Author Archives: itsupport

Combustible cladding and the state of facade design

The Lacrosse and Grenfell tower fires have had a lasting impact on the Australian construction industry. Following a nationwide investigation into combustible cladding, there is now greater scrutiny over facade design and the selection of cladding materials. This whitepaper examines the state of facade design in Australia: where are we now, what the current issues are, and where we need to be in the future.

Metal Ceilings for Retail Spaces

While the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world irrevocably, physical retail stores still retain their resilience and lasting appeal. Ceilings impact everything, from aesthetics, branding and ambiance to lighting, indoor comfort, and spatial organisation, which makes their design integral to achieving a retail space that customers will want to return to. This whitepaper discusses the advantages of fully integrated ceilings for retail environments.

Podcast: Nine years after the Lacrosse tower fire, what is the current state of the facade market?

The 2014 Lacrosse tower fire incident was the first case in Australia to raise alarm bells, followed shortly by other high-profile fire incidents both locally and internationally. Since then, government-led audits have highlighted a widespread issue with the use of combustible cladding across thousands of Australian buildings, leading to calls for greater regulation and a swathe of remediation work across the country.

Sustainable Design Considerations and Material Selection

The facade can account for up to 30% of a building’s embodied carbon footprint. In the face of climate change, future facades will need to not only deliver iconic aesthetics and weather protection but also drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the structure throughout its entire life cycle. Specifying sustainable facade materials is a crucial first step in accomplishing this objective.