A Ductal® 3D facade
The facade serves not only as a building envelope but also as a means of brise-soleil. The pattern is inspired by the Attijariwafa Bank logo. The double-layered facade was designed to be made with three separate lattice screens superimposed over each other. Each of these screens (designated A, B and C, see figure below) is composed of strips of varying widths that form a textured weave while retaining the look and feel of a traditional mashrabiya.
Attajari Wafa Bank Morocco Rabat - Ductal® 3D Façade panel details
This blueprint required a refined, advanced approach when it came to designing and manufacturing the panels. Instead of producing three separate screens that need to be assembled together, which would have required a revision of the facade's design (e.g. panel dimensions, mounting and installation methods, etc.), engineers at BEARCH leveraged their knowledge and the Ductal® material's features in order to arrive at a particularly apt solution, both technically and financially. The panels directly incorporate the three layers of screens thanks to a three-layer mold design. This innovative and clever mold design, together with the panels' varying thicknesses and elements in relief, allowed the manufacturers to perfectly reproduce the initial aesthetic effect they were going for.
The panels are mounted on the facade via a secondary steel framework using sockets embedded in the Ductal® and steel brackets. They have been installed this month of November 2017.
Attajari Wafa Bank Morocco Rabat - Ductal® 3D Façade panel details
Attajari Wafa Bank Morocco Rabat - Ductal® 3D Façade panel details Bearch
This technical feat was made possible by the expertise of the prefabricator and the wide latitude that Ductal® offers when it comes to design. As a result, the customized, pre-fabricated components are well in line with the architectural aspirations of the project.
With Ductal®, builders can play around with textures, colors, shapes and depth to produce a unique design that features complex shapes with light and shadow effects (an impossible result with other, traditional materials).
Ductal® and energy-efficient buildings
Since the building is HEQ-certified, another major issue for the project was ensuring optimized energy consumption.
As such, the Ductal® facade and its 3D brise-soleil components were designed to allow sunlight through while controlling light intake, in an effort to improve the building's energy efficiency and adhere to HEQ requirements.
In addition, Ductal® ensures that the facade exterior will remain durable, resistant, ductile and less porous over the long term. This resilient material is perfectly suited to the building's needs, and allows both aesthetic and technical concerns to be met.