A simple clay facade can enhance and transform the look of a building in a timeless and elegant way. It is simply an architectural wonder because not only it is durable and sustainable but also more energy efficient, which has a positive impact on the environment. Architects these days are hard-pressed to choose an ideal material for the facade of a building because there are numerous options available. In between the plethora of choices, the clay facade manages to stand on its own because of its aesthetic appeal and other features, namely:

• Enhanced Thermal Insulation
• Fire Resistant
• Energy Efficient
• Durability and Stability
• Everlasting Colours
• Minimal or Zero Maintenance
• Light-resistant Colours
• Resistant to Aggressive Substances
• Positive Environmental Impact

What is a Clay Facade?

Clay facade is an environmentally friendly, extremely durable modern facade, which manages to enhance the quality and the design aesthetics of the building. They are a creative, innovative and timeless addition to buildings, particularly green buildings.

The clay facades are a recent addition to modern architecture but have nevertheless, managed to take the world by storm due to their numerous benefits and understated grace. They have an edge over the conventional facade materials such as steel, glass, and aluminum with their minimal maintenance and highly durable features.

The sustainable elegance of a clay facade increases the appeal of all the modern buildings and also lowers the air-conditioning and/or the heating costs. Increased savings, timeless elegance, aesthetic appeal, minimal maintenance and a positive environmental impact are the hallmarks of a clay facade.

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Uses of clay in different kinds of buildings (home, office, industries):

The clay facades can be used in all kinds of buildings such as home, offices, and industries. The new-age architects have recognized the durability, sustainability and the efficient use of energy features of a clay facade and hence they are used in an unbridled way in homes, offices, industries and even factories.

The traditional choice for facades has always been glass, steel, and aluminum. Glass facades are very difficult to install and have very high costs associated with maintenance as well. They are also not suited for tropical climates and can lead to an exponential increase in air conditioning costs. Glass facades are generally double glazed, which traps the air and radiates heat to it. Thus, the indoor temperatures are quite high, which require extensive air-conditioning costs to balance it out. And all of these unnecessary costs could directly have been offset by the usage and the installation of a simple clay facade, which is environmentally friendly and provides thermal insulation leading to lower energy consumption.

On the other hand, buildings with a metal (steel or aluminum) facade have also been the traditional choices of the architects. They have very restricted geometric features for the design and have very low composite strength as well. Moreover, they require a lot of maintenance and are not thermally suited as well for tropical climates. With the passage of time the weather elements, dust and the pollution take its toll on the metal facades and they lose their novelty factor totally. In sharp contrast, we have the clay facades with the minimal maintenance factor. They are durable and sustainable in the long run and also provide a modern architectural twist to the building.

Advantages:

Clay Facades are not only beautiful to look at but also have a plethora of advantages over the other facade materials:

1) Durability:

One of the most important advantages of a clay facade is its sheer durability as it has a very high composite strength. They are also weather-resistance and can stand the elements of time and last for decades on end.

2) Minimal Maintenance:

Clay Facades require zero or minimal maintenance, unlike other traditional facade choices. The rainwater should be properly drained from the panels so that there are no chances of water-collection, scaling and soiling.

3) Thermal Insulation:

Clay is an organic material, which is a natural thermal insulator and so they help to maintain ambient temperatures indoors without the requirement of air-conditioning or heating on a large level.

4) Last Decades:

The latest technology and the techniques are used in the manufacture of these clay facades and hence they are quite resistant to the weather elements. They are also light-resistant and retain their color for decades without the need for a touch up like paint.

5) EverLasting Appeal:

With the most advanced firing processes and technology, the clay facades are made in such a way that their timeless elegance is guaranteed to last for ages and surely, be timeless. The facades also do not suffer the ravages of time and do not have the efflorescence effect nor calcium leakages.

How it makes a building stand out:

The modern clay facades are made in the most technologically advanced factories, which ensures that they measure up to international standards and stand out. They also have 360 flexibility as regards to design and aesthetics, in sharp contrast with the other materials for facade – metal and glass.

They also do not need any kind of sealants and grout, which implies a smooth surface for decades with minimal maintenance. Also, the absence of sealants ensures that there will be no cracks and other issues of water-leakage either.

The newfangled clay facade designs radiate architectural elegance and make the onlookers gasp in amazement. Their immutable style is not only understated but will still manage to stand the test of time for the future generations.

Conclusion:

Clay facades are natural, timeless and simply elegant in their sheer beauty and durability. They provide an interesting exterior look, which is weather-resistant but also beautiful in its own seamless way. They are the first choice of the modern architects who want to leave their environment-friendly thumbprint in the world. With minimal or zero maintenance the clay facades are the most energy efficient way for buildings to reduce insulation and maintenance costs while impacting the environment in the most positive way. The functionality, cost-effectiveness and the sustainability of the clay facades speak for themselves while enhancing the aesthetics of the building many folds over.

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Authored by a building expert from Wienerberger India