Facade Tectonics SKINS

SKINS: May 2020

Surfing Uncertainty

We are all swimming in the wake of Covid-19. There are signs that things are slowly beginning to open up, although serious concerns remain among health professionals that governments, under increasing pressure to restart the economy, may be acting prematurely. It seems clear at this point that we will not be back to business as usual anytime soon, if ever again. Leading health experts like Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel in communication with leading global virologists are talking as long as two to three years for this virus to resolve itself, a timeframe characterized by waves of infection, and warning that we may not yet have seen the worst. And so, we all surf into an uncertain future as we ponder what the impacts may be and what to do with our businesses and our lives.

Read the rest from Mic >

Featured
Podcast Announcement Graphic

Listen

FTI Announces New SKINS Podcast

FTI’s Mic Patterson will be interviewing industry thought leaders on wide-ranging topics relating to buildings and their skins. Upcoming episodes will feature conversations on Passive House, tall buildings and the work the DOE is doing with windows and facades.

Listen and subscribe.

2020 World Congress Paper Spotlight

Put Your Sweater On!

Author Eric Hass turns the pursuit of higher performance on its head in a compelling argument for the prioritization of a lesser conditioned indoor habitat as a strategy to better connect and engage occupants with their climatic environment.

Read and download the paper.

Behavior health facility in Monterey, California

Feature

4 Trends in Building for the 22nd Century

NBBJ architect and facade design specialist Stacey Hooper points to the future, while challenging facade contractors to lean-in as collaborative partners in the pursuit of enhanced performance, quality and efficiency in the design and delivery of advanced wall systems.

Read more in Glass Magazine.

Downtown SF

Feature

California Code Requirements Vs. Realities

FTI President Helen Sanders examines the efficacy of California’s increasingly demanding code requirements in terms of actual performance improvements in installed fenestration systems, finding problems with loopholes and enforcement.

Read more in USGlass Magazine.

water on highway road flood

Liability

How Climate Change is Changing the Standard of Care

Judy Mendoza explores the provocative implications of the ways climate change is reshaping the liability and risk landscape in building design and construction.

Read more at the Victor Risk Management Blog.

Board Nominations Owner Developer

Resilience

Designing for an Unknown Future

"Leading design firms are beginning to integrate resilience into their project workflows. This must ultimately become a dominant trend in design practice." – Mary Ann Lazarus

Read more at Cameron MacAllister Group.

view of earth

Opinion

It's Time for Architects to Choose Ethics Over Aesthetics

Christine Murray challenges architects on their lackluster response to the climate crisis: "Take responsibility, own that you are part of the problem, and do something about it." She discusses why taking control of the specification process may be an effective first step.

Read more in Dezeen.

Interior view of Puma facade

Practice

Building Facade as a Branding Vehicle

"Building facades for flagship stores play an important role in people’s perception of a brand. Facade system and material selection, as well as detailing, therefore have to take careful consideration of the image to be conveyed." – Karine Charlebois PE, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Read the article.

Bioclimatic Skins

Books

Bioclimatic Double Skin Facades – Mary Ben Bonham

Bonham provides a much-needed comprehensive update on the state of the double-skin facade technology and its application. A review of this book will appear in a future edition of SKINS.

Learn more at Routledge.

Handshake

News

Permasteelisa Sold (Again)

After major losses, Lixil unloads Permasteelisa.

Read the announcement.

Industry Calendar

October 12-13

Facade Tectonics 2022 World Congress

Los Angeles, United States

Register Now

September 13-14

Net Zero 2023 Conference

Los Angeles, USA

Celebrating our 10th anniversary!

October 2

Architectural Glass Bootcamp 2020

San Leandro, United States

Learn More

Previously Featured

2020 World Congress Paper Spotlight

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, LA

Kicking off our ongoing spotlights on 2020 World Congress papers, authors Roman Scheiber and Florina Meier (Knippers Helbig) provide a technical description of the design and implementation of the 150’ diameter dome for the RPBW designed museum.

Read and download the paper.

Education

Summer Sessions at UMass: Sustainable, High-Performance Facades

Education is a core mission of FTI. Ajla’s program is tailored to practicing professionals, creating a unique opportunity to ramp up your facade expertise. Check out Ajla’s bio and the course description; and give it some serious consideration.

Learn more and register.

Workshops

A Practical Guide to Delivering a High-performance Envelope

Helen Sanders of Technoform, who is also FTI's president, provides a sneak-peek at one of the workshops to be conducted as part of FTI’s World Congress - including thermal bridging, thermal comfort and balancing variables that impact facade performance.

Read more in USGlass Magazine.

Books

Reglazing Modernism: Intervention Strategies for 20th-century Icons

Discover case studies exploring facade intervention strategies on Modern-era buildings. Glazed facades are recognized as a defining characteristic of Modern architecture and directly linked to “poor performance and limited longevity.” Full review coming soon!

Learn more and purchase at Amazon.

Continuing Education

Managing Risk with Complex Curtainwall Projects

This continuing education program explores the importance of collaborative delivery strategies including design-assist, daylighting strategies and tools and managing the process of innovation in a manner to reduce risk.

Learn more at Continuing Education Center.

Contribute to SKINS

We are interested in receiving articulate and insightful original materials of current topical interest and considered reviews of new print and digital media publications. Also of interest are tools and resources including websites and software programs, lectures, conferences and events. Review our submission guidelines for more details.

Organizational Members of the Facade Tectonics Institute

Executives

Kuraray, Permasteelisa Group, seele, TriPyramid Structures

Associates

Finishing Contractors Association, HOK, Lerch Bates, Technoform North America, Valmont Structures, Vitro Architectural Glass, WRNS Studio, W&W Glass

Supporters

Antamex Industries, FreMarq Innovations Inc, Heintges, MdeAS Architects, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, Roschmann Steel & Glass Constructions, Schüco USA, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, SOCOTEC, Inc., The Architect's Newspaper, The Façade Studio

Academics / Nonprofits

Aarhus University, Denmark, IIBEC, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, National Fenestration Rating Council, Rainscreen Association in North America, Universidad de Concepción, University of Utah, Western Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association