How To Customize Precast Concrete Panels for a Unique Facade

1. How To Customize Precast Concrete Panels for a Unique Facade

2. Concrete, in all its raw structural beauty, can be a challenging medium to work with when casting on-site. So, when GFRC panels came onto the scene, architects everywhere rejoiced. These lightweight cladding elements allow you to dress a regular building in concrete and create a unique aesthetic for your client. Modularity is the building block of customization, and these panels can unlock infinite design possibilities with a little creativity.

3. Varying the Size and Shape to Create Rhythm Precast concrete panels are generally rectangular or square. That may sound limiting but remember how much customization lies in the simple brick. We can use GFRC panels like bricks and stack them like stretchers and headers to create intricate herringbone or basket weaves for walls. Once you start varying the size of the panels, you can achieve even more customization.

4. For example, you might use longer strips to frame a window or door or break up a busy facade pattern. You could use the panels vertically in ascending or descending height order to emphasize a beautiful corner or reintroduce human scale in an oversized space. Don’t forget the spaces between the panels when arranging the cladding. These joining lines give the surface movement and direct the eye over the wall. You can infuse rhythm into your facade when considering the gaps in between.

5. Playing With Textured Concrete Concrete does not always have to be smooth and grey. Introducing texture can make the surface more interesting and the architecture more tactile. GFRC panels are cast like any concrete piece and can be finished with visible formwork patterns. These patterns are like natural imperfections that can make a monolithic structure feel rustic and relatable. Another textural type of cladding is hand-pressed concrete. Making anything by hand instantly gives it a one-of-a-kind appeal. This technique provides precast concrete panels with a more artistic look and feel.

6. Using Colour to Emphasize Form Concrete is essentially a natural material made from crushed rocks. The colour of the final product comes from the iron and ochre pigments buried deep in its chemistry, and as such, concrete comes in many shades of grey and brown. Where traditional concrete creates a foreboding monochromatic facade, GFRC panels create a cozy and welcoming entranceway.

7. Varying the shade of the precast concrete panels can bring architectural elements into the metaphorical foreground or background. For example, darker areas clad in charcoal panels will absorb light and recede gently behind green landscaping. Conversely, covering the walls with white panels will make them more pronounced and help to brighten up a shady courtyard or covered patio. For more concrete architecture ideas, feel free to browse our gallery or check us out on Instagram. Sculptural Design makes custom concrete cladding products for architects and home builders in Canada—contact us for more information.