The importance of façades

By: J. David Chapman/December 3, 2020

I love old buildings. I love the history of the buildings. I love the façades, the awnings, roof lines, and the history of the businesses and families that made a living supporting their neighbors and community with products and services. We did some terrible things to many of these buildings in the late 1960s and ‘70s. We demolished some, and covered the aging façades of others with metal and wood.

The good news is many of these old buildings now have new ownership that understands the importance of these buildings and immediately removed the wood and metal siding to uncover the original façade. This takes guts – you never know what you are going to find behind the siding. In many cases, the siding was intended to modernize the exterior of these buildings, but in others, it was to cover façades that were beyond repair. I enjoy watching the look on the face of a building owner discovering why their façade was covered as they remove the siding.

There is more to a façade than meets the eye. It is part of what we call the building’s envelope. It defines the unique architecture aesthetics of the building; however, there is more to consider. Architects must develop the unique design features on the façade geared toward improvement of the building envelope performance. Two key functions are a weather barrier against environmental factors for air/water infiltration and light transmittance to the interior space. The front façade of the building is an important focal point not only for curb appeal, but for the entire community as well. The rhythm of the entire streetscape is set by the street-facing façade. A well-preserved façade helps to maintain the historic fabric and cultural landscape of the building and the area around it, further contributing to the identity of its environment and community.

Original, period-appropriate façades are more than decorative and can provide visual clues to the time period of the building, enabling us to visually “read” some aspects of a building’s history. These façades may also include functional aspects. Form and function often go hand in hand defining the charm that people associate with these buildings and that are missing from today’s modern buildings. Next time you are in a historical downtown area, please pay special attention to the contribution of the unique original building facades.

J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).