Terracotta wall panels are originated from the terracotta roof tiles. Using natural materials, inclduing clay, porcelain clay, quartz sand etc., extruded by molding, and fired by high temperature above 1000 degrees in kiln. In the early 1980s, they started to be used in construction in Europe, and in 1985 the first project using terracotta panels was completed in Munich, Germany.

Ventilated facade, also called the double-skin facade, is a cladding system with an air cushion or cavity immediately behind which provides with a drainage, ventilation and thermal solution.

It is usually an external cladding system mechanically fastened or bonded to a framework behind fixed to the external wall of a new or existing building.

This external wall may be built either of masonry (brick or cmu), concrete, or studwork (metal or timber) and a layer of thermal insulation is conveniently either between studs or laid on the outer side of the substrate wall.

The cladding elements are fixed to the substrate wall by means of a lightweight substructure which can be made of different materials, being metal a preferred choice.

The ventilation is produced by openings located at the top and bottom of the cladding or by the open joint pattern The Chimney Effect.

This ventilation allows for an exchange of air between the outside and the cavity behind the cladding panels, providing the solution for venting any moisture away from the facade, improving the thermal conditions inside the building and installing the insulation on the outside so to avoid thermal bridging.

A curtain wall system is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep the weather out and the occupants in. As the curtain wall is non-structural, it can be made of a lightweight material, reducing construction costs. The curtain wall facade does not carry any dead load weight from the building other than its own dead load weight. The wall transfers horizontal wind loads that are incident upon it to the main building structure through connections at floors or columns of the building. 

Curtain-wall systems are typically designed with extruded aluminum members. The aluminium frame is infilled with different materials. Infill refers to the large panels that are inserted into the curtain wall between mullions. Infills are typically glass but may be made up of nearly any exterior building element.

The typical Curtain wall infills are Glass, Stone veneer and Metal panels. 

The Metal panels can take various forms such as aliminum panels, aluminum composite panels, copper wall cladding etc.. 

Other opaque panel materials include fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), PVC panels, and Terracotta panels. 

The ceramic ventilated facade is an exterior cladding system for buildings, the ideal combination between the maximum level of aesthetic appeal and the best thermal features.

From the structural point of view, the ventilated facade is an overhang system, composed of an external facing in slabs of terracotta panels, mechanically fastened to the perimeter framework of the building by means of a structure in aluminium alloy.

Thanks to this particular construction technique, the surface of the cladding remains separate from the masonry. The resulting cavity is partially occupied by a layer of thermal insulating material, leaving the rest of the space empty to allow for ventilation.

Therefore an “air jet“ is created; that is, a continuous flow of aeration, which provides significant benefits in terms of breath-ability and a decrease of heat loads during summer. In winter the system ensures effective insulation. In this way, the main structures of the buildings are protected and dry, preventing deterioration and the related maintenance costs.

In the air cavity between the masonry and the cladding, phenomena of micro-ventilation and up ward-air flow are created due to the chimney effect triggered, enabling the reduction of the heat loads related to solar radiation.

The “ventilated facade” also helps improve the acoustic performance of the buildings, creating a better protection against outside noise. The color fastness, the low absorption and ease of cleaning of porcelain ensure durability of the aesthetic and technical characteristics of the external wall.

This system is ideal for new projects and is in the redevelopment, restructuring or reorganization, allowing operation with minimal impact on building inhabitant

In winter the system ensures effective insulation. In summer it allows a significant decrease of the heat loads affecting the walls with the greatest exposure to the sun.

The concrete structure and all the water-sensitive materials remain protected and dry, preventing deterioration and the related maintenance costs.

Dry installation/laying without the use of adhesives or finishing treatments, and the ventilation that is created in the air cavity increases the breath-ability of the walls, fostering healthier interior living.

The chromatic in alter-ability, low absorption, and easy cleaning of porcelain stoneware guarantee durability of the aesthetic and technical characteristics of the facing over time.

The system is ideal in building renovation, as it makes it possible to transfer certain plants to the exterior of the building and to intervene without having to restore the existing surfaces and plastering.

The terracotta panels facing and the insulating layer increase acoustic insulation, creating an effective barrier to the propagation of noise inside the building.