Facades of the Future

W. Heusler

An analysis of past and present is always a good basis for predicting future trends. I would therefore like to start with a review of the development of office building windows and façades over the last 200 years. This period has seen ever-increasing demands on designers, products and contractors. The key issues have been design, quality, functionality, environmental acceptability, versatility, reliability in meeting deadlines, risk minimisation and costs. Changing requirements led to new solutions, which in turn created fresh expectations that quickly consolidated into further requirements. To what future solutions and organisations will we be led by present expectations and trends for metal fabrication?

Full-Text Article [345 KB]