After seeing a few remarkable projects from Porcelanosa, we wanted to learn more about the materials that went into them. It turns out they all have one thing in common: exterior cladding. The “ventilated facade” system reduces energy costs by 30 percent, and while it’s widely used in Eurpoe and Asia, its use is fairly new to the US.

So what exactly is this ventilated facade used in all these projects?

Ventilated facade is a cladding system with an air cushion or cavity immediately behind which provides with a drainage, ventilation and thermal solution. This ventilation allows for an exchange of air between the outside and the cavity behind the cladding panels, providing the solution for venting any moisture away from the facade.

Not only is the treatment fire-resistant, but it’s eco-friendly, antibacterial, and it can be applied to large surfaces without joints—plus it’s easy on the eyes.

To learn more, Porcelanosa is offering a CEU course (AIA Credit: 1 LU/HSW ) on the cladding. Join us for lunch at Galvanize, Boulder!

At the end of the program, the participant will be able to:

1) Participants should be able to correctly define various types of exterior cladding systems.

2) Participants should be able to identify the major components/features of the ventilated facade system.

3) Participants will gain an understanding of the advantages of the ventilated facade when compared to other cladding systems.

4) Participants will gain an understanding of appropriate use of the ventilated facade system.