Architecture

One of the most critical choices you make when planning the architecture of a new house is how to configure windows. This decision will have a great deal of influence over many aspects of the home – how difficult (and expensive) it is to build, how elegant it will look when completed and to what degree it will let in heat and light. There’s a lot to consider.

It’s also important to think about how the architectural products you choose will have an impact on the windows of the house you’re building. For example, if you use stainless steel rather than aluminum to build the windows’ framework, what effect will that have? These small design choices can make a bigger difference than you think.

Reconsidering your windows’ architecture

Windows can have a surprising amount of impact on how livable a home or office building becomes, especially when you consider the sort of architectural products you use to build them. For instance, according to Architecture AU, there’s been a recent trend of builders using more stainless steel for finishing windows.

This has had a noticeable effect. The steel has given the windows a strong, bold profile that makes them appear more sleek and seamless. The effect isn’t just aesthetic, either – windows adorned with sturdy material like steel make it easier for the building to be resistant to the elements and block out high-speed winds.

Optimising for heat and air flow

How much hot and cold air flows into a building is always important. This is a major factor determining the indoor temperature and air quality in the building, which in turn will dictate how much heating and/or air conditioning is needed. In effect, airflow is a major cost centre.

Windows can control the flow of light into a building.

Rappler noted that the structure of your windows will largely dictate airflow. If you have the right screening media to keep heat and wind under control, it will be easier to keep your costs to a minimum. There’s a cost-benefit analysis to be performed during the building process. How much should you spend on superior building materials?

Considering Locker Group’s line of products

If you decide to go all out and build good, sturdy windows that will keep your building fully protected, we have the right building materials at Locker Group to help make that happen. For example, our line of expanded metal products is great for protecting buildings from the harsh glare of the sun.

Whatever specific architectural challenges you’re facing, we are confident that we have the right materials – as well as the expertise – to handle them. Contact us today, and we can discuss all your building needs.

The population of Australia is constantly increasing. According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 24.2 million people in the country as of September 2016, which was about 350,000 more than one year earlier. As a rule, Australia’s population has been steadily rising at a rate of about 1.5 per cent per year. And there’s no hiding from the truth – all those people are going to need places to live.

To be more specific, they need a diversity of places. Not everyone is rich and can afford a mansion; not everyone is poor and wants to live in a small, cramped place in a bad neighbourhood. Most people, in fact, are somewhere in the middle. This being the case, it’s important that the nation’s architects work to deliver housing solutions for a wide range of different people with varying tastes, preferences and price ranges in mind.

Making creative architecture choices will absolutely play a role in this effort.

Australia’s current lack of housing diversity

With the population increasing so quickly, the architectural sector is working to crank out livable housing as quickly as possible to accommodate everyone. Given the rise of new building strategies like industrial flooring, it’s now easier than ever to mass-produce houses and get them ready quickly. But according to recent findings in the Parliament of Australia, too many houses are all the same.

There’s a simple formula that’s being followed – a large house, four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a roomy three-car garage – the “McMansion” approach, as it’s known. Professor Terry Burke, from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, argued before Parliament that these domiciles won’t be the right fit for enough of the population for the current building model to be sustainable.

“Historically, I do not think we have really built suburbs as lacking in diversity as those we are building at the moment,” Mr Burke said.

This is especially a problem in affluent suburbs of major Australian cities – consider western Sydney, for example. In areas like this, there’s a lot of building, but not enough diversity among the housing projects currently being undertaken.

What can be done about the problem?

So how can this issue be fixed? What will move us toward a future in which families have a range of different housing options available? According to Architecture AU, a lot of it comes down to better planning early in the building process. Ken Maher, president of the Australian Institute of Architects, told the news outlet that real estate developers need to examine demographics carefully as they shape their business strategies.

Australian architects can either build new homes or retrofit new ones.

The housing options available in Australia’s cities and suburbs can be modified in one of two ways – either by building different homes in the first place, or by changing existing residences by using inventive retrofitting strategies. In either event, it’s worthwhile to think about the different kinds of architectural products available for these projects and how they might impact the eventual finished products.

