ALL CHANGE

From the introduction to IGS Intelligent Glass Solutions - The Glass Supper Special Issue 4/2011

“First see that the design is wise and just; that ascertained; pursue it resolutely.” [William Shakespeare, 1564-1616]

A special issue of the IGS was published in connection with the inaugural Glass Supper event in London, December 2011.  The event brought together in a new setting people within the world of building envelope design and technology, facilitating discussion and the exchange of ideas.

In line with the Glass Supper agenda, the IGS Issue offers an exclusive overview of new frontiers of facade technology, design, and professions, featuring some of the most prominent projects around offering insights into current challenges and recent achievements.  The cross section of case stories and opinion is high calibre and worth your while in this age of information overload.

The collection of articles offers a positive outlook and sets out a number of exciting opportunities for the Industry.  The common denominator is high performance as a driver - high performance at component scale, building scale, or - indeed - at district/urban scale.  The iconic projects presented as case stories are of course not typical, but they do (quite literally) put high performance on the map and they may serve as inspiration for others with comparatively smaller projects.

The articles show progress from different perspectives.  Distinguished authors write about state-of-the-art sustainable master planning for Masdar City in the Middle East, cutting edge skyscraper design for The Shard in London and ‘HQ’ in Abu Dhabi, super exclusive residential development for One Hyde Park in London, and leading environmentally responsible design for the European Central Bank and the Dancing Towers in Hamburg.

The Issue and the Glass Supper explore technological progress and new frontiers. Unsurprisingly, the focus is on glass and glazed facades with a mix of articles on structural performance, testing, geometry-driven design, and light management.  Common to the stories featured is the drive for perfection, presented from different but inter-linked perspectives.

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.” [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1900-1944]

A new generation of architects are emerging.  They have grown up with computer-aided design, they are more than conversant with information technology generally, and they are keen to break the mould of new architecture.  Now, while there is nothing new about young architects wanting to make their mark, the current market conditions and the ever increasing focus on sustainable design together put additional pressure on the industry to come up with new methods and technologies.

When talking about complex geometry buildings, it is worth distinguishing between freeform and facetted buildings, both of which can be highly demanding in terms of technology and design process. Freeform buildings - and fluid form architectural envelopes - not only require management of complex geometrical data, but also manufacture of curved elements.  The material selection and the details of production processes quickly become fundamental to developing buildable and commercially feasible solutions.  Similarly, facetted buildings require extensive work on complex interfaces to assess feasibility and manage risks and costs.

“Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” [Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867-1959]

Clients (Investors; Developers; Building Owners) employ others to develop their projects and turn them into ‘reality’. A commercially, architecturally, and technically successful project depends on the management of the process and the competencies of the people involved.  Conventional methods and definitions of responsibilities are beginning to fall short.

The importance of the building envelope is undisputed.  The building envelope is a key element of architectural expression - the face of the building, if you will - it is essential in terms of building performance = and it easily represents 25 per cent of construction costs.

As the field becomes increasingly technological the need for specialist input grows.  Yet, there is no formal set of qualifications for those who deal with the design, production, and installation of facades.

• Is the building envelope a key architectural element?  Tick!
• Does the building envelope represent significant risks?  Tick!
• Does the building envelope represent significant opportunities?  Tick!
• Is the building envelope key to building performance?  Tick!
• Do Clients explicitly state their requirements in terms of professional accreditation?  No!

Tic ... Tic ... Tic ... Tic ... BOOM!

The absence of professional accreditation and certification may explain some of the very costly problems commonly encountered on construction projects - regardless of scale, budget, type of project, and geographical location.

Once Clients begin to explicitly require certification - for example in their contracts and specifications - the industry will need to react and the level of certified competency immediately becomes an important parameter when contracts are awarded.  Such accreditation is NOW being offered through the Society of Facade Engineering.

The ability to clearly define and articulate architectural intent and specify performance will go a long way to avoid misunderstandings, problems, disappointment, and financial losses.  While the Client requires the right collaborators to put down the information in some form of contractual document, the Contractor needs to employ the right people to pick up the information and respond with appropriate solutions that are appropriately costed.  For the process to run smoothly, the Client in turn needs people and advisors with the right skills to engage with the contractors and check whether the contractual information is understood and respected.

The need to come up with sustainable solutions - in the first instance driven by a ‘stick’ approach through building regulations on national and international level - in the second instance as a ‘carrot’ approach by first movers and visionary clients who have understood the commercial benefit of high performance and voluntary certification of their buildings.

The trend is there, clearly.  In a competitive market, the costumer will opt for the building with the best environmental rating - everything else equal.  And environmentally responsible design has been shown to be good for business at multiple levels.

Little wonder then that there is such a need for a fresh approach to collaboration and delivery of integrated design solutions.

While we should celebrate the vast achievements described in the IGS Glass Supper Issue and take comfort in the fact that development is taking place across the industry, it is also clear that new technological progress can only be brought into practice if these new integrated principles are reflected by the scope and skills of the professions and the available methods of procurement.

Quoting one of the greatest architects and engineers of all time:

“Many are ready, when listening to the inventor, to belittle and deny his achievements, so that he will no longer be heard in honourable places. But after some months or a year they use the inventor’s words, in speech or writing or design. They boldly call themselves the inventors of the things they first condemned, and attribute the glory of another to themselves.” [Filippo Brunelleschi, 1377-1446]

It is easy to dismiss new ways of doing things with reference to trivial challenges, whereas a change in the right direction often requires commitment and effort.

All Change ...