Challenge
Bronze Cladded Mullions with No Exposed Aluminum
The architectural vision required the exterior facade to contain no exposed aluminum, including the primary mullions, horizontal members, and sill conditions. The facade spans 13ft, requiring the underlying aluminum system to provide significant structural capacity while remaining completely concealed behind a bronze architectural finish. The challenge was to maintain the capabilities of a high-performance curtain wall system while creating an exterior expression in which the framing was visually minimized and the glazing could read as a continuous architectural surface.
Project
Facet House | Challenge Three
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Process
01
Trü utilized a structurally glazed Schüco FW 50+S facade system, allowing the exterior glass to extend beyond the visible structural framing and eliminating conventional exposed exterior aluminum.
02
The facade incorporates Schüco FW 50+S T-mullions, approximately 7 5/16” deep, alongside rectangular mullion profiles coordinated to accommodate varying structural conditions while maintaining consistent sightlines throughout the facade.
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03
At the horizontal conditions, Trü developed buried sill details, allowing the glazing to extend visually toward the ground plane without an exposed aluminum sill interrupting the facade.
04
The facade structure was coordinated with the project's custom bronze cladding, which concealed the exterior aluminum and became the primary visible framing element. [See Challenge 5 for custom bronze cladding.]
Result
The completed facade eliminates the visual dominance of conventional aluminum framing, allowing the exterior to read primarily as a composition of glass and bronze.
The combination of structural glazing, custom mullion geometries, and concealed sill conditions allowed Trü to maintain the performance of the underlying facade system while responding to an unusually strict architectural requirement for minimal exterior framing.
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