Facade Blinds for Parking Lots

When designing a building, it’s crucial to consider every element, from the overall concept to the smallest details. One of the key components that combines practicality and style is the facade. It defines the first impression of the building. In this article, we will focus on a specific type of facade – Blinds, which are increasingly being used for parking lots.

When setting up a parking lot in a new or renovated building, one of the important tasks is selecting the facade treatment. While this may not be relevant for underground structures, modern multi-story parking lots require contemporary functional facades.

One of the most rational solutions is installing a facade with blinds. We will discuss the reasons behind this choice, the characteristics of such facades, and their advantages in this brief overview.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING FACADE TREATMENT

Parking areas typically consist of large spaces (often multi-level) designed for long-term vehicle storage. Sometimes parking lots are built from scratch, and in many cases, existing buildings with appropriate space and layout are converted into parking facilities.

Parking facades are usually a combination of different technical solutions. However, the general list of requirements for facade treatment remains unchanged:

• Strength: The construction of the facade treatment must be sufficiently robust to withstand wind and operational loads. The strength aspect is particularly crucial because parking lots often have a large facade area, subject to significant wind loads.
• Security Against Break-Ins: Parking lots house vehicles of considerable material value. To prevent unauthorized access or vandalism, facade materials that resist break-in attempts should be used.

• Weather Resistance: Throughout the year, parking lot facades are subjected to various environmental factors. Rain, snow, hail, temperature fluctuations, ultraviolet radiation – all of these can significantly damage the structure. Therefore, modern materials that can withstand climatic influences and do not degrade for 10-15 years or more are used in the treatment.
• Ease of Installation: This aspect is more critical for parking lots located in renovated buildings. Facade structures should be quick and straightforward to install without modifying the configuration of existing openings.
• Fire Resistance: This requirement is entirely logical, as a fire in a parking lot can lead to damage to a large number of parked vehicles. For facade treatment, it is desirable to use materials with minimal flammability.

Another important aspect is the aesthetic appearance. A modern parking lot is a part of the urban landscape, even if it functions as a standalone building. If the parking lot is part of a unified architectural complex, materials with high decorative potential should be used for facade decoration.

DEAF OR VENTILATED?

When choosing a facade for a parking lot, it is necessary to address the fundamental question: should the facade be completely solid or left ventilated?

Solid facades have several advantages. They completely enclose the interior of the parking lot, protecting it from prying eyes, wind, and intrusion by intruders.

On the other hand, a ventilated facade has its advantages. Firstly, its installation ensures more efficient ventilation of the parking area, which is essential due to the large amount of exhaust emissions generated by vehicles. Secondly, the use of ventilated sections of the facade provides natural lighting.

Today, many engineers, when designing parking lots, try to combine the advantages of both solid and ventilated facades. Inadequate ventilation can be compensated for by the installation of supply and exhaust ventilation systems, and natural lighting can be provided by glazing part of the openings instead of covering them with solid facade panels.

WHAT ARE BLINDS FACADES?

Blinds facades are a type of facade composed of horizontal or vertical louvers. They can be fixed or adjustable, allowing control over the airflow and light. For parking lots, this is particularly important as it enables the creation of optimal conditions for ventilation and lighting.

Metal Louvers for Parking Lots. One of the popular variations of louvers is metal louvers. They offer several advantages, including high strength, durability, and excellent aerodynamic properties.

Metal louvers are made from various materials, including aluminum, steel, or zinc. The choice of material depends on the project’s specifics and the client’s requirements. Aluminum is lightweight and corrosion-resistant, making it ideal for large parking lots. Steel is known for its high strength, while zinc provides additional corrosion protection.

It’s worth noting that metal louvers can be treated to achieve different visual effects. For example, they can be painted in any color, matte or glossy, or even have a textured surface that mimics another material, such as wood.

Impact on Parking Lot Design and Functionality. Louvered facades with metal louvers bring a modern touch to the architectural concept of the parking lot, aligning with contemporary trends in urban design. They emphasize the building’s geometry, add structure and rhythm to the facade, and can also serve as an additional branding element since they can be painted in corporate colors.

The specifics of parking lots require a special approach to ventilation and lighting. Metal louvers allow for the adjustment of these parameters, creating comfortable conditions at any time of day and year. They also provide additional protection against unwanted street noise without impeding air circulation.

