EXTERIOR MOTIVES
by Petrina Yeap

What makes the design of a façade?

As the skin of a building, the various roles of the façade parallel that of its human equivalent. It is essentially the aesthetic cover of the building, its climatic interface with the external environment, and at the most fundamental, the protective envelope for the body of the building. Beyond the skin metaphor, façades also address issues of security and privacy for the occupants, as well as encapsulate within their expression cultural and symbolic nuances that, on a larger scale, are part of a dialogue with the urbanscape.

This multifaceted role of façades can be broadly distilled into two main trajectories—poetics and performance. Poetics is defined as the aesthetic expression of the architecture, while performance deals with notions of climatic responsiveness and energy efficiency.

FAÇADES IN THE TROPICAL CONTEXT
Before delving into the various examples of façades that either privilege poetics or performance or integrate both, it is always imperative to understand the context within which the buildings are placed as particular conditions will shape choices made in the design process. Here, the relevant context is that of the tropical, in particular the hot-humid climate of Southeast Asia.

A tropical façade within this region has to address the three vital elements of sun, wind and rain as well as local cultural and aesthetic identities. Temperatures in the region average about 30 degree Celsius, with humidity levels reaching up to almost 90 percent in the hottest months. Annual rainfall levels range approximately 150 to 200 centimetres, with peaks during the monsoon seasons. As such, for most of the year, the climate falls outside human thermal comfort zones. Thus, façades have to be designed to respond to daylighting, glare, heat, ventilation and water penetration.

Typical vernacular architecture in the tropics best illustrates the design thinking of façades shaped by the climate. Huge overhangs provide shading from the sun while the porosity of the building skin enhances ventilation through the interior spaces. While contemporary façades in the tropical context do not necessarily replicate vernacular designs, distilling the latter's wisdom and integrating modern poetics into the building skins of today's architecture will certainly mark the direction for the future.

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