Do not judge a book by its cover, but you can sure judge a building by its façade. This is because a façade is not merely an ornamental building envelope. Notwithstanding the fact that modern facades render a sleek and sophisticated look to offices and other structures, these curtain walls are installed for fulfilling specific functional roles – roles that are extremely vital in light of energy depletion and rising energy costs, especially for offices.
Modern Glass Facades: Taking Luxury to New Heights
There is a good reason as to why most gigantic office and other commercial buildings incorporate glazed glass facades. After all, the delicate, fluid visual feel of glass has professionalism and sophistication written all over it. Superstructures constructed using glazed glass facades are bound to have passers-by gaping at them in awe and wonderment and allow the business owner to make a statement with the classy look of glass facades.
Moreover, there is quite nothing like gazing out at the world from the interiors of a building with glass facade systems. The transparency of glass allows one to have an other-worldly sort of an experience where the whole world lies in panoramic view of the spectator. As there are no construction burdens on the partition wall of glass, modern-day glass facades look like decorative skirts encircling the entire structure and offering picturesque views that are breath-taking. Such views of the outdoors coupled with the ample amount of natural light that enters play a key role in boosting the mood of those working within those office buildings.
Not Just Visually Enticing but High-Performing
The fact that modern glass façade systems are eye-pleasing and offer an excellent view of the glorious outdoors is undebatable. Yet, the importance of glass façade systems mainly makes sense due to their high-performance in energy-savings and their cost-effectiveness to offices and other commercial buildings where energy loss is a serious issue.
The effectiveness of glass facades in providing optimal energy-efficiency greatly depends on the glazing type. Installing solar-control glass or low-E glass in facades will prevent the intense heat of the sun from invading the interiors without compromising on natural light. Moreover, such facades can even prove to be beneficial during the colder months of the year by trapping in the heat and not allowing it to escape. As a result, the need for artificial lighting and artificial heating and cooling systems will reduce significantly, thereby resulting in reduced energy consumption and energy bills subsequently.
Energy-Efficiency + All-Glass Buildings
Let us see why and how the energy-efficiency provided by glass facades is being leveraged in the construction of modern-day offices.
Firstly, the building envelope is the physical barrier standing between the interior and the exterior environment. And to that end, it is responsible for much of the energy balance that occurs inside the building. As a result, the type of material used in the construction of the envelope or the façade is of utmost importance in determining the energy performance of a building, and therefore, its degree of sustainability. Moreover, let’s not forget the direct impact it will have on the building’s occupants, in this case, company’s workers. If the building is to stand in a region that experiences a Mediterranean or a tropical type of climate, where the need for interior cooling is more dominant for most part of the year, this condition becomes even more critical. But the problem can be solved by glass façades made using heat-reflective or low-E glass as they will reflect back most of the unwanted heat of the sun, allowing only tolerable levels to linger inside.
The next consideration while designing energy-efficient office buildings that use glass facades is adequate room for natural light to enter. Since the energy demand of any space is directly affected by the internal loads created by both artificial lighting and the use of air-conditioning and room heating and cooling devices, optimal energy-efficiency would involve taking both sufficient natural lighting and reduced need for air-conditioners and room heaters into account. Well, even in terms of supplying natural light, glass façade stands as a clear winner. Facades made of heat-reflective or low-E glass only disallow the unwanted longer infrared radiation of the sun from entering. They allow copious amounts of natural light to enter impeded.
Moreover, even smart glass or switchable glass is increasingly becoming a popular choice for office facades. After all, the simple recipe for achieving energy-efficiency in high-rise office and other commercial buildings is to focus on accomplishing optimal light and temperature management – both of which smart glass can smartly take care of minus the need for external shading or blinds.
Experience the Best of Glass Facades at AIS Glass
Weary of exorbitant energy bills that only seem to be rising by the year? Looking for efficient glass facades that can handle the situation? Look no further than AIS Glass – India’s leading glass manufacturer. Our structural glass facades offer excellent resistance against the harshest of weather elements – intense sun heat, harmful UV rays, rains, and high-velocity wind forces. Moreover, you can experience optimal daylight management using switchable smart glass facades. To experience the best that glass facades have to offer, get in touch with us without any second thoughts! Contact us today.