Future-Proofing Buildings: The Role of Facade Access in Long-Term Building Maintenance

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.

How Planning Façade Access Benefits Your Building

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.

Long-Lasting Appeal

• Flexibility to evolve design: Investing in the access equipment that meets your building’s needs and engaging in ongoing façade access maintenance to repair and upgrade systems over time can give your architects the flexibility to evolve a property’s design as needs and tastes change. For example, fixed-in-place machines can empower architects and contractors to incorporate the new access equipment while reducing space requirements, allowing facades to stay—or become—as unobstructed as possible over time.
   
• Increased building value: When architects plan for adaptable BMUs that can either attach to the structure without obstructing the design or be easily attached and repositioned as needed, they can make a building as beautiful as possible and possibly increase the property’s value over time. Having high-quality access systems can be one of the factors that make a property attractive to tenants. Consequently, good access systems and consistent façade access maintenance can play a part in making the building more valuable for your team over its lifespan.

Long-Term Success

• Safe, efficient maintenance: A successful building project is one that prioritizes the safety of curtain wall, glazing, and repair contractors who need to perform upkeep on the building post-construction. However, safety regulation may require a different approach in the future, or new equipment may become available that addresses contractors’ needs, whether that involves ensuring easy access to BMUs that both provide adequate fall protection and make it easier for them to carry and reach their tools. In the long run, facilitating those needs can mitigate risk and, as a result, make maintenance more efficient by minimizing potential downtime.
   
• Improved energy efficiency: As buildings become more environmentally sustainable, façade repair and maintenance contractors may find themselves working on façade materials like solar panels, green walls, or glazing with low-emissivity coating. Using the design stage to decide on a building maintenance plan and equipment that accounts for these elements can give post-construction contractors the safe access systems that they need to clean, adjust, trim, or repair energy-saving components so they stay in optimal conserving condition.    

 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.

Prepare Your Building for the Future

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.