Ian Mutuli

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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A well-crafted, innovative façade can be precisely what a building needs to set itself apart from all the others. With the right design, it can be a truly excellent investment for your money.

However, for a façade to work, it needs to be both practical and eye-catching. If the design looks too out of place or can’t weather the local environment, it could completely ruin the property.

That’s why it’s important to consider these four things before installing such a façade.

What Materials To Use

When it comes to facades, you’re not restricted to one specific material. You can utilise a variety of things to bring your design to life.

However, just because the options are there, that doesn’t mean they’re all equally good to use. After all, some will be more durable and suit your design more, while others will fail to meet the mark.

It’s important to think about these aspects when deciding the material for your façade. From availability and price to ease of cleaning, these can all play a role in whether your façade will succeed or fail.

Symmetry And Asymmetry

Something that you’ll commonly find in a lot of buildings is symmetry. Why? Mainly, it’s because this feature makes a property pleasing to the eye.

You want a building to be visually appealing, whether that’s in a major urban area or rural landscape. So, if you’re going to design a façade for your property, you’d do well to ensure it adopts some symmetry.

If you’d prefer an asymmetrical look, then you’ll want to try and keep things relatively simple. That way, you avoid turning the building into something that’s too much for the average eye to handle. 

Whatever your preference, Maple has design ideas that incorporate both of these features in their list of building façade inspiration.

The Local Surroundings

With your façade, you want it to stand out against its surroundings. However, there’s a difference between standing out and being out of place.

For a façade to work, it still has to incorporate some element of what’s around it while also doing its own thing. It’s okay – and in fact encouraged – to deviate against the norm, so long as the design still feels like it belongs there.

To achieve this, you’ll want to consider other buildings in the vicinity, as well as environmental elements too.

Energy-Saving Features

Façades can do more than simply give a building an eye-catching aesthetic. They can also help the property to reduce energy consumption, such as by providing thermal insulation or plenty of natural light.

Developments are constantly being made towards creating more energy efficient façades, so it’s clear these features can go a long way towards saving you money on bills. However, this efficiency won’t necessarily come as standard with every design. So, it’s vital to think about what you want from your façade before making any final decisions.

With the right façade in place, your property can become both efficient and aesthetically pleasing. Just make sure you think everything through first, though, so that you come out with a design that will prove beneficial to you.

Ian Mutuli

About the author

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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