Higher noise emissions, higher wind loads and a desire for greater energy efficiency – the structural requirements for façades in multi-storey residential buildings and skyscrapers are becoming increasingly demanding, for both new builds and renovations. This is the result of the urban densification that is taking place in response to the acute lack of available housing and the more extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change.
Urban densification and the fight against noise pollution
Many cities and municipalities are making it their mission to cater to the demand for housing using inner-city developments. After all, it is usually cheaper to push on with inner-city development –refurbishing and expanding existing areas– than to acquire more new development space outside of city centres. One of the main advantages of higher-density areas is the fact that they offer existing, intact infrastructure on ground that already belongs to the developers.
However, densification also comes with problems of its own. New residential buildings in metropolitan centres are often built on main roads or by train tracks – which means a reduced level of living comfort due to the resulting noise emissions. And roads and railways aren’t the only sources of disturbance, of course – nearby airports and shipping traffic also need to be taken into consideration.
Insulated spaces and sheltered balconies for comfortable living
In order to ensure that residents can enjoy a healthy living situation wherever their home is built –even in areas with high noise emissions– architects and planners need to overcome the challenge of including effective sound insulation measures in their designs. As a rule, it’s always best to start thinking about sound insulation during the early draft phase, and make sure that all living and sleeping spaces are located on the side of the building that does not exceed the guideline emissions values. If this isn’t possible, tangible sound insulation measures such as double-skin façades, glazed porches and other specialised window constructions are required. These also offer the added advantage of improving the building’s carbon footprint.
Solarlux’s balcony façade products are the perfect solution to this challenge. These all-glass systems allow for an aesthetically pleasing façade design, energy efficiency optimisation and wind, weather and sound insulation, with many variants that can also be opened across their entire widths. They can be installed in a number of ways: mounted on existing balustrades, made-to-measure for Solarlux’s own glass balustrades, or in a floor-to-ceiling variant. And because they can be used to open up the façade across almost its entire width, they never take away from the existing character of the balcony. With their purist design, the frameless glass elements are eye-catching and fit in easily with almost any façade design.
Finding the right system family for each project
The balcony systems have now been improved further to cater to even more effective sound insulation, increasingly strict wind load requirements and, last but not least, high expectations in terms of design. The latest addition to the range, the innovative Proline T, is a modular system toolbox whose features can be tailored to suit the individual building project at hand. The slide-and-turn-elements, which can reach up to 3 m in height and 1 m in width, can be designed as a floor-to-ceiling product or mounted on new or existing balcony balustrades.
They are operated according to the user-friendly slide-and-turn principle: each glass element has a running track at the top and bottom, and can swing out by 90° and be pushed to the side. The running tracks can be mounted either flush or in an accessible design. The glass elements can be parked in a bundle at the side of the balcony, allowing the outer shell of the building to be opened up across almost its entire width.
Unique glass thicknesses, an engineering milestone
Thanks to its optimised system profile, Solarlux can now offer toughened safety glass (TSG-H) and laminated safety glass (LSG) as system components, in thicknesses of up to 15 mm and 18 mm respectively. This feature –available with the Proline T Mega variant– is an innovation in the glazed façade industry. As a result, this variant is a great choice for anyone facing the challenge of highly demanding sound insulation or wind load requirements, such as those found in skyscrapers and projects on busy roads. For standard solutions, the Proline T is ideal. It can be fitted with toughened safety glass (TSG/TSG-H) in thicknesses of between 6 and 12 mm, and also offers outstanding structural values.
Product presentation at BAU 2023
The new system family Proline T will be presented for the first time at BAU in Munich in hall C1, booth 329, where interested visitors can experience the products live. If you are interested in a personal product presentation by a Solarlux architectural consultant, it is recommended to make an appointment in advance, for which a ticket code to BAU will be provided.
To learn more, visit the Solarlux product catalog.
