In the history of commercial real estate, façade access solutions grew in importance as structures grew in size. After all, maintenance on a glass exterior may be simple when the structure is only one or two stories, but as buildings grow in height, so must the access required to care for the property successfully and safely.
This same adaptable mindset applies to a building’s design, not merely its size. As your architects and contractors begin taking advantage of new tools and materials to realize ambitious structures, building façade designs must also change to ensure proper care for the finished product.
Making those alterations to façade access systems should also include developing solutions as early as possible in the building project—not to mention taking advantage of new resources that can help. When you partner with Integrated Design Services (IDS) experts from Façade Access NAM at the design stage, we can develop custom, forward-thinking façade equipment that empowers you to pursue both bold aesthetic visions and safe, efficient access for your contractors.
Trendsetting building design calls for next-gen façade equipment. The reason is simple: while rigid, prefabricated solutions once worked for all buildings, that was because structures didn’t necessarily include interplays of planes and angles or find influence from organic shapes, as with modern architectural marvels like The Gherkin in London.
These new building façade designs—combined with the inclusion of lighter or innovative materials including glass, mesh, and more—mean façade access systems also need to adjust to stay lightweight while maintaining durability and strength for safety purposes. In addition, you must ensure that your façade access solutions comply not only with OSHA and CCOHS regulations but also meet the ASME A120.1 Standards and other applicable industry guidelines to uphold the highest safety standards for your property.
Façade Access NAM’s IDS experts can help you navigate these necessities with recommendations that are built in partnership with your team at the design stage of the building project. By collaborating at these early stages, your finished structure can facilitate successful, safe, and efficient maintenance (or repair) processes without compromising on a striking and contemporary architectural vision.
The future of building façade designs is in your hands, and the time to start thinking about the access solutions that will help achieve your bold vision is now. By partnering with dedicated industry professionals like Façade Access NAM’s IDS experts early in the process, you can future-proof your efforts with systems made specifically for your needs.
Façade Access NAM’s Integrated Design Services are proven in numerous AEC and commercial maintenance applications across numerous sectors, including traditional and renewable energies, tower construction, educational institutions, and much more.
Contact us using the form in the upper right corner – and be well on your way to façade access solutions that empower you to achieve your goals.
Including exterior façade access design into a building project’s early, design-stage discussions does more than help architects achieve a fully realized aesthetic goal. It also empowers a project’s stakeholders to ensure regulatory compliance and, ultimately, maximize workplace safety for curtain wall, glazing, and façade repair contractors later.
These regulations aren’t optional; organizations and properties found in violation can face steep fines, among other penalties. That’s another reason why integrated design for façade access is so important: staying compliant with guidance from OSHA, CCOHS or other necessary entities can help reduce costs long-term.
However, grasping the full scope of necessary regulations can be challenging, as can identifying the most effective designs for façade access solutions that fulfill your team’s needs for aesthetics, maintenance, and safety.
Façade Access Solutions NAM provides its Integrated Design Services (IDS) for this reason. When you add our experts to your project’s design-stage conversations, we can facilitate custom façade access designs that keep unrelenting focus on all three of these priorities so you can achieve everything that modern building construction aspires to: beautiful form, impeccable function, and uncompromising safety compliance.
Organizations like OSHA don’t always have a single, definitive regulation dedicated solely to exterior façade access or exterior building maintenance. However, separate regulations and standards frequently overlap to create a network of precautionary measures made to help workers like curtain wall, glass and glazing, and façade repair contractors stay safe as they complete their tasks.
That network can be confusing when your project team is also focused on things like aesthetics, project timelines, and overall budgets. When you choose to work with Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts, you benefit from our dedicated assistance. Our specialists excel in developing integrated façade access designs that prioritize safety, helping to ensure your building remains compliant with regulations, including (but not limited to):
Effective modern building construction teams design with these regulations in mind because they understand that, in the same way those requirements create a type of safety net for workers, all the considerations that architects and contractors have to account for combine to form an environment where good work can happen safely, beginning at the building’s inception.
This anticipatory thinking helps your team achieve peace of mind by saving you trouble in the long run. When you partner with our IDS experts, we can help accomplish that goal by listening to your needs and vision, joining them with thorough regulatory expertise, and blending them together to create exterior façade access that empowers you to:
Integrated design for façade access is the only way to optimize both safety and regulatory compliance during exterior maintenance work of all kinds. Doing so can be enormously complex – which is why Façade Access Solutions NAM’s dedicated façade access experts can be worth untold sums in saved fines, greater efficiency, and (above all) optimal safety.
