“Going green” is ‘au courant’ right now, and what could be considered more sustainable than a 100% natural building material that resembles the natural ‘baked earth’?
Terracotta cladding is an architectural building material that is made from fired, natural clay; it comes in various shapes and textures that can be used to construct any project, such as schools, hospitals, art museums and multi-use developments.
The demands of the modern world have forced us to find a sense of calmness and comfort in our home environment, which could partially explain why we are seeing a move away from traditional façade choices such as aluminium, and a significant increase in the use of natural construction materials.
One contemporary design concept is biophilic design, a strategic approach to tap into — and harness— nature in the built environment.
The growing trend in biophilic design is two-fold, intent is to improve quality of life by reconnecting humans with nature using the built environment – shifting the urban landscape from a steel and cement scenario to a greener one, where the integration of greenery, light, water, and all sorts of natural elements in design positively affects people’s perception of space and the time spent in it.
“We will never be truly healthy, satisfied, or fulfilled if we live apart and alienated from the environment from which we evolved.”
Stephen R. Kellert
Biophilic Façades for Urban Dwellers
Australia is one of the world’s most urban populations. Currently with 86.2% of us living in urban settings, this figure has been incrementally creeping upwards over the past decade.
Urban development has now become a major player in the environmental stakes as designers and builders strive to find alternate solutions that sustain natural resources and provide greater biophilic presence.
The biophilic space allows us to consider the environment and the positive impact of creating natural spaces, which provide a more immersive feeling of being in nature from both the indoors and strolling around urban areas. The Fairview team is passionate about helping architects achieve these objectives through our range of quality, exterior wall cladding systems.
Clayton, the Sustainable Terracotta Façade System for Buildings
Clayton terracotta cladding ticks all the boxes when it comes to large-scale, sustainable design projects and everything in between.
When it comes to architecture, the challenge is in finding the balance between aesthetics and function, and irrespective of project scale, type, or function, there are now many natural cladding products available to pioneer the progression towards the future of built environments.
Unlike other green alternatives, lives up to the mantle of ‘sustainable.’ All-natural and hand-crafted, Clayton seamlessly incorporates sustainability into large-scale building façades with a combination of natural materials, durability, and ease of installation.
Terracotta is not biodegradable, but it can be crushed, and recycled to make new cladding for new projects, and the fact that it is 100% natural and non-biodegradable means that it is immune to weathering and erosion. Terracotta facade tiles also require minimal maintenance, while their natural terracotta colours never fade. Terracotta facade panels are fireproof, and their main screen variety requires no sealants or grouts, which means that the joints do not need to undergo maintenance either.
Using certain terracotta exterior wall cladding panels, such as louvers or baguettes, improves the thermal performance of the edifices since they are made to withstand rainy weather, while others work on insulating heat from the outside.
Terracotta baguettes are excellent for warmer environments as they lessen the intensity of exposure to the sun. This, in turn, reduces energy consumption and unnecessary operating costs.
Formed from the earth and famously able to withstand the test of time, terracotta facades are a natural embodiment of the spirit of sustainability that is highly suitable for large-scale building projects.
Specifying the Fairview Clayton terracotta cladding system will save you time and effort searching for reliable alternative materials – it is backed by a reputable cladding manufacturer with a history of supplying high-profile buildings across Australia. As natural and biophilic designs continue to find their way onto the façades of large-scale buildings, asset owners are seeking to implement more natural products and alternatives to traditional cladding into their projects.
With easy-to-grasp education and training programs for installers and builders, and a simple, versatile rail and clip-in installation system, Clayton makes the transition to new materials as simple and streamlined as possible.
Terracotta Cladding as a Contemporary Design Solution
Clayton offers a diverse range of natural terracotta tiles and panels for a sustainable, functional and ventilated façade system.
A beautiful, creative, contemporary clay design with timeless elegance. Perfect for use with steel, glass, brick, stone, fibre cement, or wood in new constructions, as well as renovation projects.
The large variety of profiles, from contemporary and classic tiles with contrasting textures to unique and specialist profiles with grooves of varying sizes, allow architects to hand-choose the style that suits their design dreams. Add to that, 21 classic colours and 10 specialist finishes and the design possibilities are near-limitless.
Clayton is scratch and dent resistant, and the first ceramic façade to pass the testing requirements for DIN 18032-3. Non-combustible, UV and weather-resistant, thermally efficient, and easy to install, Clayton is the ultimate in longevity and sustainability. It is time to reimagine sustainable design to allow innovation and creativity to shine through.
Lead the way to a sustainable future in Australia’s built environment with terracotta exterior wall cladding.
Get in touch with us to learn more about how you can incorporate Fairview’s Clayton terracotta cladding system into your design vision.
