Façades: Perfect Honesty

For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a Fortis project. However, we found the update meaningful.

The focus was perhaps directed a little too much to a ‘starchitect’ being pipped to the post, which in itself was a lazy clickbait headline that unfairly afforded attention to others. The merits and accolades should have been paid on a single podium for the hard work of Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter.

We wanted to shine some additional praise on a rare demonstration of comprehension of materials and climatic adaption, an area which Fortis are heavily focused on. Specifically, we draw your attention to the stirringly accurate interpretation of façade soiling and interactions with local ecology modelled by KVANT-1.

First and the most obvious, the degradation of the timber façade caused by Ultraviolet (UV) light. This is introduced remarkably realistically in relation to not only tones and colour, but geometrically in sync with the eaves. The shaded regions respond to exposure to direct sunlight, but there is even a hint of a degradation threshold that would indicate the solar equinoctial point where duration of exposure either reduces or increases.

This is a structure at the foot of the Ötscher in Lower Austria, included by way of example to illustrate how precise the companies have appreciated the material and climate; uncanny. Those with a keen eye will note the splash zone exceeding guidance, more on this in a separate update.

The eave braces also respond in this way with the rhythm of their positioning and exposure.

The second point is almost undetectable and has nothing to do with the façade. See the exhibition rigging and fishing net drying frames, these are positioned on the sun facing elevation as opposed to being in the shaded areas. So subtle but adds more layers to the qualifications of those that have designed.

Third and last is the decision to include flora, not only that which is native to the region such as Sea Sandwort and Sea Lyme grass, but also the plausible Halosere seen across the banks and through the planked/gravelled entrance.

If we had to guess what one of the judge’s major deciding factors would have been, other than the acute homage to Viking nautical architecture, the subtle additions mentioned above. The honesty in presenting in this way likely went unnoticed or at least the form would have taken precedence; which is not wrong. But the balance between making conscious decisions to show fatigue only served to unconsciously get the reviewer comfortable with the building’s potential response to the climate. What it has done is remove any mystery about how the asset will be perceived in the future.

We typically see renders of shiny buildings that are fresh out the construction box and deep cleaned. However, not this scheme… This concept has unapologetically shown the building several years into its use. Breaking convention and offering a realism to the stakeholders whilst providing technical confidence that the material selection is appropriate with longevity in mind. This is astonishing and refreshing behaviour as it leaves the competition behind in building material philosophy. Not to mention a quiet confidence by using time travel to show the competition won, built and some years into the occupancy.

We hope that the work of Lundgaard & Tranberg and KVANT-1 is followed as concepts that provide total comprehension of material properties and their inherent nuance with regional specific meteorological and climate profiling. As this will only serve to manage expectations and the preservation of assets.

Congratulations to those involved from Fortis.