Our IDS team is constantly working on new and advanced façade access technologies that fulfill the widest possible range of modern building construction standards. We encourage all new construction design teams to prioritize exterior façade access by filling out our contact form in the upper right corner of the screen, and one of our experienced specialists will be with you shortly.
Thanks to innovations in high-rise building technology, architects and their teams can dream up buildings with imaginative shapes and unusual materials. After completion, however, these constructions can pose challenges for repair and maintenance contractors who may need access to hard-to-reach spaces. As a result, it’s important that project teams plan for proper maintenance post-construction by ensuring they install the right façade access solutions for their needs.
One piece of building maintenance equipment that buildings can incorporate for improved access are davit systems, anchored arm systems that can suspend both workers and materials during repair and maintenance processes. To help your team consider this technology for your projects, we’ll explore how integrating them can be a game changer for architects and contractors—and how discussing this OSHA compliant solution with Façade Access Solutions North America’s (NAM’s) Integrated Design Services (IDS) experts at early stages can set your build up for success.
Before you investigate davit systems any further, make sure your building will need them. It may be unclear in your project’s early days. You’ll start having a better idea, however, if design conversations begin to include talk of:
When mentioning safety, it’s also important to note that you should always check that your design and façade access plans comply with OSHA, CCOHS, or other relevant regulatory measures. However, including Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts at your project’s design stage can meet these needs by giving you access to a knowledgeable team that can recommend OSHA compliant façade access systems that are custom made for you.
Davit systems can revolutionize how architects and contractors approach building maintenance. These solutions, which consist of both a permanent base fixed to a structure’s roof, a mast, and an attached, movable arm that can attach to platforms, provide multiple benefits that include:
Whether your project is a simple building or a complex architectural art, it’s important to consider facade access systems at the early design and planning stage. With many building maintenance service providers, selecting the best for your facade access system may be challenging.
For years, Façade Access Solutions NAM IDS team of experts has been helping architects, contractors, and more as they have created—and maintained—iconic, innovative, and long-lasting commercial structures across North America. With our help, buildings receive custom solutions that comply with OSHA and CCOHS regulations, meet façade access functionality needs for installation and maintenance needs, and never compromise on teams’ aesthetic visions.
Façade Access Solutions NAM’s Integrated Design Service experts can revolutionize your building’s façade access with davit systems solutions.
Contact us for all building maintenance solutions.
The uninitiated may think that work on a building is finished when the ribbon gets cut, but you know that’s far from the truth. Of course, commercial buildings need to be appealing immediately after completion, both in terms of aesthetics and function. However, times, regulations, materials, and tastes all change. To stay on the right side of those changes and keep your building appealing in the long run, you’re probably already having conversations with your architects and contractors about developing a sustainable building maintenance plan.
If you are, then you should also be considering the exterior access systems and façade access maintenance procedures that can make your plan a success. To maximize your likelihood for a positive outcome, you can reach out to experts like those on Façade Access Solutions North America’s (NAM’s) Integrated Design Services (IDS) team for custom façade access solutions that will facilitate your maintenance processes. You should also read on to learn more on how the right access solutions and maintenance can keep your building ready for whatever the future holds.
Planning your building’s façade access systems in the pre-construction design stage will help your architect consider how the system will interact with the materials being used for the curtain wall (e.g. if the curtain wall components are lighter, then the façade access will need to consist of lightweight materials itself so the façade can support its weight). This can help long-term by potentially reducing the amount of façade access maintenance your building’s systems may require.
However, this is just one way installing and maintaining a proper façade access system can future-proof your building project. Others fall under two multifaceted categories: long-lasting appeal from an architectural perspective, and long-term success from contractors’ hands-on point of view.
That this isn’t an exhaustive list of benefits goes to show how important it is to plan out your building’s maintenance processes and the façade access systems you need to execute those tasks. When you reach out to Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts for support at the design stage, they can help you navigate all your priorities and deliver recommendations for custom systems that promote worker safety, operational efficiency, and incredible design at every turn.
As you bring your new building project to life, use your early team conversations to consider how the functional, design, and safety elements that a thorough building maintenance plan and façade system could help your building stand the tests of time. When you need fixed-in-place BMUs and other façade access recommendations, you can begin finding the solutions that will future-proof your project by reaching out to Façade Access Solutions NAM’s team of IDS experts.
For years, we have been providing custom solutions to help complete incredible structures across North America. Together with architects and contractors, our experts have created façade access systems that are built last while achieving architects’ aesthetic goals.
To get those lasting results for your commercial building project, contact us today.
