Regular maintenance may be the most important step in keeping architectural intent alive and well, long after the ribbon cutting.
The design statement made by a custom glass canopy, vestibule, or wall is often just as important as its intended functional purpose. The Apple cube, for instance, has taken on a life of its own in terms of its unique aesthetic, and the simplicity of the cube also conveys the design and engineering brand attributes that are part of everything Apple does.
Design teams spend a great deal of time obsessing over project details, proportions, and materials in order to ensure that the structure conveys a specific feeling, or set of attributes. When the project is built to specifications, the architectural intent is achieved. Professional photos are taken around the time of building opening, and then everyone moves on to the next project.
Here’s where that architectural intent can sometimes break down: Have you ever returned to the site 6 months later and found dust, leaves, spider webs, tumbleweeds, etc. making your glass jewel box into a dull version of what it was meant to be? The absence of a proper maintenance plan can actually impact a company’s brand by conveying lack of upkeep and respect for the building. Likewise, it can do damage to the architect’s brand by suggesting that something was missed in the proper design of the structure.
Project specifications almost always call out detailed cleaning procedures as the last step in installation. Additionally, a care and maintenance manual is typically provided by product manufacturers for basic materials and finishes. However, an overall maintenance schedule is often overlooked in specifications.
A relatively flat skylight or canopy, for instance, will not allow water to run off as efficiently as one with a steeper pitch. Sometimes, small design tweaks can help with performance, such as the design of our glass cube at Harbor Point. Here, we integrated a slight ridge in the roof to move water off the sides of the structure, keeping them away from the front door, and not allowing “ponding” to occur on an otherwise flat roof. The ridge is barely perceptible. It does not change the overall look of the cube, but helps to keep it cleaner.
In all cases, building maintenance crews should be directed by the architect to develop a regular cleaning schedule to keep things looking clean and new. All-glass features are susceptible to finger prints, dust, and visible debris. This detracts from the reflectivity, transparency, and ultimately the architectural intent of the structure. A high-span frameless structure becomes more difficult to clean without proper lifting apparatus – while window washing anchors can be incorporated more easily into metal framed systems, they become more difficult to include in all-glass systems. Once again, cleaning and lifting equipment should also be taken into account for equipment needs.
Long lasting aesthetics require well performing custom glass structures to move water and debris off their exterior surfaces, but they also require regular maintenance for both interior and exterior surfaces. When maintained on a regular schedule, the true design intent endures as long as the structure.