Looking carefully at the products used in building

When the time comes to build a new house or modify an existing one, the component pieces used can make all the difference. At Locker Group, we have a wide range of offerings that can play a part in the process. Take curtains, for example. Our wire mesh curtains make an ideal way to add texture or character to a room – for nice, upscale homes, they might be a worthy addition, but they’re also completely optional.

Our vast catalog of construction products makes it easy for builders to customise their projects to whatever specifications they have in mind. Whether you’re constructing a mansion for an upper-class family or a more modest home, we have the building blocks that will be right for you.

At Locker Group, we know that innovation is an essential part of good architecture. This is why we’ve developed pic-perf, a perforated metal that allows you to recreate the most stunning images on to any wall or surface. But, what exactly is pic-perf, and how is it being used by architects all over Australia?

What is pic-perf?

Locker Group’s unique pic-perf technology allows you to create any image by punching hundreds, or even thousands, of holes into a metal surface. It is an excellent addition to balustrades, facades and partitions. It also makes a great sunshade. Not all architecture has to be functional either – our pic-perf can be used simply as a piece of artwork to decorate your building or project.

Other advantages of pic-perf include its added ventilation, wind resistance and security (you can see out but it’s hard to see in).

Even if you can’t think of a pic-perf design, Locker Group can help you come up with one.

How has pic-perf been used so far?

Locker Group’s pic-perf has already been used in some fantastic projects around Australia.

For instance, we collaborated with architect firm Hassell to create a wall for Adelaide Zoo. The design did not only include pictures of the animals you might expect to find in the zoo, but also incorporated words associated with the excitement of a day out there. This meant not only was the wall a functional way of partitioning the zoo, it also worked as a long-lasting advert.

If you’ve ever been to the Suncorp Stadium (originally known as Lang Park), you’ll have admired the pic-perf addition there, which shows people playing rugby league. Meanwhile, our work with Rothe Lowman and Sue Hodges Productions produced an incredible design of a horse and carriage to adorn the lobby of an apartment building in Brunswick East.

You’re not just confined to grey and black when you use our pic-perf either. Our work with the John Curtin College of the Arts produced a stunning design that incorporated different shades of blue.

The John Curtin College of the Arts shows you can easily incorporate colour into your pic-perf design.

What do you need to consider when using pic-perf?

You need to think about viewing distance and what colour your background will be when deciding on your design (a darker background requires a lighter surface). You also need to consider the environment in which you intend to place your pic-perf so you can decide on which material will suit your project best.

Here at Locker Group, we work closely with our clients to ensure that all these questions are sorted out as early as possible. Even if you don’t have a design in mind, Locker Group will help you create one, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re interested.

The Montario Quarter, a LandCorp redevelopment of the old Shenton Park Hospital site in Perth, is now underway and is a project that holds much promise for the city’s residents.

The transformation of the old hospital’s 15.8 hectare grounds will see the construction of 1,100 new apartments and houses, in addition to a shopping village and a significant amount of public park space.

High expectations for Montario Quarter development

Frank Marra, chief executive at LandCorp, said the development will be delivered in a way suiting the unique natural and historic features of the area.

“The improvement scheme is based on values the community outlined through extensive stakeholder engagement, including a formal public comment period which took place earlier in the year,” Marra told The Western Australian.

“As a result, public open space will form a key part of Montario Quarter, with more than 25 per cent of the estate earmarked for features including an urban orchard, playground and exercise equipment, a nature-play area, grassed spaces and retained bushland.”

Attractive and accessible parks enhance urban areas and a good for communities.

Similar types of new developments across Australia are helping to redefine public spaces in terms of the community, social, environmental and economic benefits they can provide. One important aspect that today’s urban planners consider is how to make the public spaces they’re developing more visually appealing with improved architecture or art. This is where Locker Group can be of help.

Locker Group helps planners realise their artistic vision

One of Locker Group’s recent successes in public spaces was the creation and installation of the iconic Float sculpture of 12 large upturned umbrellas in Sydney, a joint project with Stone & Milnehouse.

Locker Group designed the materials to make Float, including two Transit stainless steel mesh pieces to make the umbrellas look soft and billowing. The mesh pieces were shaped to fit the upside down umbrella skin. At Locker Group, our experts can mould metal into a wide variety of forms and create unique shapes.

