Introduction

“Façade Engineering is the art of resolving aesthetic, environmental and structural issues to achieve the enclosure of habitable space.”

With the ever increasing complexity and performance demands on buildings, there is a need to accurately validate the design and communicate the client and designers’ intentions to those who have a responsibility for executing the façades of modern buildings.

Our Engineers are proactive members of the design team and are able to help deliver best value to projects by being fully involved in the early iterative strategic stages.

The façade of a modern building is one of the most expensive and important elements of building construction and can represent up to 35% of construction costs. Façades represent the manifestation of the Architect’s expectation of the external appearance of a building. They are the primary environmental modifier and are the element that have the greatest level of historic failure.

With the implementation of new and more onerous energy requirements, the design of façades must be part of a holistic strategy. In particular science needs to be carefully considered to deal with aspects such as façade performance and energy conservation. There now needs to be consideration of issues such as predictive thermal modelling techniques, testing, lighting and acoustic engineering, added to existing issues of durability, sustainability and structural engineering to drive best value for clients. The blurring of the boundaries is recognised in the fact that the energy conservation and statutory compliances are now a matter of balance between the disciplines.

Wintech is unique in that across the Group it provides project-specific consultancy and systems design services. This broad level of pragmatic experience and technical expertise adds relevance and value to façade consultancy services aimed at reducing cost and improving quality of as built façade.

As the nature of building façades takes on ever greater importance, so proportionally does the level of technology involved. The pressure for change is probably greater than for any other element of a building

Façade Consultancy

The façade or exterior envelope of a building is the element that makes the internal space habitable; it acts as a filter allowing in beneficial elements of the external climate whilst providing a barrier to the less desirable elements.

Legislation and Codes often set out minimum performance criteria that projects must achieve. This is now driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions and improve building energy efficiencies.

Wintech provides a very specific range of services from the early strategic design of a project right through to completion; the Façade Engineering Consultant being seen as “safe hands” regardless of a project’s size or complexity. Our engineers involvement on any project is both participative and proactive, in order to drive best value and excellence in design and delivery.

These Façade Consultancy services recognise the need for a holistic approach from an engineering and performance perspective, the need for independent expertise to drive best value and the need to eradicate premature failure or deterioration of the most expensive element of the building construction. This demonstrates the clear need for specialised façade engineering expertise on major construction projects.

Through the application of highly specialised skills, the Façade Engineering Consultants manage the various technological demands of the building envelope to meet the required design criteria. The services provided are a major contributor to the success of any project and are a significant quality differentiator. Wintech’s involvement has been key to the successful delivery of many world renowned projects