Building envelopes create a physical boundary or shell integrated to the outer skin of a structure, separating indoor and outdoor environments. By assembling architectural components such as walls, roofs, windows and doors, the building is enclosed to provide protection and insulation, playing a determining role in the energy efficiency, comfort, structure, and durability of the project. Through multiple styles and shapes, they are key to giving character to a building, its visual appearance and integration with the surrounding environment.
Maintaining the fundamental functions of an envelope while playing with aesthetic possibilities, Euramax’s tailor-made metal cladding solutions create unconventional, colorful envelopes for designing with innovative geometries, patterns, and configurations.
Coil coating to add color and form to architecture
Coil coating –also called pre-painting– is an industrial process where coatings like conversion coating (that enhances resistance to corrosion), primer (as a preliminary layer), and a top coat (for protection and a smooth and even finish), are applied to large metal coils, which are then manufactured and shaped into the final facade products. This coating makes metals more adaptable for creating various designs and improves the performance of building metal envelopes.
These solutions are versatile and functional because of their material characteristics. Aluminum is a lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant, and long-lasting material. Its flexibility allows it to be easily shaped into any form, size, or thickness without losing its integrity and performance. They also use chrome-free primers for all applications, in order to reduce their environmental impact.
Enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a building's envelope, these solutions come in a wide range of colors and finishes. Architects can try samples and choose the best-suited materials to add color and shape to their projects.
Production process: Fully in-house with no chemical release into the environment
Through a fully in-house process, coil coating solutions go through 12 steps. First, the rolled metal coil is passed through an uncoiler machine to unroll it and continuously feed the material to other processing equipment. To maintain a constant and uninterrupted flow, the metals are placed in the entry accumulator. After cleaning, the metals are ready to receive various coating layers to enhance their versatility and resistance, starting with the conversion coating. Once dried at around 160°C, a top coat is applied and it passed through the oven again. Lastly, they go through the exit accumulator for foil application and recoiling.
These materials are produced using a sustainable method that prevents the direct release of chemicals into the environment. Its continuous process development has led to a production that is free of heavy metals, eliminating 98% of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by collecting them from solvents. Additionally, oxidizers are used to convert these compounds into fuel for the ovens. The combination of conversion layers, primers, and topcoats guarantees superior corrosion resistance.
By maintaining stable line speeds and applying paint evenly across the surface within a production batch, this process creates continuous and even surfaces. For large-scale projects, line automation ensures optimum color stability between batches.
Exploring the types of metal cladding systems
After the metal goes through the coil-coating process, there are various ways in which it can be applied. Depending on each project’s exterior shape and style, there are different types of coated aluminum cladding systems. Among these systems, there are specific types of roof seams, facade panels, tiles, and profiles that adapt to each design.
Seam systems are a popular choice for large roof constructions. They involve connecting metal panels using raised seams that stand vertically above the surface of the panels. These systems are suitable for all shapes and pitches from 1.5°, catering to all types of supporting structures. Responding to innovative design approaches, standing seams with custom shapes stand out for their possibility of adapting to complex, concave, elliptically, or hyperbolically curved standing seam profiles.
Often used for large surface industrial and warehouse buildings, coil-coated facade panels can be arranged in different standard and special colors. Within the different types of panels, architects can choose between solid and composite aluminum panels, and metal sandwich panels with sinus or honeycomb cores, among others. Aluminum composite panels are versatile solutions that can be easily shaped, machined, drilled, perforated, and curved. On the other hand, metal sandwich panels are very flat, lightweight, rigid, and have excellent thermal conductivity and sound absorption.
With different layouts and technical details, coil-coated profiles vary through different styles of plank profiles, as well as trapezoidal, sinusoidal, zig-zag, and regular wave-styled profiles.
Applications in architecture: Innovating with metal cladding systems
There are various factors that influence envelope design. According to architect Francine M. J. Houben, these influences may arise from the program or typology, the history of the place, new building materials, innovations, sustainability, or simply a provocation of the status quo. In line with creating innovative proposals, the key lies in the possibility of integrating all these solutions within the building's construction, enabling designs that go beyond conventional norms. The chosen projects below are examples of how metal cladding systems have been used to create cutting-edge designs.
The beauty, you see, is that architects can express different 'architectures' that make our urban fabric far more interesting and expressive. Francine M. J. Houben - Founding Partner and Creative Director, Mecanoo
The design of the Erasmus Campus Student Housing complex in Rotterdam, Netherlands is characterized by the classical subdivision of plinth, body and crown. Mecanoo Architects integrated gold-tinted aluminum composite panels for the building’s facade. Playing with the changing daylight, the design has a game of shadows along the harmonica-like pleated facade panels, which gradually vary from gold to silver when viewed from different angles. Giving movement to the facade, next to each window the aluminum fold protrudes outwards, invisibly integrating acoustically attenuated ventilation. Besides adding an aesthetic character, this strategy enables the entrance of fresh air while blocking exterior noise.
Illustrating the characteristics of the city of Żory, Poland, OVO Grabczewscy Architekci designed a facade that emulates the city’s name, which means "fire", "burnt", and "flames". Resembling dancing flames, the building for the Museum of Fire consists of three independent copper-finished walls that swim next to each other. Complementing this dynamic design, the structure’s roof is composed of Traditional Standing Seams - I Style, which incorporates panels that run vertically up the length of the roof and are lock-seamed together.
The design of Paul de Ruiter and Mulder Blauw architects for a contemporary hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands combines sustainability with an innovative approach. In addition to using recycled elements and incorporating a greenhouse, one of the most visible circular elements of the 21-story “living building” is the moving facade. Using Solid Aluminum Panels, this intelligent design is based on moving panels on the outside of the window, so that if the guest is not in the room, it responds to outdoor climate factors. Providing insulation on cooler days and letting sunlight flow in, this system aims for comfortable interiors with climate control that provides a reduction of 65% in heat energy and 90% in cooling energy.
The design of Studioninedots for a leisure space in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is composed of five pavilions of varying heights and an open ground floor. Using Metal Sandwich Panels with Honeycomb cores in titanium-colored AnoMax Anodized Silver Bronze Satin, the facade’s composition creates an ever-changing play of light and shadow. Integrating with its industrial surroundings, the contemporary facade’s front is able to blend into the existing context.
For more information on metal cladding systems for designing unconventional building envelopes, visit the product catalog.