Float intends to convey an environmental message to the community – specifically, a greater awareness of climate change. According to Stone & Milnehouse, the upturned umbrellas represent the ability to collect water rather than just being a means to shield oneself from the sun and rain. They are a reminder to passersby that we need to conserve.

If you’d like to find out more about Locker Group’s wide range of architectural products for use in public spaces, please get in touch with us today.

Designers and builders in past eras often worked on projects with fairly straight-forward architectural expectations, utilising affordable materials that were available. As long as the finished project did the job, that was as much as could be asked of them.

These days, the market has evolved dramatically and the demand for aesthetically pleasing facades made of sustainable yet affordable materials is in high demand. Fortunately, Locker Group offers Atmosphere – a lightweight, durable product that offers a practical and attractive solution.

How do Atmosphere facades work?

There are few raw materials on the market that offer the same range of features as Atmosphere, something that building designers and builders have to recognise.

To understand the advantages of an Atmosphere facade, it’s important to first talk about how it’s made and how it works. Atmosphere is a lightweight material made up of multiple layers of perforated metal panels joined to 8-millimetre stainless steel tension cables. These can be attached to commercial or industrial buildings which allows the facade to create an attractive visual “floating effect”.

While providing a visual appeal to those outside the building, Atmosphere’s perforated texture protects those inside the building from the harsh glare of the sun. At the same time, the floating nature of the facade means that visibility of the space isn’t restricted – people passing through the structure can see through, inside and out – and an adequate amount of natural light still gets in.

Atmosphere facades will block out the harsh glare of the sun, but still let through an adequate amount of natural light.

Access to natural light is an important consideration in the workplace. A study by researchers from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that office workers with higher light exposure had longer sleep, better sleep quality and quality of life than those with less workplace light exposure.

Atmosphere takes out the sun’s glare but still allows a moderate amount of natural daylight to come through into the building, so that every room is well lit.

A sustainable solution for the long term

With Atmosphere facades, your business can also achieve its environmental and sustainability goals through reduced energy consumption. In hot sunny days, it has a cooling effect on the building – allowing for reduced usage of fans and air conditioning units. The panels also have the potential to be used as a solar power resource.

Altogether, it is a solution that can help a business get creative with its energy efficiency and realise significant gains in terms of utility bill savings. The benefits of Atmosphere in terms of sustainability practically pay for themselves in the long run.

A world of possibilities awaits

Atmosphere has an intriguing array of potential applications. It can be used to retrofit and create a new look for an old building – an optimal solution when costs prohibit a complete renovation overhaul – or it can be used to adorn a completely new one.

The material can be moulded to fit almost any design – it’s flexible and therefore the possibilities are endless. Locker Group offers Atmosphere in a wide variety of different colours and profiles. It really does provide the modern-day business designer with so many exciting options to choose from.

If you’re thinking about creative options for your company’s next building project, it’s a product that we would invite you to consider.

The price of living and owning property in Australia’s urban centres has become increasingly challenging for the average home buyer. As Business Insider reports, the most recent International Housing Affordability Survey rates Sydney second on its list of least-affordable cities to buy a house this year, with Melbourne coming in at number six.

Affordable housing is a complex issue with many contributing factors. But one of the industries that can have an impact on the situation is architecture. By addressing some of the challenges of housing our growing urban population at the design stage, we can make things easier and more affordable for consumers further down the line. But how can architects go about this, and what part can Locker Group play?

An opportunity for architects

National president of the Australian Institute of Architects, Ken Maher, recently spoke at Parliament House in Canberra about housing affordability. As part of his address he argued for medium-density housing, including multiresidential buildings, as a way to address the issue of housing affordability in our main centres. He believes that architects have an opportunity to help make living in Australia’s cities more affordable, as well as more environmentally friendly.

“As a key player in the development of the built environment, the architecture profession has the skills to deliver housing that addresses crucial issues, such as affordable living, sustainable design and flexible housing, providing savings in both upfront costs and the ongoing cost of occupation,” he said.

We believe that Locker Group’s architectural products can be part of this affordable, sustainable design. Our metal facade products, in particular, are ideally suited to be incorporated into buildings that are cheaper to make and cheaper to maintain, while still providing a comfortable environment for their tenants.

By reducing construction costs you can make residential apartments more affordable.

