Facade Styles

Masonry facades are one of the oldest construction techniques and involve the use of individual units of brick, stone, or concrete blocks laid and bound together by mortar.

In load-bearing masonry, the facade itself provides structural support for the building; however, in modern construction, masonry is often used as a veneer over a structural frame because of its aesthetic appeal and durability.

Example: the Monadnock Building in Chicago, which features load-bearing brick walls that were some of the tallest of their time.

Curtain walls are non-structural cladding systems for the external walls of buildings, primarily used in high-rise buildings. They are designed to resist air and water infiltration, sway induced by wind and seismic forces, and thermal forces.

Made predominantly from glass and metal (usually aluminum), curtain walls are attached to the building's structural frame and do not carry the floor or roof loads of the building.

The difference between curtain walls and window walls, which they can be confused with, is that curtain walls are designed to span multiple floors and are structurally independent.

Example: The Seagram Building in NYC has one of the most iconic curtain walls in modern architecture.

Window wall systems are similar to curtain walls in that they are predominantly glass; however, they are installed between the concrete slabs of each floor, rather than spanning across them like curtain walls. This means they are anchored on each floor, unlike curtain walls which are often only anchored at the top and bottom.

They typically offer a more cost-effective solution and are easier to install and replace. However, they may not provide the same seamless appearance as curtain walls.

Example: An example of this is The Equitable Building - Portland, OR

Modular facades are part of a larger trend toward modular construction, where parts of a building are pre-assembled in a factory and then transported to the site for quick installation. This can include entire walls with windows, doors, and external cladding already in place.

These modules are then attached to the building similarly to how a curtain wall or a window wall would be. The main difference between a modular facade and the curtain/window wall is that curtain/window walls are predominantly glass, while panelized systems are more varied in material and are typically opaque.

Panelized facades are usually non-load bearing, but in some cases they can be part of the structure.

Example: Barclay Tower - New York City, NY

Double-skin facades consist of two layers of glazing with an air space between them. This system offers enhanced energy efficiency by providing a buffer against thermal extremes and can facilitate natural ventilation.

The double-skin can also help with noise reduction, and the space between can house shades or blinds for light control. Unlike curtain walls or window walls that consist of a single layer of glazing, the double-skin facade's defining characteristic is its layered approach.

Example: One of the most well-known examples in the United States is the San Francisco Federal Building, which utilizes a perforated metal skin over glass to control the building's climate passively.