Facade Engineering

Building facades are considered to be one of the most expensive and potentially highest risk elements of any major project. Historically, building facades have the greatest level of failure of any part of a building fabric, and the pressure for change and adaptation due to environmental and energy performance needs is greater than any other element of a building. As a result, façade engineering has become a science in its own right.

Armstrong-Douglass offers facade engineering as a separate and distinct service. We assist the architect with facade design by engineering wall framing, header beams, jambs, lintels, canopies and other structural components. Facade engineering is becoming increasingly important with advances in material and fabrication technology, implementation of energy codes and the power of Building Information Modeling to develop and visualize unique exterior skin solutions. Our engineers consult with the architect regarding their goals for the building facade, from both a modeling and a multi-disciplinary engineering standpoint.

We offer a single-source for architectural clients in designing the structural aspects of glazing systems, specialty coverings and screening elements. Deliverables include a greater degree of information about the framing components of the building facade. This approach results in construction documents tightly coordinated with glazing systems and other architectural facade elements. The end result is a well-conceived, cost-effective solution with no redundancies or design gaps that allows the contractor to generate accurate cost estimates at an earlier stage in the project delivery process.