Current Situation and Solution: Tensile Facade Mesh Building Covering – Creating the Building of the Future
Buildings are animated through their shapes, materials and colours, which define how they express themselves and the context in which they exist. Tensile Facade Mesh building facade design and construction options have expanded the range of traditional materials, introducing new technical and aesthetic components. The textile facade can create unique building envelopes thanks to its sophisticated system technology. This solution has proven to be a viable alternative for functional buildings such as car parks since 2019, as exemplified by the car park project Schuco, where the fabric wraps around the simple cubic structure like a shimmering cocoon.
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Technical Requirements Analysis & Solution Context
The design of facades for functional buildings, especially car parks, often faces the challenge of balancing utility and aesthetics. Traditional solutions can lack originality, create a sense of monotony and are ineffective in controlling the internal environment. The need is for a facade solution that can be uniquely shaped, integrate lighting technology to change its appearance between day and night, while ensuring technical factors such as effective shading, excellent ventilation and maximum visibility to the outside. In addition, maintaining a uniform tension level on complex surfaces without wrinkling, along with the ability to repair and replace parts, are also important requirements for sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
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Technical Solutions
Tensile Facade Mesh building facade cladding is a breakthrough solution, combining textile technology and advanced construction techniques to create iconic buildings.
'Shining Cocoon' Design and Load-bearing Structure
The Mesh fabric wraps around the simple cubic structure like a shimmering cocoon. The load-bearing substructure is made of steel and aluminium, giving shape to the skin. The impression that the building is floating is created by an open base level, above which the seven upper levels merge into a single unit – from the flat, uniform structure with a vertical emphasis, to the wave-like shape on the side facing the road. During the day, the parking levels are bright and flooded with light, thanks to the transparency of the Mesh material allowing clear views from inside to outside, while at night the appearance changes. As darkness falls, the striking façade lighting and motion-activated interior lighting transform the parking lot into an illuminated sculpture.
Advantages and Techniques of 3D Effects
The most unique feature of the Tensile Facade Mesh building facade lies in the way the 3D effect is achieved. Its plasticity is not created through tilting or folding, but by rotating the individual sections, alternating the high and low points of the steel joints. To do this, it was necessary to find ways to deform and support the loads of 165 sections, almost all of which were different. The frames were prefabricated in different shapes depending on their location on the facade and were mounted on the substructure on site using individual spacers and brackets. The fabric was then clamped into place. The patented clamping system allows the fabric to be clamped on all sides without wrinkling using flexible technology, while occupying a minimum cavity in a profile of only $2.5\text{ cm}$. This means that each device can be repaired or replaced individually without touching the system.
Flexibility and efficiency
The flexibility of Tensile Facade Mesh allows building facades to be adapted and shaped to suit a wide range of supporting surfaces quickly and cost-effectively. Furthermore, woven facades provide effective shading and therefore contribute to the reduction of heat in buildings. The Mesh building facade/car park canopy achieves this level of protection while maintaining excellent ventilation and maximum views to the outside. The special fabric coating also ensures certified fire resistance, which is especially important for steel structure cladding.
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Results and Performance Evaluation
Project in Bielefeld, carried out by Schlattmeier cooperate with 3XN, is a prime example of the success of Tensile Facade Mesh. The project demonstrated the ability to create a dramatic 3D effect, providing depth and a transparent appearance, allowing the structure behind the façade to remain visible. The ability to transform from a functional structure into an illuminated sculpture at night is a testament to the material’s potential in creating the buildings of the future. Although the fabric clamping remains a manual task, the entire project was coordinated through a digital workflow from design to 3D construction drawings and fabrication, ensuring precision and efficiency. The benefits of heat reduction, ventilation and certified fire resistance further establish Tensile Facade Mesh as an innovative and sustainable material solution for contemporary architecture.
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Contact Technical Consulting
Flexiiform is a professional Tensile Fabric design and construction company in Vietnam. With a team of well-trained and skilled Architects and Engineers, we are proud to be the only unit in Vietnam to receive professional advice from FasTech Company – The leading design and construction company of tensioned fabric structures in Thailand, with nearly 30 years of prestige and experience in the industry and successfully implemented more than 1,000 tensioned fabric projects in Thailand and Southeast Asia. With the strength of creative ideas in tensioned fabric architectural design, along with practical construction methods, Flexiiform is confident to bring the most optimal solutions for each specific project, especially projects related to Tensile Facade Mesh building facade structures.
For expert advice or to request a detailed quote, please contact us. You can read more woven facade patterns and Other Flexiiform products. Reference video from Schüco Middle East.
Contact information:
Company: Flexiiform
Phone: +84 8678 68830
Website: https://flexiiform.vn/
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/flexiiform/
