The Art of Balancing Design and Functionality in Facade Access

Facade access design often deals with how access systems will impact a commercial building’s exterior aesthetics, but during the early stages of a construction project, owners, developers, architects, and other stakeholders also need to consider functional requirements. These can include the space needed for access equipment to launch and, more importantly, how operable an artistic design is for the access systems that may attach or be built into it.

Failing to consider facade access functionality at the beginning stage can lead to costly solutions later, which is why it’s a vital topic to discuss early on. These conversations can also be much more successful when you invite Integrated Design Services (IDS) consultants from Facade Access NAM to the table.

IDS consultants are experts who can balance architects’ and clients’ aesthetic concerns, as well as the safety managers’ cautionary and regulatory compliance needs, all while staying cognizant of the nuances various types of contractors (e.g. facade repair, curtain wall, and commercial glass contractors) will face when completing their work.

To help you share with your teams why contacting IDS consultants is essential to design-stage discussions, we’ll walk you through how our experts can facilitate custom commercial facade access solutions that are both effective and appealing.

Effectiveness Starts with the End User

Historically, facade access systems became more necessary when buildings began incorporating glass more and more as a large-scale material. That’s why building design now needs to accommodate the functional and safety needs of curtain wall contractors, commercial glass and glazing contractors, and facade repair contractors.

When you work with a facade access design team like Facade Access IDS experts in those early days, we can arrive at conversations already understanding contractors’ functional needs, which can include (but are not limited to):

• High weight capacity: glass and glazing contractors (not to mention facade repair contractors) will be installing or moving large glass panels around the façade. They need systems with a strong lifting mechanism and a capacity that exceeds the combined weight of the workers, the facade materials, and the tools needed to complete their tasks.
• Modular design: when working with prefabricated panels, curtain wall contractors can find themselves working with objects with varying shapes and dimensions (and unusual ones, depending on the building team’s artistic vision). These workers may need facade access with a modular approach that makes for easy configuration to fit multiple panel types.
• Material handling integrations: in addition to manipulating pieces of the actual facade, repair contractors may need to transport additional replacement materials like glass, stone, or mortar, as well as sealants and cleaning solutions they’ll need to keep in easy reaching distance. They may require access systems that consider integrating tool trays and storage compartments for those additional materials. They may also need hoists to facilitate lifting and moving of the facade pieces while working at height.

In addition to facade access functionality, these contractors also need to know the systems they’re working with are safe. Organizations like OSHA and CCCOHS have fall protection regulations to ensure these safeties are present on job sites, and building project teams should always evaluate their plans to ensure compliance.

Your team should also consider working with experts like Facade Access IDS consultants. When contacted at the design stage, we can be your resource for both all regulatory information you need to know, and for custom access solutions built with equipment that makes compliance part of your commercial building’s DNA.

Custom Solutions to Support Design Aesthetic

The most successful commercial facade access solutions blend form and function seamlessly together. For architects, this means a solution that delivers on all of the following:

• Flexible Design: The architectural landscape continually evolves, with recent trends emphasizing sustainability, adaptability, and the integration of technology in facade designs. As design trends and tastes shift, architects need systems that adapt to their aesthetic choices, no matter how outside the box.
• Discreet Integration: Facade maintenance is essential, but the systems that facilitate aren’t successful if mar an otherwise beautiful design. Architects need commercial façade access solutions that are only minimally visible from passersby at ground level and don’t create unwanted visual clutter.
• Minimal Interior Impact: Architects need to think about the inside of the building too. That’s why they need any facade access design to avoid intruding the interior space in a way that would either eliminate interior space or disturb the layout.
• Long-Term Aesthetic Compatibility: How long is a building meant to last? How durable are the chosen facade materials like dynamic glass or living walls? In answering these questions, architects will realize they need access solutions that
  not only match the structure’s lifespan, but also prove a good match for potentially delicate materials. Not meeting these requirements could mean costly replacement or modification projects.

Together, these qualities ensure that architects can achieve their goals of innovatively pushing artistic boundaries. When your team contacts Facade Access IDS professionals, we can empower you and your architectural partners develop custom facade access design solutions that achieve functional and safety needs without sacrificing your creative vision.

A Partnership with Facade Access NAM: a Strategic Blueprint for Functional and Artistic Success

When you and your building’s project team integrate facade maintenance systems at the initial design stage, you demonstrate a forward-thinking and strategic mindset capable of balancing the artistic, functional, and regulatory requirements such an undertaking requires. By embracing this approach with the help of proven experts in facade access functionality and design, you also make your end product exponentially more successful.

For years, Facade Access NAM has been at the forefront of custom solutions for complex commercial needs. This includes facade access for both standard and unusual structures, and it’s why our team of Integrated Design Solutions consultants can be the ideal resource to help you bring your creative vision to life while maintaining compliance and operational excellence.

To ensure your building’s facade is not only accessible and safe, but also maintained to the highest standards, contact us and begin a conversation about your commercial facade access project with our expert consultants.