Repairing and cleaning the exteriors of high-rise structures is arguably one of the most daunting challenges in building management. With the potential for irregularly shaped buildings creating challenges when accessing the façade, to safety considerations inherent to any labor performed at height, a building project’s team must facilitate safe, successful work—all while achieving the project’s functional and aesthetic ambitions—with proper façade access systems.
These challenges can become less difficult when building teams plan façade access at the project’s design stage with help from Façade Access Solutions North America’s (NAM’s) Integrated Design Services (IDS) experts. To learn how, read more about the challenges and solutions to properly navigating the complexities of exterior building maintenance.
Some of the challenges in high-rise building maintenance are like any other commercial property. Environmental stresses including wind, sunlight, rain, and more can accelerate the deterioration of exterior structural components and require routine maintenance and regulatory compliance with OSHA, CCOHS or other standards that may apply to a project.
When you contact Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts at the design stage, they can help you develop access systems that will help contractors navigate these issues, as well as additional factors particular to skyscrapers, including the following:
Even with these complexities factored in, there are multiple ways to streamline high-rise exterior building maintenance.
First, consider custom façade access design at your project’s design stage. Taking this step can help your architects determine access solutions your building will need for future maintenance without compromising on their artistic vision. It can also help architects execute a forward-thinking approach that accounts for contractors’ safety.
The next thing you should do is involve Façade Access NAM’s IDS experts in these early conversations. Whether the issues your team navigates include height, architectural design, materials, or even broader budget concerns, IDS experts can ensure that your team begins building with custom façade access solutions in place which both achieve the architectural vision while facilitating safe, successful maintenance operations after completion. They’ll do this by recommending equipment that meets your building’s specific needs while complying with any prevalent safety regulations. This early communication with façade access experts will help make it easier for contractors and architects to determine the right equipment for exterior building maintenance.
Façade Access Solutions NAM’s team of IDS experts is a part of Alimak Group, a leading partner in developing access solutions for high-rise buildings offering a range of equipment for all exterior building maintenance tasks. With our help, buildings receive custom solutions that comply with safety regulations, meet façade access functionality needs for maintenance and repair, and never compromise on teams’ aesthetic visions.
To see these results for your new building project,contact our IDS experts today.
Façade access functionality is one of the main concerns for teams, but it doesn’t have to be the only priority. When your architects and contractors are in the design stage of a project, consider environmental friendliness, too. Using sustainable façade materials might make you think you’ll have higher up-front costs than you would with traditional options, but there are multiple benefits—including cost effectiveness—that make sustainable façade access solutions an appealing option.
One of the best ways to learn about those benefits and receive sustainable recommendations for your façade access needs is to reach out to our Façade Access Solutions North America (NAM) team of Integrated Design Services (IDS) experts. When you include them at your building project’s earliest stages, they can deliver custom access systems for your structure that don’t compromise on architectural goals, that facilitate successful installation and maintenance operations, that comply with all necessary OSHA and CCOHS regulatory standards, and that are created with minimal environmental impact in mind.
Solutions like that call for designing with energy-efficient façade materials (i.e. those that don’t require large amounts of carbon emissions to produce, and which are light enough that they don’t need too much energy to operate either). However, architects may not always be aware of all energy-efficient materials at their disposal. They might also have concerns about how well sustainable materials will integrate with elements like the curtain wall—will the access system clash with their artistic vision?
If this lack of expertise is causing hesitation or confusion, Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts can offer clarity, spelling out clear benefits that include:
To contractors responsible for everything from curtain wall installation to glass maintenance, or even access system repair, façade access functionality is key.
If contractors on your team are nervous about incorporating sustainable materials into the structure’s access system, Façade NAM’s IDS experts can provide information to build their confidence in the approach. They can also collaborate with your team (including contractors) to integrate sustainable materials that help workers achieve:
For years, the Façade Access Solutions NAM IDS team of experts has been helping architects, contractors, and more as they have created some of the most iconic structures throughout North America. With our help, buildings receive custom, regulation-compliant solutions, meet façade access functionality needs for installation and maintenance needs, and never compromise on teams’ aesthetic visions.
To see these results for your project with an environmentally sustainable approach, contact us today.
Marrying new construction with existing buildings can be challenging for architects and contractors—especially when it involves a façade access retrofit. Depending on the project, teams may be adding access systems as part of historic building renovations, large-scale development plans involving phased construction, or updates to ensure their buildings comply with fall safety regulations. In the course of that work, they will need to not only balance architectural aesthetics and access systems’ functionality, but also plan retrofits with a building’s existing conditions in mind. They may even find themselves in the position of having to make a brand-new retrofit merge with existing façade access systems.
