ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the many forms of contemporary terra cotta and the attachment systems used to integrate them into effective building enclosures. Photographs and details are provided for projects across the United States and Europe. The inventory begins with ceramic veneer panels cut from extruded blocks. The evolution of rainscreen cladding is traced as the unit size of flat, straight panels increased. Baguettes are defined as extrusions with perfect surfaces on all four sides. Examples show their use as wall coverings, screens and light control devices. Custom designed profiles on the face of panels add depth and richness to the façade. In addition to hand setting individual pieces, terra cotta can be pre-assembled on panelized stud walls, precast concrete and unitized curtain wall systems. Terra cotta adapts well to corners and the interface between windows and walls. Extruded shapes can be ganged together to produce large-scale shading fins in more than one layer. Creative opportunities exist with other forming techniques. Hollow backed, prismatic elements can be ram pressed from the scale of large tiles to deep drawn volumes. Slip casting can be used to produce complex, three-dimensional parts free of the directional constraints of the other techniques.
