Façade Design meets Engineering Excellence

Insights by Chris Truter, STRUXIT Director, and Franco Aylward, STRUXIT Façade and Structural Engineer

Façades play a crucial role in a building’s identity, energy efficiency, and structural integrity. Recognising this, STRUXIT has strategically expanded its capabilities by launching a dedicated façades department.

This expansion marks a significant step in our growth, allowing the company to offer complete engineering solutions from the ground up. The façades department builds on the company’s established expertise in structural and civil engineering, creating a synergy that is transforming how complex projects are managed.

Proactively Responding to the Market

The establishment of STRUXIT’s façades department was driven by a clear market need for integrated engineering solutions. Traditionally, façades have been designed as a separate design element, often leading to coordination issues, the implementation of remedial action and project delays.

STRUXIT’s approach addresses this issue by bringing façade design into the early stages of project development. This integration offers two major advantages by:
• coordinating between different professional disciplines, thus streamlining the construction process
• considering key elements from the outset such as energy efficiency, thermal comfort, safety and architectural appeal.

Our work brings together advanced technology, innovative design, and extensive engineering experience. By taking a holistic approach, we ensure that a building’s façade is seamlessly integrated into the overall project, providing clients with a cohesive and efficient solution.

A Blend of Expertise, Collaboration and Innovation

Our success lies in our ability to combine different forms of expertise. At STRUXIT, we use a forward-thinking management strategy, identifying the strengths and preferences of individual team members. In this way, we’re able to ensure that each project benefits from the skills of experts who are both passionate and proficient in their field.

This philosophy of balancing past experience with forward-thinking innovation allows the team to leverage proven techniques while embracing new technologies. Advanced software tools are integrated into the design process, enabling the team to create façade solutions that are both aesthetically striking and structurally innovative.

Key Projects and Success Stories

One of our most notable recent projects is the development of the world’s largest slimline high-security façade for a 7,500m2 building. The building, currently being constructed on the outskirts of a large city, boast a combined façade area of 1600m2. The façade consists of double glazed units, BR5 and BR7 rated glass, reaching heights of up to 4.1m. Initiated in 2020, this project required a unique approach to combine stringent safety requirements with elegant design.

The approach of forward thinking and backwards planning was key for this project. Due to its size, the façade had to be imported from Europe posing logistical challenges and adding complexity to the overall project program.

STRUXIT responded by putting in place key design principles and rigorous monitoring. As a result, manufacturing of the façade began while the design phase was still underway, which deviates from the norm of manufacturing from as-built dimensions. This relieved the strain on the project programme by fast tracking coordination. The project is set for completion by the end of 2025.

Another good example of our range of expertise is the transformation of a dilapidated building into a modern office complex. STRUXIT was initially approached to assess the structural integrity of the existing structure. Thanks to our expertise and experience in this field, the team was later entrusted with the design and installation of the new façade.

The main challenges were several project constraints and quality assurance. To expedite project delivery, the decision was made to use a unitised façade system. This system allowed the installation of the support brackets for the façade to take place as soon as all fixing points to the structure were prepared, thus streamlining the installation process. The unitised façade also allowed all quality checks to be done in the manufacturing facility before transportation to site, which helped to limit snags and quality issues on site.

We were also able to demonstrate our technical prowess in a challenging industrial environment with a unique façade project in a metal smelter facility. This bespoke solution required a unique blend of engineering acumen and innovative design.

The brief was to provide a thermally broken, triple-glazed façade with heat reflective, low emissivity internal glass and engineered external glass. The aim was to prevent the transfer of heat from the glass to the interior of the control room, as well as to prevent splatter from the iron ore in the furnaces from injuring the operators. In addition, the windows were tilted at an angle of negative 5 degrees to minimise the risk of reflection.

Collaborating with Industry Experts

Nick Wright and Dennis Doo are legends within the façade industry. Their expertise and experience are now being transferred to STRUXIT’s engineers, ensuring that a generation’s knowledge does not go to waste. This collaboration enables STRUXIT to deliver any type of project, positioning STRUXIT as a leader in the façade industry.

Scaling Across Africa

As STRUXIT continues to grow, the façades department is poised to expand its services beyond South Africa, targeting large-scale projects across the African continent. With a focus on major precinct developments similar to those found in prominent urban hubs like Sandton, the team aims to bring its expertise to new markets.

Our current projects have all been secured through word-of-mouth recommendations, a testament to our reputation for quality, reliability, and innovative thinking. We are therefore confident that our existing clients will find it easy to trust us with their façade projects.

As STRUXIT looks to expand its reach across Africa, we remain dedicated to setting new standards in façade engineering – not only meeting the needs of today’s market but also paving the way for the engineering solutions of the future.