Reduced construction and maintenance costs

Designing and building with locally-sourced materials saves the costs of importing and expensive long-distance shipping. Locker Group’s extensive footprint and ability to produce on a large scale means we’re able to provide quality products for competitive prices.

Once construction is finished, there are other ways to save with Locker Group. Many of our products, particularly our perforated and expanded metal facades, can be treated as individual components – if there is a piece that needs repairing or replacing, this can be done without having to pull down the entire facade. By incorporating more of a modular attitude to design, architects reduce the ongoing maintenance costs of their buildings, which means there are fewer costs to be passed on down the line to tenants.

Incorporating sustainability into a building’s design benefits its occupants the environment.

Sustainable apartment buildings have lower running costs

Beyond the cost of buying and maintaining a home, ongoing living costs in a city are high. Making buildings that are sustainable and designed for low energy use are not only good for the environment, but they cost less to live in.

Australia’s climate poses a challenge for architects who want to make buildings that don’t rely too heavily on artificial air-conditioning. Using shading facades reduces the impact of sun and cools the interior of a building naturally, without interfering with views or airflow, meaning electricity bills come down.

The ecological benefits shouldn’t be disregarded, though, as long-term design needs to be sustainable in every sense. As Maher puts it:

“Good design can’t be seen as a luxury or an optional extra; rather, it is essential to delivering a built environment that can sustain Australia’s diverse communities into the future.”

Affordable and green urban housing comes down to consciously designed architecture. This, in part, comes down to using quality products that are made to be low-maintenance and promote sustainability. Get in touch with Locker Group today to find out how our architectural products can be used in innovative urban design.

One of the primary challenges we face here in Australia is the sun. According to SunSmart Victoria, Australia’s UV levels are some of the highest in the world. This is such an issue that some Australian wine makers even have to put sunblock on their grapes to prevent them from being charred by the sun, CNN Money reports.

For architects, the sun presents both a problem and an opportunity. Harsh light and heat can ruin the comfort of a building’s occupants, but this intense sunlight offers potential benefits for buildings that aim to be more sustainable and energy-conscious.

The powerful benefits of Australia’s sunlight

A good example of this is the proposed Sol Invictus Tower in Melbourne, which was announced last year by Peddle Thorp Architects. The 60-storey apartment building will wear a skin of more than 35,000 solar panels that, along with roof-mounted wind turbines, will provide more than half of the tower’s energy needs, Architectural Digest reports. The building’s shape is designed to make the most of the sun throughout the day.

Buildings like Sol Invictus are part of a growing movement in architecture that recognises what the Australian climate has to offer, and runs with it rather than fights against it. But taking advantage of the sun as a power source doesn’t mean you can ignore the problems it causes.

The sun is great for solar panels, but can be harsh on a building’s occupants.

Balancing sustainability with comfort

The flip side to this natural heat source is that it doesn’t discriminate – the strong sunlight that hits solar panels and powers a building also heats the interior and casts glare. For a building to be comfortably liveable it needs to moderate the effect of the sun’s heat and glare while still making the most of it as an energy and light source. Solar panels are a great way to take on that second challenge, but what about the first?

Locker Group has a range of products that can be used to minimise the unpleasant effects of the sun on a building’s occupants. Woven wire, perforated and expanded metal facades can all be used to provide shade without limiting view or air flow. Check out our case studies for some examples of how LG’s architectural products have been used to moderate the effects of the sun.

Harnessing the sun’s power while protecting ourselves from its heat are not mutually exclusive goals. Locker Group’s products provide ways to design buildings that make the most of what the sun has to offer without subjecting the interior to its harsh effects. Get in touch today to discuss how we can be involved in your next sustainable design project.

Graffiti is a continuing problem in Australia’s urban centres. During the five year period between July 2011 and June 2016, NSW police received an average of 8,063 reports of incidence of graffiti a year. And there’s a financial side to it as well – according to the Keep Australia Beautiful association, graffiti and other vandalism costs the Australian community an estimated $2.7 billion per year.

With this in mind, many businesses and councils are working on the understanding that prevention is better than a cure. Deterring vandals is a more effective use of money and resources than cleaning up and repairing property afterwards. This is one of the reasons that a perforated or expanded metal facade can be a good choice for architectural projects in public spaces.

