January 2020

Exterior architectural screens are versatile, attractive additions to building projects. Placement over windows, above doors and in many other locations can help to create a cohesive visual identity for your structure while offering some valuable practical benefits.

Whether you use mesh (including wire mesh and architectural mesh), cladding, louvres or another specific type of screen, you can realise some important and positive changes for your building. Let's look at four unique uses of exterior architectural screens you'll want to use in your own project. One especially important thing to remember as you review these benefits is their ability to stack upon one another. You can implement an exterior architectural screen that offers improved aesthetics, helps regulate cooling costs and adds an element of privacy all at the same time.

Exterior architectural screens help blend visibility and privacy.

1. Improved aesthetics

Exterior screens have an immediate visual impact on everyone who sees the building, whether they work, live or shop there or simply pass by. Architectural screens add a new dimension to a structure, making them more unique in terms of design and how they're perceived by individuals and the community. There are many examples of perforated metal and other types of screens helping a building stand out from the crowd.

The flexibility of architectural screens are important to note in this context. You can select mesh screens, perforated metal, woven wire and other options to best align with your overall vision for the project. Stainless steel and other types of metal can be finished and painted in a variety of styles, adding to the design flexibility. Whether your concept is a wholly abstract one or a visual representation of the structure's intent, you can enhance the aesthetics of your project with exterior architectural screens.

2. Informing intent

The concept of demonstrating the purpose of a building via exterior architectural screens is tied to idea of improved aesthetics, but offers some unique advantages separate from that goal. With a Pic Perf screen, for example, you can offer a concise and powerful visual explanation of the activities carried out within the structure. This application of architectural metal makes the intent of a facility clear in a way that many types of traditional signage cant. The ability to thoroughly customise the image perforated into the underlying metal sheets and vary the size and shape of the screen makes Pic Perf uniquely suited for addressing this opportunity.

An external architectural screen that demonstrates the purpose of the facility behind it is useful for attracting customers, growing interest in the local community and guiding first-time visitors to a specific location. With the use of this powerful design concept still on the rise, your facility will stand out for many years to come.

3. Temperature regulation and control

Heating and cooling costs for buildings are a major component of the long-term budget for operation. The Department of Environment and Energy found HVAC costs account for 39% of total energy consumption within an office building. Depending on their placement and the size of the gaps in the material, exterior screens can play a valuable role in providing shade to a structure while still allowing for visibility. By deflecting and absorbing sunlight, less residual heat filters into the building behind them.

In office buildings, apartments and other structures with a large number of windows, exterior architectural screens can reduce the ongoing price tag associated with cooling a building without significant maintenance costs of their own.

4. Privacy and limiting access

Windows that face the outside world help workers, customers and residents connect with the broader environment around them, as well as keep track of the weather and the passage of time. Allowing natural light into a building can also help to reduce the costs associated with electric lighting. These benefits aren't always in line with the purpose of a given building. Whether its environments with an expectation of privacy, like a medical facility or school, or a simple desire for limited visibility, exterior architectural screens can effectively address this need.

A screen can help strike a balance between visibility and privacy, allowing those inside a structure to see out while significantly reducing the ability of those outside to see in. With an exterior architectural screen, your building can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Finding the best partner for your exterior architectural screen

Knowing you want to add an exterior screen to your project is just the first step in realising this beneficial addition to your building. Partnering with a trusted, experienced provider of architectural screens means you can be confident in the results of your efforts.

To learn more about how Locker can help you make your vision a reality, get in touch with us today.

Metal grating is an indispensable tool in a variety of industrial and commercial settings. In its most common applications, it helps keep workers and visitors in a facility safe, providing a stable flooring base and traction when walking at ground level and, especially, at heights. It also can serve as an effective safety barrier, helping to deter accidents that could harm staff, equipment and the facility itself.

Stainless steel grating is especially valuable in this context, as it resists rust and corrosion. That means a longer-lasting walking surface or barrier with increased reliability and greater long-term value to the businesses using it. Grating can be customised to fit in many different facilities and is offered in different formulations, taking different load-bearing requirements and other factors into account.

A material as versatile as metal grating has many more applications than its most familiar one. Using steel grating in new and unique fashions can combine its practical safety applications with other considerations, like a specific aesthetic or an opportunity to set a mood when entering a facility. Let's look at three unusual and attractive applications of metal grating.

Metal gratings play a critical role in the safe operation of many facilities, but can be used in many other applications.

1. A unique, consistent aesthetic

Metal grating can be deployed as everything from standard floor and walkway coverings to platforms and mezzanines. While safety and durability are always the most important factors in these applications, there are also opportunities to create a unified aesthetic for a facility within the requirements set by considerations like the need for traction and weight support. This unified visual feel can make a facility appear more cohesive overall, providing a sense of continuity across all surfaces where the material is used. It can also be extended to protective barriers, strengthening this holistic approach to design.

There are a number of strategies to consider in this regard. Prefabricated panels can be used in many circumstances where this type of grating meets the needs of the facility. Knowledgeable grating providers can also create custom grating that fit into nonstandard floor plans and address specific operational needs, allowing for consistent appearance as well as effective management of safety concerns.

2. Visually appealing applications in entryways and office spaces

Not every space within an industrial or commercial facility needs metal grating from a safety or functional perspective. Office areas, entryways outside of the factory or warehouse and other places within the facility may not need the same slip protection and support if staff aren't engaging in activities that require this level of safety and support. However, metal grating can offer a unifying element in these areas, visually tying all areas of the facility together with a unified appearance.

Using the same metal grating within an entryway or foyer, set into a supporting floor structure, helps to indicate the major purpose of the facility and the type of work performed there to everyone who steps foot inside it. Metal grating can also be used in a pure application of form in this way, mounted to walls to provide visual context. Although it's not being used in its most common application, it can be a powerful design element that creates a sense of unified function.

3. Aluminium – an increasingly popular alternative

While steel grating is often seen as the standard in industrial applications, there are effective alternatives that can replicate the most important elements of this type of support structure. Aluminium is an increasingly popular choice for businesses that don't want to implement steel grating. While not as strong as steel due to its lighter weight, aluminium can capably provide the support and traction needed in a variety of industrial applications. In fact, its lighter weight makes it easier to instal in situations where the load-bearing capabilities of the underlying support structure is an important consideration. Its light weight also allows it to be more easily used as a false ceiling, facade or landscape feature, bringing a variety of aesthetic design options to the table.

Aluminium additionally offers a unique visual appearance that can stand out more than standard steel. If the safety features of aluminium meet your project's requirements, you can benefit from an effective combination of form and function by choosing this option.

Webforge is a leader in the prefabricated and custom metal grating space, offering a wide range of options for industrial and commercial projects. Our ability to custom craft many different styles of metal grating means you can rest assured that your facility can instal the grating it needs to address concerns of appearance and safe operation, regardless of the specifics.

To learn more, get in touch with the experts at Webforge today.