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Evergreens: Sustainable Façade Options By Mark Kenfield
It would be hard to argue against the notion that the ‘green economy’ is now emerging globally, particularly in the design and construction industry. The push for lower-impact, and more efficient buildings is driving dollars into sustainable building solutions for all aspects of building design, construction and fitout. And although achieving sustainability is an issue that goes more than skin deep, one of the most important aspects in achieving it, is a building’s skin. Façades, building envelopes, the exterior skin that encases the building within – these play an enormous part in how a building manages heating and cooling loads, daylight levels and all of the flow-on energy-intensive aspects they affect – namely indoor heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation. In response to the demand for more efficient systems for building envelopes there are now quite a range of options available – from high-performance glass, to operable shading systems, to advanced cladding systems – each offering unique methods to improve a building’s sustainability.
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Zinc On the metal market, there are various non-ferrous materials out there, however the most exciting development in façade cladding at the moment is the growing prominence of zinc. The energy cost of recovering zinc is minimal compared to most other materials, which makes it the standout candidate when it comes to environmentally friendly metal claddings. And by using state-ofthe-art, closed-circuit production facilities, emissions can be kept to an absolute minimum when producing it, as it takes less energy to produce zinc from ore than it does to produce any other non-ferrous metals; such as aluminium, copper, and stainless steel; that can be used in building applications. It also takes significantly less energy to produce zinc when recycled zinc is
used instead of zinc ore. And adding to this is the fact that the energy required to transform metallic zinc into rolled zinc for use in building applications (2 MJ/kg) is really quite low when compared to the energy needed to transform other metals. “Zinc has traditionally been used primarily in the roofing sector,” explains Craft Metals’ Dirk Janssen, “but lately it has become much more in vogue in facade applications, so there are now a greater variety of systems that will suit the material; including recessed panels, perforated screens, and more traditional forms – all of which are offering architects a wider range of sustainable options to choose from”. Zinc’s biggest draw cards are its longevity, recyclability, and low lifecycle costs. Part of the key to zinc’s longevity is the fact that it is a natural material and actually