کتاب Exterior Design Principles

The building facade is one of the most important exterior elements for building functionality. While the facade is an elegant component that helps to define the unique architectural aesthetics of the building, it also has the critical role related to energy performance and interior function of a building. Designing a building facade is crucial to not only the inhabitants but also to the surroundings. With footprint area restraints and keeping budgets in check, we as Architects tend to stick to the more comfortable design options for facade designing, without exploring much into the unexplored territories. A facade is a class that provides a simple interface to a complex subsystem which contains lots of moving parts. A facade might provide limited functionality in comparison to working with the subsystem directly. However, it includes only those features that clients really care about. Having a facade is handy when you need to integrate your app with a sophisticated library that has dozens of features, but you just need a tiny bit of its functionality.The façade is one of the most important elements in an architectural project. In addition to being the building›s first barrier against heat, rain, snow, or wind, it also largely determines the appearance of a building. It can make the project stand out, blend into urban context, or even manifest, at first glance, values of transparency, lightness, or simplicity that the architect seeks to convey. Accordingly, the façade also constitutes a significant portion of the total cost of the work and, therefore, must be specified very carefully, taking into account aesthetics, functionality, maintenance, and long-term behavior.The function of façades in architecture and the big portfolio of protective layers developed by nature (skin, membranes, shells, cuticles) share several similarities. In nature, skin is the largest organ that protects the body from external invaders. Skin is a multitasker performing several functions critical for health and well-being of organisms. Built from several layers, skin protects, regulates, controls, absorbs, maintains, senses, and camouflages.The forthcoming book is a translation of the book entitled «Principles of Facade Design» by «Dr. Mohsen Zeinali» and has tried to preserve the intellectual property and originality of this work without changes. This book is recommended to all architects, urban designers, landscape architects, urban planners, researchers in the field of architecture and urban planning, and especially the officials of relevant bodies, including municipalities.