STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES - USC School of Architecture

for, then the opportunity is to put information, resources, design guidelines, learning
programs and tools that facilitate conceptual design into the designer’s hands. This strategy
could enable the architect to design with some level of structural glass façade technology,
although the more advanced and innovative designs will still require the involvement of a
specialist, and even more modest designs can benefit from specialist input. It is conceivable,
however, to expand the scope of work for the architect and reduce the required input from
outside to a level that can be provided by the vendor infrastructure, with all costs deferred to
construction.
3.1.2 Design and Engineering
Design and engineering of structural glass facades is a specialty function. Few architects
have the expertise to exercise the capabilities of the technology, and few engineers have the
skills and experience to provide the required analysis as the design develops. This is true of
virtually all custom façade work. A few companies such as Kawneer, Vistawall and YKK offer
standard pre-engineered products of limited scope that can be successfully applied to a
limited range of façade problems, but most of the custom work is performed by specialty
companies that provide complete design/build services.
Alternately, there are a few engineering firms noted for dealing with these specialty
structures, Schlaich Bergermann & Partners being one mentioned previously. Werner Sobek
Engineering and Design is another that has worked extensively with Helmut Jahn in the
realization of some impressive façade structures. But even here the involvement of the
engineer is as part of the design team, and final detailing and engineering, and the role
engineer-of-record, typically falls to a design/build subcontractor.
Clearly, simplified tools that provided for a preliminary level of analysis and some basic
output regarding the behavior of a conceptual design could be very helpful in resolving a
design capable of being constructed predictably to a budget and schedule.
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