206th Edition – Zak World of Façades Australia

• With stronger enforcement of weatherproofing legislation for buildings, why are we still seeing leaks?
• Where are the gaps in the current processes and how can they be practically resolved?
• Some lessons learnt from chasing leaks

• The role of cladding for the performance of rainscreen systems
• The science and history of pressure equalised façades
• Importance of fully tested AS 4284 façade systems

• Design and construction of a 98-metre clear-span structure for Air New Zealand’s Hangar 4 utilising timber and steel trusses with an ETFE roof & façade system
• Using ETFE to achieve a fully lightweight enclosure in place of traditional glass skylights or other traditional cladding arrangements
• Rationale for material selection, design, performance criteria including environmental aspects, construction and weather testing

• How can architecture become a mediator between nature, climate, and the human experience?
• Case studies that answer this with façades that are active, adaptive interfaces; responding to climate, enabling wellbeing and providing a sense of identity

• Understanding the role of circularity in reducing embodied carbon and conserving resources
• Implementing a '4R' Framework (Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle) for long-lifecycle material use
• Industry collaborations and innovations driving closed-loop systems in façade materials

• Current trends that increase the performance and sustainability of our buildings while often increasing complexity, unknowns, and overall risk to projects. These include offshore procurement challenges, high performance glazing and IGU durability issues such as seal failure, spontaneous glass breakage, and anisotropy
• Risks associated with Vacuum Insulated Glazing (VIG), tall mass timber facades, bolt on balconies, and high-performance spandrels/shadow boxes, and solar shades
• Forensic case studies that highlight risks associated with these trends and suggest methods to reduce risk on projects

• Architecture and identity, taking influence from the urban fabric
• Big gestures - small details
• Conventional materials used in unconventional ways

• How façade compliance with the NCC historically was largely ignored or deemed compliant with the BCA by Certifiers and did not involve fire safety engineering and the combustible cladding “crisis” put the spotlight on how façades were being approved for compliance with the NCC, it was identified than in many instances compliance may not have been properly established
• Historically, façade engineering was often disconnected from the primary architectural design and building approval, with a separate consultant or specialist company engaged to design and construct the façade
• Façades in many instances cannot meet the NCC Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions and require fire engineering involvement as part of a performance solution to demonstrate compliance while fire safety objectives associated with façades to restrict fire spread may be contrary to meeting other façade design objectives e.g. ventilation, moisture drainage and the like

• Capability & methodology
• Applications & profiles
• The benefits: Durability, installation & maintenance

• One stop façade solutions
• In house engineering support
• 50 years of tried and tested systems backed by experienced staff across all product sectors

• Shaping the Future of Façade Engineering: Practice and standards
• Industry leadership & policy in façade engineering
• Professional registration and the future of engineering accountability
• Developing competency frameworks for façade engineers

Balesh Baleshan