What Keeps Architects Up at Night? Performance Concerns in Façade Specification

What keeps architects up at night? It’s a question that sparks a knowing nod among anyone in our industry. While the allure of grand designs and groundbreaking aesthetics is what draws us in, the reality is that the devil is often in the details, especially when it comes to façade specification.

I spend a lot of my time speaking with architects, and I can tell you, the passion for innovation is matched only by the precision required to deliver a building that performs.

The façade isn't just the face of a building, it's its skin, its protector, its primary interface with the external world. From battling the elements to ensuring occupant comfort and, critically, safeguarding lives, the performance of a façade is paramount. And with regulations and increasing complexity, specifying the right materials to meet these demanding criteria can indeed lead to some sleepless nights.

So, let's pull back the curtain on those common performance concerns that keep our talented architects tossing and turning, and explore how we, as an industry, can address them head-on.

The Litany of Façade Worries: What Architects Face Every Day

1. Fire Safety: The Uncompromising Imperative

Since the tragic events of Grenfell, fire safety in façades has rightly become the single most critical concern for architects in the UK. The emphasis is firmly on non-combustible materials. UK Building Regulations, particularly Approved Document B, have tightened requirements. For “relevant buildings” (generally those above 18 metres containing dwellings, institutions, or residential rooms, with discussions to extend this to 11 metres), all materials forming part of the external wall must achieve a Euroclass A2-s1, d0 or A1 classification.

This means architects are under immense pressure to specify components that meet these rigorous standards, ensuring that the façade will not contribute to fire spread. The challenge is balancing this critical safety requirement with design aesthetics and practicalities.

Our Jesmonite AC830 achieves an A1 EN13501-1 Fire Classification, meaning it's classified as non-combustible. This is a huge win for designers, as it means you can achieve stunning, complex forms and finishes without compromising on the highest fire safety standards.

2. Thermal Performance & Energy Efficiency: Chasing Net-Zero Reality

With the UK striving for net-zero carbon, thermal performance is a fundamental requirement. Architects are constantly seeking to reduce heat loss in winter and prevent overheating in summer. This means focusing on U-values (the measure of heat transfer through a material or assembly) where lower numbers indicate better insulation.

UK building regulations, such as Approved Document L, set stringent U-value targets for new builds, with external walls often needing to achieve 0.18 W/m²K. Achieving these targets requires meticulous attention to insulation thickness, cavity design, and eliminating thermal bridging. Incorrectly specified or installed thermal elements can lead to condensation, mould, and discomfort for occupants, as well as significant energy waste.

3. Water Ingress & Weatherproofing: The Constant Battle Against Damp

Rain, glorious rain… it's a staple of the British climate, and it poses one of the most persistent threats to façade integrity. Water ingress can lead to a host of problems: structural damage, mould growth, material degradation, and costly repairs.Causes range from hairline cracks and poorly detailed joints to ineffective drainage and sub-standard sealing around windows and penetrations.

Architects must ensure the façade system acts as a robust barrier against moisture, often relying on strategies like ventilated rainscreen cladding systems which create a void behind the outer skin to manage water and promote drying. The correct detailing and material selection for seals and membranes are crucial. On-site water testing is increasingly becoming a standard practice, particularly for curtain walling and rainscreen applications, to verify that installed interfaces do not leak.

While Jesmonite AC100 needs sealing to be waterproof, our AC730, AC830 and 930 have high resistance to water and its durability protects against environmental factors, especially when treated with an appropriate sealer like Flexiguard. Its dimensional stability and durability mean it holds up incredibly well against the UK's challenging weather, reducing the risk of water penetration points developing over time.

4. Durability & Maintenance: Building for the Long Haul

A façade is a long-term investment, and architects want to specify materials that will stand the test of time, resisting wear, UV degradation, pollution, and the inevitable passage of years. Concerns include fading, discolouration, corrosion of metal components, and the long-term effectiveness of sealants.

Design needs to consider not only initial aesthetics but also ease of maintenance and cleaning. A difficult-to-clean façade can quickly lose its appeal and become an eyesore, impacting property value. Specifying durable, low-maintenance materials helps to mitigate lifecycle costs and ensures the building continues to look as intended for decades.

Jesmonite is known for its excellent durability and resistance to UV. Its lightweight nature also aids in simpler handling and potentially faster installation, reducing stress on the material during construction and contributing to a longer life for the element. Its ability to replicate natural stone or concrete finishes provides the desired aesthetic without the inherent long-term maintenance costs often associated with those heavy, natural materials.

5. Acoustic Performance: Creating Tranquil Havens

In our increasingly dense urban environments, noise pollution is a significant factor impacting occupant well-being. Architects are tasked with designing façades that can effectively block external noise from traffic, construction, and city life, creating quiet, comfortable interior spaces.

Building regulations like Approved Document E provide guidance on sound insulation. The material choices for the façade, including the type of glazing, insulation, and the overall construction of the wall, all contribute to the building's acoustic performance.

Lighter weight panels, including those made from high-performance composites like Jesmonite, can offer good acoustic properties. While density often correlates with sound dampening, smart design using multi-layered systems, where Jesmonite could be a key component, can effectively mitigate noise. Its versatility also means that it can be applied in ways that incorporate acoustic design features.

A Holistic Approach to Façade Excellence

Ultimately, what keeps architects up at night is the monumental responsibility of balancing complex regulatory requirements, structural integrity, environmental performance, long-term durability, and aesthetic ambition. It's a high-wire act, but one that drives incredible innovation.

This is why I’m so passionate about materials like Jesmonite and providing a solution that actively addresses many of these 'nightmare' scenarios. Its fire rating, combined with its durability, water resistance and versatility in design, makes it an incredibly powerful tool in an architect's arsenal. Plus, its quick turn around and lightweight nature can reduce structural loads and often speed up construction, solving other key challenges.

We're in an era where materials must perform across multiple critical specifications. The future of architecture relies on innovation, collaboration, and a deep understanding of how material science can empower designers to create buildings that are not only magnificent but supremely resilient and responsible.

What are your biggest façade specification challenges? Contact us for solutions!