ABSTRACT
Cladding design responsibility lies foremost with the architect, but often requires an interdisciplinary team of architect, mechanical and structural engineers, lighting designer, specialty cladding designer, specialty structural engineer, and installation subcontractors. Glazing makes up a significant portion of the envelope of common buildings and interfaces with all other cladding materials. Cladding provides the physical barrier between us and the elements. Architectural cladding consists of almost any imaginable combination of transparent, translucent, and opaque components. Opaque elements provide architectural interest, better insulation, and enhancements to the facade's durability. Opaque wall elements are often backed by metal stud walls and sheathing in modern commercial construction. Commercial buildings today generally utilize dual-pane insulated glazing systems for energy efficiency. As with insulated glazing, there are ways to specify frame products or materials that improve the performance of the overall system. Of the many types of glazing available, building envelopes today overwhelmingly use one or more of these three: heat-strengthened, tempered, and laminated.
