Terracotta Rainscreen Cladding by NBK Ceramic

I am currently working on the design for an assisted living development, which is a great program, and the type of project I have been waiting for. The site is beautiful, located on a large lake surrounded by old oak trees with a stream running through it. I told you it was a great site. While working on the conceptual design, I began to think about the materials that I would use in my design, and since the project is located in Orlando that means that wood is out due to the risk of wood destroying organisms, and metal is generally not great due to the corrosive nature of metals in tropical climates. It is possible to use metal and wood products in tropical climates, but I tend to stay away from those materials in residential design, as it is difficult to convince clients that there are ways to successfully use these materials and avoid these problems. The project that I am working on is part of an existing complex, which makes use of brick and concrete, and I have incorporated these materials into the design, but I was looking to introduce a new material. I thought about it for awhile and remembered a friend telling me about terracotta rainscreens, and how great they are. I then began my research on terracotta rainscreens and have since fallen in love with the material.

The terracotta rainscreen cladding developed by NBK Ceramic, is called Terrart, and like many of the materials and products featured on this site, it is a complete system that responds to various climatic constraints. The system contains numerous functions built into its cross section: a back ventilated ceramic shell to keep the construction dry, an elastomeric protective membrane to prevent moisture penetration, heat insulation, and lastly, a precise and beautiful architectural finish.

The Terrart ceramic panels are available in a number of finishes: natural, polished and glazed, as well as a nearly infinite number of colors, while still maintaining the touch and feel of a natural material. The NBK site claims that every shade of colour can be obtained. The Terrart system offers more than variation in color and finish, but the panels can be made into any number of shapes, patterns and sizes. The ceramic panels do not have to be solid. Terrart is available in two types of  systems. The first system is the rainscreen system, which is an enclosure system, and the second system available is a louver and baguette system which has many architectural possibilities. When the louver and baguette system are combined with the rainscreen system there are endless combinations.

Terrart is also available in three different types of installations: terracotta precast concrete system, terracotta unitized curtain wall system and the metal stud wall system. All of the installation types offer rapid construction, ease of construction and extreme precision, but of the three installation types, the terracotta unitized curtain wall system is the superior installation type. All of the units are prefabricated which means when they are fabricated with a very high level of craftsmanship.

There is no other way to describe the construction of the Terrart ceramic system developed by NBK Ceramic, other than beautiful. Check out the videos on the site to learn more about this product.

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