BLINDS FACADE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO GLAZING OR SOLID CLADDING

Glazing a portion of the parking lot facade, especially in multi-level structures, is a fairly popular solution. However, it comes with its drawbacks:

• Firstly, glass, even tinted glass, doesn’t provide the necessary privacy (an exception being expensive mirrored coatings).
• Secondly, glazing large areas complicates the provision of windows. Therefore, the issue of natural ventilation remains unresolved.

Finally, it’s important not to forget that glass is a fragile material with low resistance to vandalism. Of course, glass can be protected from breaking by installing laminated or bulletproof glass, but this will lead to additional costs.

All these drawbacks are well known to engineers, so when designing multi-level parking lots with large above-ground portions, alternatives to glazing have always been sought after. One of the most effective alternative solutions has become the use of blinds facades.

In this case, the treatment is carried out according to the following scheme:

• Structural elements are processed using traditional solutions, from plastering to cladding with metal cassettes or steel facade panels on top of the thermal insulation layer.
• Guides and crossbars are installed in openings, serving as stiffening ribs. Profiled louvers made of thin sheet metal with protective-decorative coatings are attached to the guides and crossbars.
• The louvers are fixed at an angle: the slope from the interior towards the exterior allows the construction to resemble external blinds.
  Blinds facades effectively cover openings (even very wide ones, up to 3-6 meters, depending on the frame configuration and the chosen louver model).

Moreover, the installation of blinds facades for parking lots allows combining the advantages of solid and ventilated models.

ADVANTAGES OF BLINDS FACADES FOR PARKING LOTS AND COVERED PARKING SPACES

The advantages of blinds facades are due to the combination of an original design and practical materials:

• One-way permeability: The louvers of the blinds facade are oriented to provide effective external drainage. Both rainwater and condensation flow down the louvers onto drainage bars and do not enter the parking area. This also applies to dust and debris, albeit to a lesser extent.
• Excellent mechanical qualities: Despite using thin sheet metal for louvers, the blinds facade itself exhibits remarkable resistance to deformation and break-in attempts. The dense arrangement of louvers and the presence of at least one stiffening rib in each element contribute to this.

• Natural ventilation: The blinds facade ensures efficient ventilation of the parking area, allowing for the removal of exhaust fumes and dust with minimal energy consumption. Furthermore, air circulation helps control humidity levels within the parking facility, reducing the risk of corrosion for both stored vehicles and utilities like pipes and wires.
• During daylight hours, the blinds facade allows for sufficient natural lighting. Even in summer heat, diagonal louvers prevent direct sunlight from entering the parking area, preventing overheating of both the air inside and the parked vehicles.
• Resistance to external influences: Metal blinds facades exhibit much greater resistance compared to other structures. Thanks to their polymer decorative coating, the louvers are corrosion-resistant and do not degrade under prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Metal facades do not ignite and do not support combustion, and inclined louvers effectively protect the interior of the parking area even in the case of deliberate arson attempts – any flammable liquid will simply flow down the exterior wall.

Another crucial aspect is the facade’s appearance. The popularity of a parking facility is determined not only by its location and internal infrastructure but also by its external aesthetics. Using blinds facades allows for a more stylish and modern exterior design, and the ability to manufacture louvers in any color is essential for maintaining corporate identity and color schemes.

CONCLUSION

Facade “Blinds” are a stylish, functional, and practical choice for parking structures. They provide optimal conditions for ventilation and lighting, as well as an attractive exterior appearance. The choice of material and design ultimately depends on the project’s specific requirements, budget, and the client’s preferences. However, regardless of your demands, facades with metal louvers can be an excellent solution that combines quality, aesthetics, and practicality.

When defining the architectural concept of a parking facility, it is important not to forget about elements such as facades. They can become not only the “face” of your project but also a key component that ensures its functionality. Metal louvers are a modern and stylish option that emphasizes the individuality of the project while addressing all the operational needs of the parking facility.

By choosing metal louvers for your project, you not only get an aesthetically appealing facade but also an efficient solution for ventilation and lighting. All of this falls within the framework of sustainable development, which is becoming increasingly relevant in the modern world.

For the installation of facades, various louver blades can be used from the “Mehbud” factory. The use of high-quality raw materials and precision equipment for metal processing allows us to manufacture louvers that fully comply with the strictest modern standards.

May your architectural solutions be not only beautiful but also wise!