These can feel like daunting obstacles to navigate. However, including Façade Access Solutions North America’s (NAM) Integrated Design Services (IDS) experts at your project’s design stage can help alleviate the difficulties by synthesizing each build’s specific needs and returning with unique, safety-compliant recommendations for combining old and new.
When pairing a brand-new access system with existing construction in a façade access retrofit, one priority is to help both the new and existing structures be aesthetically pleasing together. Some may find it difficult to pair new elements with existing features, as original curtain wall materials age, general wear and tear of use exerts its toll, or surface colors change from long-term exposure to the elements. This task can also raise questions about material choices that may make architects feel forced to choose between aesthetic appeal and functionality.
When you contact Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts, though, you gain access to professionals who know how to listen to your needs, use the particulars of your existing construction, and return with recommendations providing:
For curtain wall, glazing, and façade repair contractors, practicality and safety are paramount in custom façade access solutions. Your contractors need to know that a building’s access systems can help them reach any area for maintenance, even if the structure is old or designed using shapes that create a more complicated work site. When working at height, they also need to be confident that the system, as well as their operational procedure when they’re on the system’s walking or working surfaces, coincide well enough to minimize fall hazards as much as possible.
To ensure their confidence in a building’s façade access solutions, they can benefit from teaming up with IDS expert who offer:
When you contact Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts, they can help your contractors feel confident in their operations before installation and maintenance begins, and secure knowing that compliance with fall safety regulations is woven into the project at its earliest stages.
A façade access retrofit project doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect. By integrating Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts in early conversations, you can make the task of combining existing construction with new access systems a success for everyone on the project team. With proven expertise in designing and implementing custom façade access solutions that are rigorous in ensuring safety compliance without compromising on aesthetic vision, the IDS team is the bridge between all your needs and stakeholders to produce exceptional results.
To begin your successful retrofit project, contact us today.
Planning a façade access system at its design stage can help architects future-proof a building project by providing access contractors and repair teams can use to maintain the property’s functionality and exterior beauty.
Don’t forget, however, that façade access systems need upkeep, too. They extend the life of your building and its appeal; should they fall into disrepair, they could incur preventable costs—not to mention the risk they can create for maintenance downtime and the potential for other exterior damages to occur as a result.
Keeping that in mind is important when initially planning your building’s access system. To achieve a successful result, consider including experts like those on Façade Access Solutions North America’s (NAM) Integrated Design Services (IDS) team. Including them at the design stage can help advocate for and incorporate regular exterior building servicing, resulting in a lasting façade access solution.
Regular façade access repair, both for the façade itself and for the exterior access system, helps architects ensure that their vision lasts well into the future.
To guarantee easy and regular repairs, architects should consider:
When you include Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts at the design stage, they can develop custom solutions that empower your teams to perform necessary access system repairs without compromising on the architect’s artistic vision. This can result in consistent care that preserves a building façade’s beauty for years.
By including access system maintenance to your building’s routine façade access repair procedures, you can also extend the access system’s life by reducing risks that include:
Consulting with Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS experts at the beginning of a new build can help you avoid these issues. When you contact us to join your team’s design-stage conversations, we can develop custom recommendations that make façade access system maintenance easy while maintaining regulatory compliance and aesthetic integrity.
A new building project requires numerous decisions on how to bring a vision to life, but don’t forget to put the measures in place that will help your completed vision last. Properly maintaining and repairing your property’s façade access system is one of those measures, and you act on it at your project’s design stage by reaching out to Façade Access Solutions NAM’s team of IDS experts.
For years, we have been providing custom solutions to some of the world’s most iconic structures with custom, regulation-compliant façade access systems that are built last, built to protect, and built to help achieve the aesthetic vision for your building.
To get those lasting results for your commercial building project, contact us today.
Embarking on a new commercial building project is full of exciting possibilities for the future, from the aesthetic vision as it comes to fruition, to the façade access equipment that will make that vision possible…and compliant with regulations.
It’s vital to consider the latter at a building’s design stage—not only to ensure that your façade access equipment solutions don’t compromise on the project’s artistic ambitions, but also to protect the construction and glazing contractors responsible who act on the architect’s goals.
That’s where the Façade Access Solutions North America’s (NAM) Integrated Design Services (IDS) experts come in. When you contact us at your building project’s earliest stages, our proven team can listen to your stakeholders’ needs, then return with recommendations that can help you stay ahead of safety concerns including regulatory compliance.
