An Examination Of The Different Cladding Systems For High Rise Office Buildings In The Modern Era.
The Nature of the Problem to be Solved
Over the years, other cladding systems for high rise office buildings have emerged in the modern era. There has been a high rise in these buildings’ construction, with developing economies characterized by them. It has been caused by a growing economic power that attracts both local and foreign investors. Most commercial buildings have come up with complex structures being the primary factors behind the attractive image components generated by innovations and architecture (Todd & Ramuta, 2014). With this, several cladding systems have sought to enhance the nature of designing the high rise office buildings. Cladding systems play the role of determining how the outer cover of the building appears on the exterior. With a lot of construction design being formulated today, architectures must choose one suitable system when building office buildings in major cities.
This calls for the need to be specific on the details one settles for when looking out for the material that suits the construction work. Some of the things one needs to consider are factors such as building under construction, requirements of insulation, and the type of material to be applied for the cladding product. More than one layer is usually used by the cladding system, which is meant to protect the building structure from being ruined by moisture. Therefore, building contractors must carefully choose a plan that suits their options, which becomes a challenge to them. In most cases, selecting the right type of cladding system is an issue that requires them to first familiarize themselves with the pros and cons of the available options. It makes it easier for them to select the right material to use in the construction.
One of the common types of cladding systems is the use of metal, which is an option that is considered long-lasting and having little maintenance. Buildings embrace it due to its shiny and smooth surface that makes it easy to clean. As a result of this, the metals that are highly used are steel and aluminum, which is usually created by using a variety of patterns and looks. Another option is the use of brick cladding, which tends to be lightweight. It is easy to install, has less maintenance, and it has good insulation. The existence of vinyl cladding is a method that has no care, which is usually suitable for all types of buildings. It is advantageous due to its affordability and its existence in different colors (Todd & Ramuta, 2014). Stone cladding also exists, which is expensive due to the kind of labor required for installation. Wong and Baldwin (2016) explain that timber cladding exists in shingles and planks from different trees, with the option being considered environment friendly.
Most office buildings go for a concrete cladding system because of its ability to support strong structures. But as a result of the wide range of options that exist in the market, change in trends and technology has made it a problem in deciding what options are suitable for the buildings. Large cities are in high demand for high-rise construction, and with the high cost of land, landowners demand that maximum support is given in making the areas useful. One way to make these cities beautiful is by using cladding systems, which should be well chosen to minimize cases where they will be outdated. It calls for the need to come up with modern tastes in architecture by using innovative ideas that have been created by manufacturing companies that suit the condition of the architectural bureaus.
A Project Plan for the Solution of the Problem
The project will entail creating a solution to the problem by seeking a historical evaluation of high-rise construction and using it for positive associations. The initial step will entail understanding large corporations’ desire and what the authorities think about their engagement in embracing technology in architecture. It will be significant in exploring what role the cladding systems have on both the business community and the local administration. A translation should then be done on the project where well-known architectural bureaus will be assessed and company-producers who engage in high-rise construction in modern cities. This step will help in understanding what causes conflicts on architectural dominants, especially those that do not exist in compaunderstande high-rise architectural projects (Todd & Ramuta, 2014). There are cases where a country’s national economy can become overheated; here, the project will analyze how it impacts cladding systems’ types to use.
Therefore, this project plan will involve taking account of the amount of work that has been carried out from the historical period up to date. Acquiring this data is a way of gathering all the information required to determine what can be done to ensure that building constructors develop the best decisions when settling for a cladding system to use during the modern era. Similarly, an account of some of the difficulties that have been faced during the historical times will be identified. The project will assess them and determine ways in which they were overcome. It will apply in the report to help examine the development of the systems and what trends have come up to dominate the market today. The project will then be finalized by a summary of the wok yet to be done in ensuring that building constructors make the best decision when settling for a cladding system as an option for a high-rise building in the modern era.
An Account of the Work carried out to date.
