Lots of attention is paid to interior design, but it’s the exterior of a building that makes the first impression to those entering or just passing by. The impact of the exterior can enhance branding, add practical elements like lighting and shelter, and guide the building’s aesthetics.
Here at Arktura, we offer an abundance of metal screen facade design ideas, many of which were featured in an ArchDaily article highlighting the function, performance and beauty of these architectural systems.
To make a bold statement, metal screen facades shape the exterior and can be customized to your exact specifications. We have a range of standard and customized solutions that can be integrated with other features such as integrated backlighting and custom imagery.
“1676 International Boulevard” Tysons, VA, Perkins + Will – DC, Halkin Mason Photography, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions Exterior by Arktura
Integrating backlighting into a metal exterior facade not only adds safety and visibility to an entrance but also creates a touch of aesthetic brilliance. Perforations of different sizes and densities will allow you to replicate glittering stars shining in the night.
“1676 International Boulevard” Tysons, VA, Perkins + Will – DC, Halkin Mason Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions Exterior by Arktura
Graphic Perf® Solutions Exterior works well with a continuous pattern aesthetic, so no matter how large the panels are or how much space they cover, the pattern will flow seamlessly across the exterior space.
“160 W Santa Clara” San Jose, CA, ESI, Featuring: Vapor® Graphic Perf® by Arktura
Integrated lighting can be customized to the building’s exterior needs and design goals. This custom design utilizes RGB lighting in concert with Vapor® Graphic Perf® that turns walls, ceiling tiles and exterior facades into a limitless canvas, transferring any image or pattern onto a unique design element.
“UNLV Hospitality Hall” Las Vegas, NV, Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Architects – CSD – NV, Featuring: Secare® by Arktura
Vertical tube screens are one of the most unique metal screen facade designs. The round or square tubing of Secare® creates multi-dimensional, preassembled modules for depth and dimension on the exterior.
“UNLV Hospitality Hall” Las Vegas, NV, Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Architects – CSD – NV, Featuring: Secare® by Arktura
Secare® can also be integrated with HVAC systems, plumbing, AV equipment and life-saving systems for the ultimate customization experience, allowing you to get the look you want without sacrificing function.
“SECTA” Las Vegas, NV, Pugsley. Simpson. Coulter., Art Gray Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
Using a metal screen facade to enhance branding is easy with Vapor® Graphic Perf®. This system offers two ways to create an image in perforated metal panels — Photoreal and Scripted.
“Santa Monica Beach” Santa Monica, CA, RNT Architects & Adrian Gaus Architects Inc., Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
This custom rainscreen at the Santa Monica Beach does double duty, creating a beautiful aesthetic and protecting the restrooms at the rest area.
To achieve this detailed imagery, the custom Graphic Perf® installation features differing perforation sizes and density, creating an image on each metal screen facade that is tailored to each restroom’s location.
“BNA – Signature Terminal” Nashville, TN, Schenkel Shultz Architecture, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
At this Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) location, private jets service a range of clients and passengers and offer excellent service. To welcome passengers, our installation of an extensive Graphic Perf® Custom Photoreal Exterior treatment pays homage to Nashville’s musical history. This metal screen facade integrates the personal touch of a mural, but with a modern twist.
“555 Robson – Green Wall Page” Vancouver, BC, MCM Interiors Ltd., Featuring: Vapor® Cora by Arktura
This unique exterior application of Vapor® Cora as a metal screen facade protects the building while adding a stunning design element. As an integral part of the building’s living green wall, the metal screen facade rises up multiple stories, adding design support to the metal trellises for plants to climb.
“555 Robson – Green Wall Page” Vancouver, BC, MCM Interiors Ltd., Featuring: Vapor® Cora by Arktura
Despite the enormous size of this installation, the pattern transitions seamlessly from panel to panel for continuity. The functionality of these panels is also clear in this application as the panels not only fill the gap in the green wall but also cover the vents on the back of the building. Because of this, the panels needed to be over 50% open, making the Cora pattern the perfect choice to merge form and function.
“Tesla” Santa Monica, CA, Michael W. Folonis Architects, Art Gray Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
Large bent panels provide an unexpected twist in metal screen facade design. For the Tesla building in Santa Monica, CA, we used our proprietary software to create a design that captures the relationship between magnetic flux and electron decay, translating it into an architectural form on this complex curved exterior.
“Tesla” Santa Monica, CA, Michael W. Folonis Architects, Art Gray Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
The Solutions Studio® created this Graphic Perf® system to act as a functional element, filtering heat and sunlight and also serving as a rain shield while representing the electric propulsion’s linear energy release.
“Elysian Fields” Los Angeles, CA, Warren Techentin Architecture, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
The perforated panels that gently curve around the windows on the Elysian Fields building in Los Angeles, CA pays homage to neighborhood automotive body shops. The flared voids create space for residents to open their expansive sliding windows.
“Elysian Fields” Los Angeles, CA, Warren Techentin Architecture, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura
Varying window sizes support a dynamic exterior as the large bent panels adjust to each window size, protecting the interior from sunlight, wind and rain.
“2100 Grand Page” Los Angeles, CA, HLW Architecture, Featuring: Solutions Studio® – Custom Rain Screens by Arktura
To further customize any design, our panels are powder-coated aluminum and are available in a range of colors from bold Spirit Red and vibrant Sunflower to cool Blue Steel and soothing Forest Green.
Choosing to add color to the metal screen facade makes a statement and draws attention to the exterior of the building. It can also enhance branding and start an experience before anyone even enters.
“Silver Lake Screens” Los Angeles, CA, Zoltan E. Pali + Studio Pali Fekete Architects, Featuring: Solutions Studio® – Custom Rain Screens by Arktura
The modular metal screen facade installed at the Morgan Phoa Library and Residence is unique in its operability. In addition to protecting the exterior, acting as a sun and rain screen, and providing privacy, they can also be opened to create unobstructed views and welcome copious amounts of sunlight.
“Silver Lake Screens” Los Angeles, CA, Zoltan E. Pali + Studio Pali Fekete Architects, Roland Halbe (Photographer), Featuring: Solutions Studio® – Custom Rain Screens by Arktura
Many metal screen facades make a stunning statement on the exterior, but once inside, they can’t be seen or don’t contribute to the interior aesthetic. That isn’t the case with this design.
The perforations in these bronze anodized aluminum panels allow dappled sunlight to play in the personal library, creating movement and light throughout the space and letting the exterior leave an impression on the interior.
Metal screen facades not only protect a building from the elements, but they also add an aesthetic touch that can make a bold branding statement or act as a functional element as operable screens — or they can be all of the above.
The options are endless, and our experts at Arktura will guide you through the design process to ensure you’re getting the perfect product, whether it’s a standard application or a custom solution with our Solutions Studio®. To begin designing a unique metal screen facade, contact us today.
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