Facades present vandals with an unappealing canvas

The Victoria State Government recommends applying anti-graffiti coatings to walls to make them easier to clean and make the wall less appealing to graffiti in the first place. We think it’s possible to go a step further than a coating, though – what if the very wall was anti-graffiti?

A non-solid facade like perforated or expanded metal presents vandals with a surface that is more difficult to paint, and makes the resulting graffiti harder to see. This removes the appeal for the vandal.

However, when our Pic-Perf technique is involved there’s another way that our facades can help deter graffiti. Pic-Perf is Locker’s unique method of recreating images and designs with perforated metal. By varying the size and placement of the perforations, we can create an image without relying on paint or other coatings that can be damaged or destroyed by graffiti.

We’ve talked before about how using Pic-Perf for designs and murals means that cleaning off graffiti is easier than if the art was painted on the wall. But there’s an added anti-graffiti benefit to using Pic-Perf, which is that an illustrated facade may help to reduce graffiti in the first place.

Public art discourages graffiti

As InformeDesign reports, a 2006 study in New Zealand found that walls with murals or public art suffered less graffiti than plain walls. The Project for Public Spaces in the United States also recommends murals as a way of discouraging graffiti, especially when local artists and the community are involved in the project. Not only is it more difficult to see graffiti on the illustrated surface, but locals are less likely to deface a piece of art they connect with.

By adorning your building with a design rendered in Pic-Perf, you not only make it more pleasing to look at; you may also be reducing its risk as a target of graffiti. To stop people putting their pictures on your walls, it seems the answer may be to put some pictures on them yourself.

However, as Myra Taylor and Ida Marais of The University of Western Australia say in their 2009 paper ‘Does Urban Art Deter Graffiti Proliferation?’, public artwork is more effective at discouraging graffiti in the short term than it is over a longer period. This is where the durable, easy-clean nature of Pic-Perf still offers benefits: Even the best preventative design decisions may not completely prevent graffiti, so having a metal facade that can be cleaned with solvents or water blasting without risk of damage is a cost-effective choice.

Locker Group provides a range of architectural products that can be incorporated into public works. In addition to the aesthetic and comfort benefits these give to a building, these can also play a role in making spaces safer, cleaner and less prone to vandalism. To find out more about how we can help with your next project, please get in touch today.

Perforated metal has uses in a wide range of industries, and some of them aren’t all that obvious. Here at Locker Group a great deal of our work is providing materials for architectural designs, but we’re often asked to help out with other projects. We thought we’d take a look at one of the less conventional applications of perforated metal, one that nevertheless bears a little resemblance to architecture: beehives.

Beekeepers’ divisive use of perforated metal

Beekeepers primarily use perforated metal for a product called a queen excluder. As the Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAAREC) explains, this is a thin sheet of perforated metal with holes punched through that are small enough to prevent the queen bee getting past, but large enough to let worker bees go through freely.

Queen excluders are used to keep the queen, and her eggs, separate from the honey stores. This stops her from laying eggs in the area where the beekeeper will eventually harvest honey from, meaning the next generation of bees is allowed to grow undisturbed, and the beekeeper can collect honey that isn’t contaminated with eggs. They can also be used in hives that have been set up in a two-queen system.

As with larger human spaces, we can see perforated metal being used as a way to divide a space and selectively limit what can cross the barrier. In the case of the beehive, it’s dividing worker bees from the queen; in architectural uses, it might be dampening sound without preventing light from passing through.

Perforated metal has a small but important role in the beekeeping industry.

Locker Group’s comprehensive range of perforated architectural products

Locker Group produces a wide range of perforated metal architectural products. We understand the importance of completing large and small projects to high standard; while a small sheet of metal in a beehive may not seem all that grand, it serves an important purpose to the industry.

Perforated metal has so many applications partly because it can be made in so many ways. Here at Locker we can punch sheets with holes in a variety of different shapes and patterns, and cut or fold the sheets to fit whatever customised shape the project needs. We can also supply perforated sheets in several different materials including stainless steel, aluminium and polypropylene. Whatever you need to finish your project, large or small, Locker Group can work with you to provide a solution.

Check out our case studies for some examples of full-scale architectural applications of Locker Group’s products, or get in touch today to find out more.

Beauty isn’t skin deep. While Locker Group has a long history of exterior application with architectural fixtures, their products hold just as much potential for using interior design to transform a building.

