07 Sep Aluminium Facades in the UAE: Types, Benefits and How to Choose

For modern projects in the UAE, large glass constructions combined with aluminium elements are extremely popular. The key priority for such facades is the set of functions that they need to perform. These include saving on energy by reducing heat transfer, protecting against the elements, providing the necessary glazing and meeting standards for building structures.

Koemmerling Aluminium System offers high-performance aluminium facade solutions for projects across the United Arab Emirates. The range includes different types of aluminium facades, each designed with specific performance features and advantages to meet varying architectural and building requirements. Choosing the right solution depends on factors such as design, durability, energy efficiency, and project needs.

What Is An Aluminium facade System?

An aluminium facade system is one of the possible variants of the building envelope. This construction solution uses aluminium profiles that serve as a substructure for mounting glass, solid elements or a combination of these materials. In addition, gaskets, sealants, and other accessories are used in the system. Together, they ensure the stable operation of the structure and its ability to resist the effects of nature.

An aluminium facade system typically consists of the following elements:

• Profiles for building up the framework
• Glass and solid elements
• Gaskets and seals
• Thermal insulation material for breaking the heat bridge
• Various accessories for fixing the construction
• Architectural facade coatings

The building envelope constructed with aluminium solutions should also complement other elements of the perimeter structure, such as windows and doors. This allows achieving a more harmonious effect and using the advantages of individual components.

Koemmerling Aluminium offers curtain wall facades, unitised curtain walls, skylights, windows, doors, sliding systems, louvres, sunshades and ventilated facade substructures.

Types of Aluminum Facade Systems

System	Usage
Regular Curtain Wall	Used for building exteriors where large glazed areas and a clean architectural appearance are required. It suits a wide range of commercial and modern building designs.
Unitised Curtain Wall	Used for large-scale projects where facade components are prepared in advance and installed quickly on site. It is suitable for buildings with demanding project schedules.
Skylight	Used to create glazed roof areas that bring natural light into interior spaces. Suitable for applications ranging from flat glass roofs to larger architectural skylight structures.
Windows, Doors & Sliding	For everyday building openings, including windows, entrances and large sliding areas. These systems can complement the overall facade design and provide flexible opening options.
Louver & Sunshade	Building exteriors to manage direct sunlight and provide shading. They can be incorporated into different facade designs while adding a distinctive architectural element.
Ventilated Facade	Used as a support system for external cladding on vertical or sloped building surfaces. It is suitable for facade designs using materials such as aluminium composite, terracotta or natural stone.

Benefits of Aluminium Facades in the UAE

The UAE climate places particular demands on building envelopes. High temperatures, strong sunlight and dust make thermal and weather performance important considerations.

Thermal Performance

Heat transfer through the frame can affect indoor comfort and building energy use. Thermal breaks help interrupt the direct path between the exterior and interior parts of an aluminium frame.

Water and Weather Management

Effective drainage is essential for facade performance. The Regular Curtain Wall is fully mullion-drained and pressure-equalised, while the KWD60.1 CL ST also uses fully drained and pressure-equalised construction.

These design features are intended to help manage water and maintain the weather resistance of the building envelope.

Air, Wind and Noise Performance

Facade performance is not only about appearance. The Regular Curtain Wall is good for airtightness, watertightness, wind resistance and noise reduction, providing several areas to consider when evaluating a system for a UAE project.

Design Flexibility

Aluminium allows architects to work with different shapes, colours, proportions and facade configurations. Slim geometries can also reduce the visual weight of framing, allowing glass and architectural form to play a greater role in the finished design.

Maintenance and Durability of Aluminum Facades

The main advantage of aluminium products is their reliability and a long period of operation. it is necessary to carry out at least some maintenance activities. First of all, it is important to ensure that the system has been properly maintained and that all the elements that ensure its drainage have been operating.

In addition, periodic inspections of the state of the seals, gaskets and frames are necessary, as well as cleaning and, if necessary, replacing the damaged parts. Finally, the surface of the products must be regularly cleaned of dirt and processed with special means that protect the coating from UV radiation and other factors.

It is also worth noting that the maintenance of aluminium products should be carried out in accordance with the accompanying documentation. Therefore, it is vital to analyse the provided information and compile a list of activities to be performed.

How to Choose the Right Aluminum Facade System

When selecting an aluminium facade system, it is important to take into account the following factors.

First of all, it is vital to analyse the requirements of the project. In other words, the architect must decide what image of the building is needed and what functions the selected facade system should perform. Based on this information, it will be possible to choose the type of curtain walls – regular or unitised, skylights, ventilated facade systems or louvers and sunshades.

Next, it is necessary to study the accompanying documents and performance characteristics of the systems so that the selected solution meets all the project requirements.

It is also necessary to pay great attention to the complete building envelope, that is, the interaction between various elements: facades, windows, doors and sliding systems.

Also study of the manufacturing process, since a high degree of precision and special technologies for processing aluminium profiles are required for aluminium facades. At Koemmmerling Aluminium, we have implemented high-end engineering technology to build aluminium facades.

Finally, it should be remembered that the choice of a particular material should be made not only on the basis of its advantages but also on the total cost of ownership and the accompanying maintenance.

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