SKIN IN THE GAME

Architects use technology and material to create magic in clothing the built form, taking aesthetic and function to the next level

- Alpana lath sawai

Aesthetically, façades bestow chameleon-like properties to the buildings they embrace, from thematically melding into surroundings to standing out and becoming landmark properties; making some structures distinguished and others indistinguishable, depending on the client’s brief. Design interventions too often endow a building with a façade that creates a climatic buffer around the structure it envelopes.

factors that drive design

Context is king when a project is architect-driven. Ar. Kazushi Miyamoto, Principal, 123Architects, Beijing, says, “I always want to provide a design that exceeds the client’s expectations but it’s important for me to design façades that are connected to the surrounding environment in terms of material used, color and history.”

Facades go beyond the merely aesthetic to perform myriad functions, which architects say require a series of interventions from the façade to the innermost recesses. Rahul Jain, Principal Architect, Rahul Jain Design Lab (RJDL) says, “An ideal façade design not only enables the right amount of light, heat, and wind but also provides adequate privacy resulting in an overall interior comfort.” Des. Vivek Singh Rathore, Design Principal, Salient Design Studio, follows what he terms the ABC system to achieve this: A - architecture, B - budget, and C care of the facade.