When making the most of an internal space, it can be hard to find a single material that can be used in multiple settings and carry out multiple functions. Not only are internal environments different than exterior ones, there is an endless variety of purposes a room can have that designers must take into account.

As Locker Group’s architectural and commercial representative, Joe Berkelmans knows what he’s talking about when he says that metal products can be used in any architectural setting.

Why use metal in interior design?

In a word, Versatility. While other products such as wood, plastic or glass may have their time and place, none is as diverse as metal according to Mr Berkelmans.

“A versatile product goes beyond simple application such as ceilings, balustrades and screens,” says Joe. “When using metal in interior design, the ability to roll, shape, and adjust colour and size gives our products both interior and exterior superiority over more inflexible options.”

“On top of this, the durability of metal means that in whatever application it’s designed for, it’ll stand the test of time, long outlasting the likes of timber.”

Because no two metal installations look alike, in order to gain a better understanding of the capabilities of metal, it’s best to see it in action. Below are some prime examples where Locker Group’s architectural products have transformed an interior space:

1. Perforated metal

Perforated metal can help diffuse noise.

In large open spaces where a lot of people congregate, excess noise can be an issue. In this application, the use of perforated metal acts as an acoustic dampener. According to Joe, the perforated holes disperse sound, slowing it as it travels through, to scatter and reduce the overall amount of noise. While the above picture shows perforated metal at Perth Arena, this application is more commonly used in industry.

“Perforated metal is often used in manufacturing, on the walls of factory floors,” says Joe, as a way to protect workers’ health and prevent hearing damage, blending form and function into a single product.

2. Wire curtains

Wire curtains can partition areas without losing space.

When internal separation is needed without compromising on space, such as in an office or restaurant, choosing the right dividing material can be hard. How do interior architects design a space that at the same time partitions areas and keep them from feeling cramped or closed off? The answer: wire curtains.

Wire curtains offer the practical solution as in the above picture of separating, not subtracting, space.

“The moveable curtains let the owners adjust the interior space to open up the restaurant and meet whatever requirements on the night, without compromising on space,” says Joe.

In a business setting, wire curtains can also help achieve the desired balance between open and private office environment to create a more productive workspace.

3. Pic Perf

The historic image ties the futuristic building to the past.

While metal may carry the perception of befitting a modern, industrial style, in the right application it can also serve as a link to the past.

“In designing the renovations for the old Tip Top factory in Brunswick, they needed a way to tie the heritage of the building with the modern design, as a way to keep the history of the place alive,” says Mr Berkelmans.

Pic Perf was the natural choice, combining both the perforated metal medium with an original image of the old factory.

Where is the future of metal design?

Perhaps one of the most exciting frontiers of interior application of Locker Group’s products is the growing interest in using them in support of green walls and spaces. In this application, wire mesh or a similar product is used as a scaffold for plants and vegetation, turning bare spaces into lush green features. Not only does having more green spaces make an interior (or exterior) space look more inviting and unique, it also helps improve the air quality for the people working in and around these green walls as the vegetation acts as air purifiers.

At the moment, green walls are constrained to small-scale projects such as rooftop terraces, says Mr Berkelmans, but he’s seen a huge amount of interest in it recently as building design becomes more environmentally focused.

No matter the application, there’s something to be gained from using one of Locker Group’s many architectural products. The versatility, durability and style of metal can not only make a modern building look cutting-edge, but it can also serve as a vital link to the past.

To find out more about Locker Group’s range, get in touch with the team today.

Finding a balance between form and function is essential when designing the facade of a building.

Facades do more than act as a visual marker. Part of achieving this form/function balance is to give it more than a single use. While retrofitting a facade can dramatically reduce a building’s energy expenditure, there’s much more they can do.

The only limit to a facade’s function is imagination. In this article, we’ll look at some innovative facade designs that have fully embraced multi-functionality.

Facades that adjust to temperature

In the sweltering climate of Abu Dhabi, buildings with glass exteriors act as gigantic magnifying glasses for the sun’s intense rays.

This was the situation faced by the Al Bahar towers, designed by Aedas Architects. The solution? Sunscreens that change in response to heat. According to Abu Dhabi Media, the exterior modules are controlled by computers that react to the sun and change configuration to better shade the buildings’ residents, protecting them from the harsh temperatures.

