These facade and cladding systems offer an array of design possibilities for projects ranging from car washes to office towers.
Acme TC Cladding
Acme Brick
Designed by Ward Architecture, the Blue Crew Car Wash in Beaumont features 12-in. by 24-in. panels of Acme TC terracotta cladding with an engobe (glazed) finish in an array of blue matte colors. The terracotta units were directly applied to the wall with adhesive. Acme uses modern extrusion techniques to manufacture large-format panels that can be installed at any height. The line comes in 28 earth-tone colors and five product lines: tile, rainscreen, rainscreen light, sealed, and sunshade.
Kebony Character Cladding
Kebony
A four-building, modern residence located on a former pecan farm near Houston features sustainable Kebony Character modified wood cladding for all facades. The cladding, which will weather to a gray patina over time, works with hand-cut Texas limestone, reclaimed wooden beams, and large-scale custom metal windows to reflect the organic but modern feel of the project. Kebony cladding is created through a process that uses a bio-based fluid to improve the qualities and characteristics of the wood, permanently altering the cell structure to give it the strength of tropical hardwood.
Optigray Glass
Vitro Architectural Glass
Designed by Tokyo-based Kengo Kuma & Associates and Dallas-based HDF, the eight-story Rolex office tower in Dallas is abruptly staggered at each floor plate to maximize daylighting and views and accommodate outdoor terraces and gardens. Solarban 67 Optigray glass by Vitro Architectural Glass was selected for its ability to enhance views while harmonizing with the tower’s landscape and foliage. The glass has a soft blue-gray exterior color, low exterior reflectivity, and is extremely energy-efficient. When coated on an Optigray glass substrate in a standard 1-in. insulating glass unit, it delivers visible light transmittance of 38% and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.24.
Kineticwall
Extech
Extech has expanded the Kineticwall wind-driven, dynamic facade offering three standard suspension systems: Drop-In, Pin-Mount, and Rod-Mount. Suitable for small- and large-scale projects, Extech’s Kineticwall suspension systems are paired with its flapper-panel designs, adding dynamic movement to building enclosures and wall systems. Applications include transit and parking facilities, cultural institutions, and artistic installations. The systems respond to wind currents and create the look of rolling waves across the flapper-panel wall system. Depending on the specified flapper material, the system can help manage unwanted solar heat gain and assist in lowering electric and HVAC loads.
Storefront & Curtainwall
Tubelite
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) was established in 1959 to address the absence of utilities on the 27,000-square-mile Navajo Nation, which extends into Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Located in Fort Defiance, Arizona, the NTUA’s new headquarters was designed by Dyron Murphy Architects, a Native-American owned business, and inspired by Navajo cultural elements. Tubelite provided T24650 Series Thermal Storefront and 400SS Screw Spline Thermal Curtainwall, two high-performance thermal systems engineered to support today’s stringent energy codes, even in extreme climates.
Shou Sugi Ban
Pioneer Millworks
Shou sugi ban is an ancient Japanese technique of burning wood as a preservative treatment for exterior siding. Deep Char from Pioneer Millworks gives sustainably harvested larch a dark, slightly iridescent look with an “alligator skin” texture. Used for interior or exterior siding, Deep Char is treated with an ebony-tinted poly sealer to help even out wear over time. Shown here is an exterior application of Deep Char on a timber frame home in Dayton, Oregon, crafted by Pioneer Millworks’ sister design/build company, New Energy Works.