As years and decades come and go, so do trends throughout any industry. The building enclosure industry is no stranger to this either. Preferences change over the years in the types of metals used, the looks of facades and even where products are sourced from. For example, a driving factor in sourcing products and systems has historically been price, regardless of where they were sourced from. However, there has been a shift away from this tribal thinking to focus more on where products are sourced from and the quality of the products.
There has also been an increase in the focus on understanding what the building components’ impact is on the building itself. While energy efficiency and sustainably have been top of mind for at least the last decade, people are now looking at it on a more micro level.
Many new questions are now being asked. Are these products sustainable and are they contributing to my building being sustainable? Are the products smart? These products meet code, but what would it take to be code plus?