“The way you’re seeing it now, it will probably never look like that again, in that the mashrabiya – as we call it – on the building will actually open and close as the sun moves round the building throughout the day,” said deputy chairman of architectural firm Aedas Peter Oborn, speaking to Abu Dhabi Media. ‘Mashrabiya’ is the Arabic name given to the particular style of wooden lattice screening the modules take inspiration from.

In a similar vein, Locker Group’s Atmosphere facade reduces the amount of solar radiation hitting a building’s windows while retaining air flow and vision out.

Facades that pluck pollution from the atmosphere

A hospital in Mexico City does more than heal patients inside its four walls. Outside, it improves the health of nearby residents, thanks to its unique facade that scrubs pollutants from the surrounding air. The facade is coated in a titanium dioxide layer, which when exposed to UV radiation, converts common car exhaust pollutants (such as nitrous oxides, volatile organic compounds and sulfur dioxide), into harmless products, according to German architectural firm Elegant Embellishments.

This single facade has the ability to remove 1,000 cars’ worth of pollution per day. According to Gizmodo, the unique shape of the facade also helps to slow down the flow of air around the building, to further heighten its efficiency at removing toxins.

Not every facade needs to employ cutting technology to improve functionality. To find out how Locker Group’s range of architectural products can help improve the energy efficiency of your building, get in touch with the team today.

What’s in a good facade? A well done one can transform the outside of a building, giving a tired exterior a facelift or simply bringing an old building into the modern age.

Facades do more than look pretty. There are serious savings to be made in your energy expenditure bill, and by selecting ones that combat solar glare without impacting employees’ ability to see outside, productivity can be increased too.

At Locker Group, we offer a range of innovative facade designs that suit numerous applications. Below, we’ve outlined three different products, highlighting what makes them stand out solutions for any facade application.

Atmosphere

While natural lighting is good, there is such a thing as too much. Trying to work with the sun in your eyes or on your computer screen can put a halt to the productivity of even the most earnest employee. This is where Atmosphere’s perforated panels step in.

This new addition to the facade market has been specifically designed to combat solar glare yet allow workers a clear view of the space outside. Atmosphere achieves this thanks to folded steel panels that are versatile enough to meet any need. With different sized perforations on the top and bottom face, the panels simultaneously reduce the amount of solar radiation entering an office while maximising vision outside.

Reducing the amount of sunlight (and therefore heat) serves a double purpose. With less radiation entering the interior, less energy is required to cool the building. During period of peak sunlight, such as the height of summer, this can translate to serious energy savings. Simply installing Atmosphere to the exterior of a building reduces the amount of solar radiation hitting the glass by around 70 per cent. For a typical building, this can account for as much as a 40 per cent reduction in energy costs.

Pic Perf, a creative and versatile facade option.

Pic Perf

Your office is often the face of your company, so when it’s time for a makeover, Pic Perf is the way to go. Suddenly, a blank wall is transformed into a work of art overnight.

Pic Perf is a technique that adds a design to an existing facade such as Atmosphere. It carries the illusion of a single wall of art, creating an image from hundreds and thousands of punched holes, while still carrying out its regular functions as a facade. Despite looking like a solid wall from a distance, the perforated metal sheets retain air flow, vision and shade protection. As it combines the benefits of Atmosphere, using Pic Perf will see similar reductions in energy expenditure. It even works well as internal features.

Customisable to internal or external application with any image to suit, it’s an addition that’s designed to leave an impact.

Expanded metal

Rounding off the list is expanded metal. Designed for the prevention of the harsh glare of sunlight, this robust facade has a multitude of uses. Some of the applications suited for this product include:

• Car park enclosures
• Security screening
• Plant screens
• Balustrade panels
• Privacy screens

In an external application, expanded metal gives an industrial look to the outside of a building when viewed up close, yet appear lightweight and open from afar.

The function and versatility of metal facades is an effective and economic option for the renovation of a building’s exterior. At Locker Group, we like to work closely with architects and designers to come up with creative solutions to construction requirements, whether the aim is to increase productivity by combating the sun, or to turn a building’s exterior into a giant logo.

To find out more, get in touch with the team at Locker Group today.