Several factors have played a role in defining historical features that exist within the high-rise buildings. For instance, between the years 2000 to 2010, the height of erected buildings across cities rose, with most offices embracing them. The buildings range from 35 to 100 meters, with some going even above the estimate. It has been caused by several driving factors that have made the changes witnessed in the present time, where we see architectural bureaus come with ideas that seek to make the buildings even more beautiful. One way to enhance their appearances has been through the use of cladding systems, which have existed in the market since the dark ages. An example is the existence of timber cladding, which was used from 500 to 1500AD. The use of wood to make the exterior finishing was common, particularly in Europe and regions dominated by forests.
Cladding systems went further to change in the 16th and 18th century where weatherboards were made, an improved version of wood use. It became common as the building industries combined timber with technology, which made it suitable for construction. Nevertheless, these changes in the 19th and 21st centuries were due to the upcoming trend and technology in the construction industry; there came a higher demand for taller and buildings requiring exterior walls (Momčilović-Petronijević et al., 2018). Therefore, the cladding system became common as modernism was embraced, replacing the use of timber cladding. Methods such as brick cladding were enhanced, which was considered significant as well by the industry. The revolution has still been ongoing, with the modern-day witnessing substantial changes in the cladding systems that have been developed today. A variety of materials are today used for cladding, such as vinyl, metal, and composite materials that have been incorporated to enhance the durability and appearance of the high rise buildings.
An Account of the Difficulties Encountered and How they were Overcome
Some of the difficulties encountered in selecting the cladding systems are the changing trends that require manufacturing companies to keep up with the competition. The cost required to keep up with the change in systems needing close monitoring is done to evaluate what system suits the office buildings well. One of the significant hurdles in developing these systems has been the need to protect the environment when constructing the building. Architectural bureaus recommend that environmentally friendly energy sources should be used when choosing the type of cladding system to use in buildings. The most recommended systems are those that embrace the use of natural products such as wood due to their environmental friendliness. The maintenance cost of the methods is also a challenge with the change in trends as the constructors are forced to keep up with the changes in the market.
As a way of overcoming the challenges caused by trends, architects embrace the use of social media to explore the current designs. During the past years, buildings’ structures were gathered from observation methods and ideas that were initially being collected from peers. But the use of social media is one reliable strategy, given that the internet creates a platform where architects connect and share inspiring designs. It is excellent for collaboration and learning as greater understanding is boosted by the architects sharing the methods and getting to embrace new ideas in the market. It makes the process of choosing an option to use within the high-rise office building even more efficiently. To keep up with the costs associated with the new trends, architects have developed ways of expanding their innovation, creating awards that target projects. As a result of these, architects get a chance to get investors who fund their activities, and through these awards, they get inspiration on what methods to choose for the construction.
An Account of the Work yet to do
With an increasing rate of trends that calls for architects’ need to be informed of what cladding systems suit their construction, there is still a lot that needs to be done. The authorities involved in the building’s construction should initiate policies that encourage the architects to come up with multiple functions that can be used in developing the system designs. This will make it easier for architects to use methods they think are suitable for designing high-rise buildings. The local community can also be encouraged to consider investing in high-rise construction as one way of boosting the innovation process. Constructive feature matter in the buildings, which in this case, to maintain a modern appearance and reduce the scope of work within facilities, issues such as the economic feasibility and interrelation of systems during the building’s construction should be analyzed to help create a positive image for cities. Having the right impression requires technology and having support from both the authorities and the local community will act to market the regions by making the cities attractive.
References
Momčilović-Petronijević, A., Topličić-Ćurčić, G., & Ćurčić, A. (2018). Architecture and ceramic materials, development through time: adobe and brick. Facta universitatis-series: Architecture and Civil Engineering, 16(3), 387-400. https://doi.org/10.2298/FUACE180521016M
Todd, G., & Ramuta, J. (2014). U.S. Patent No. 8,769,901. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents.google.com/patent/US8769901B2/en
Wong, I., & Baldwin, A. N. (2016). Investigating the potential of applying vertical green walls to high-rise residential buildings for energy-saving in sub-tropical region. Building and Environment, 97, 34-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.11.028