To incorporate façade access safety into your building project’s design stage, you first need to remember the regulations & standards governing your work.
For example, while OSHA 1910.66 in the US sets numerous regulations affecting facade access equipment, these regulations can change depending on geography. When you include experts like Façade NAM’s IDS team, we can help you stay aware—and ahead—of any compliance concerns.
When your team begins considering the regulatory requirements in place to protect workers, it becomes easy to see how your architectural ambitions benefit from maintaining compliance with local regulations.
These benefits include:
Efficiency: By considering compliant façade access equipment solutions early on, the project team saves itself from having to potentially retrofit systems into a design after the building’s completion. Preventing that means cutting the amount of downtime for the building, which in turn decreases the risk of accidents on the site. Early consideration also prevents a retrofit from reducing the façade’s exterior appeal or marring your architect’s initial vision.
Cost: Avoiding retrofits later helps reduce costs in the long-term. However, architects also benefit from considering façade access safety at the design stage because it helps them determine when they require custom access solutions, and grants them time to work with experts (like the Façade Access Solutions NAM’s IDS team) who can develop recommendations that fit the project’s budget.
Innovation: When an architect plans a building with many varying angles, heavy use of glazing and glasswork, or rounded, organic shapes, the project may require a custom façade access system. This presents an opportunity to work with integrated design experts to create a wholly unique access system. Achieving this can help architects position themselves as forward-thinking artists capable of keeping their buildings appealing well into the future.
When you consider regulatory compliance at your building’s design stage, contractors win, too.
The benefits that contractors experience when you solve for compliant for façade access equipment early include:
By contacting Façade Access NAM’s IDS experts, you can provide these benefits to the contractors on your building project. Incorporating our team early also means that your contractors’ needs can be heard and accounted for before they begin their tasks. When an IDS team member is present at the design stage, they can hear what contractors need to load building materials and tools, access complicated parts of a building’s structure, and more safely and successfully.
Regulatory compliance isn’t a luxury for commercial building projects—it’s essential. That’s why the Façade Access NAM team is vital to ensure your project’s success. We have a proven history of developing custom solutions for everything from standard, traditional builds to the most unusual and artistic commercial properties in North America. With every project, our experts develop systems that prioritize compliant façade access safety and meet maintenance and repair needs while never compromising on a building’s aesthetic vision.
To learn more, contact our IDS experts and begin achieving these results for your project today.
A fit for purpose, facade access system offers a significant advantage by enhancing the value of a building. Keeping the building facade well-maintained and free from dirt, debris and hazards makes it more appealing to potential tenants and buyers. This increased attractiveness contributes to a higher perceived value of the building, making it a desirable investment or occupancy opportunity. A well-maintained facade can also increase the overall curb appeal of the building, which can positively impact the surrounding neighbourhood and property values.
Facade Access Solutions’ facade access systems assist in the long-term preservation of commercial and residential buildings worldwide. Not only do our facade access solutions enable the regular cleaning of large and complex building structures, they also provide a means of enhanced safety access for maintenance and repairs, which allows our clients to safeguard their investments.
Regarding safety, investing in a suitable building maintenance unit (BMU) over relying on abseilers is key. Using a BMU significantly reduces the risk of falls and accidentally dropping cleaning equipment, which could result in safety risks for pedestrians below. Additionally, abseilers are more vulnerable to sudden weather changes and lack the protective measures offered by a building maintenance unit.
At Facade Access Solutions, our facade access systems are designed with maximum safety in mind. Facade Access Solutions’ building maintenance units rely on precise engineering, rigorously tested safety equipment, and qualified workers to ensure the safe and effective execution of all maintenance procedures.
A facade access system can help reduce long-term maintenance and repair costs by identifying potential problems before they become major issues. Regular inspections and maintenance of the building facade can help identify and address issues such as water damage, cracks, and other forms of deterioration, which can help prevent costly repairs and replacements down the line.
In addition to providing our clients with the installation of facade access systems that allow for regular repairs and maintenance on their structures, Facade Access Solutions also offers prompt and effective repairs and maintenance services for our systems. This includes quickly responding to short-notice and emergency callouts, ensuring efficient operation and reliability of our systems.
A facade access system can help building owners and managers comply with regulatory requirements and avoid potential legal issues. Building owners can avoid potential liability issues and fines associated with non-compliance with safety regulations by ensuring that the building facade is well-maintained and free from hazards.
At Facade Access Solutions, we offer a range of inspection programs to support the safe operation of our facade access systems. We also work closely with organisations across multiple industries to promote best practices around inspecting and safely operating facade access equipment.
