STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES - USC School of Architecture

accommodated through this reductionist approach. Similarly, it does not matter for the sake
of this analysis if the wall is sloped or curved. This representation can be simply made by the
designer in schematic plan, elevation and typical section drawings, while the preliminary
analysis can be approximated from a more standardized form.
The tools and resources developed herein then, will focus on the basic façade forms as
defined in Chapter 6, in the vertical orientation of a regular glazed surface.
7.1.2 Uniform Grid Module
The surface to be glazed needs to be subdivided into an appropriate grid. This is a critical
step, as the grid will define the spacing of the façade’s supporting structure elements, thus
determining the tributary area of the glass surface that will act on the component and
consequently define its structural characteristics. This will have implications on all aspects of
the design, from transparency to cost.
As discussed above, the façade glass grid is often not uniform throughout for various
reasons. Localized deviations in the glass grid will be ignored as part of this simplified
methodology, but they should be clearly represented in elevation drawings. If there is a
change in the typical grid geometry of significant area, it will be analyzed as an additional
case. By segmenting the façade into typical areas and analyzing those areas as afforded by
the simplified tools and methods, the development of a complex design can be facilitated.
Every opportunity should be sought to bring uniformity to the glazing grid. If circumstances
provide, there should be no deviation from the basic grid geometry. If the façade is designed
early in the process, a uniform glazing grid or grids can be determined and the building
interface designed around this grid. Considerations of the glazing grid are discussed later in
this Chapter.
293