STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES - USC School of Architecture

after a great deal of expense in legal fees has been incurred, a settlement is reached that
typically involves a contribution by all of the insurance companies, again regardless of fault.
Legal consultation will be required to develop appropriate disclaimers and indemnification
agreements to accompany all program components of the FacadeDesigner methodology.
Legal council has advised against publishing the website or distributing the
StructureDesigner program until these elements are in place.
10.3 Opportunities for Future Research
10.3.1 A Building Skins Program at USC
The testing that was undertaken as part of the learning program developed for this thesis
revealed a weakness in the familiarity with glass and glazing systems by the students in the
architecture program at USC. This is discussed briefly in 10.2.4 above, but the results of the
testing indicated an understanding of the importance of the building skin and strong interest
knowing more about this subject, at the same time indicating a lack of basic knowledge that
was favorably affected by even a brief learning program. This indicates both a need and an
opportunity.
The introduction to this thesis comments that no building system impacts both the
performance and the aesthetic of a building as does the building skin. Escalating concerns of
environment and energy have resulted in a renewed focus on the energy performance of
buildings. The building skin plays a dominant role in such consideration. In addition, the
majority of multi-story buildings are clad in curtain wall, most making a predominant, if not
exclusive use of glass. Many of these buildings feature custom curtain wall designs, which
play a very large role in defining the aesthetic of the building.
As little as 8 to 10-years ago there were virtually no major learning institutions in North
America offering programs in façade design or technology. This is changing rapidly;
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