When we hear the phrase “architectural daylighting,” images of large-volume spaces that filled with glorious daylight from above come to mind. In the world of architectural daylighting, when dramatic effect is required, architectural metal-framed glass skylights are the solution. However, for an architectural metal-framed skylight solution to have long-lasting impact, the design, assembly, construction and materials and engineering details must be carefully addressed. Advanced metal-framed skylight solutions are available that incorporate innovative new technologies, features and systems that provide revolutionary ease-of-design, simplified assembly and on-site construction and life-long efficient performance.
Ease of Design
When properly done, a metal-framed skylight can be used to enhance beautiful architectural design, providing an efficient, transformative and emotive daylighting solution. Whether a project’s conceptual design calls for a single-slope, ridge, pyramid, polygon, barrel vault or complex nonstandard shape, architectural metal-framed skylights can yield dramatic spaces that are filled with glorious daylight. Beautiful and successful architectural metal-framed skylights are complex, highly engineered structural systems that integrate with, and enhance, beautiful architecture by admitting daylight and views while shielding interior occupants and building systems from external climatic forces. As a result, successful skylight solutions start with good
conceptual design.
Today, industry-leading metal-framed skylight manufacturers provide robust libraries of advanced BIM resources that enable the architect to easily develop a metal-framed skylight’s conceptual design as a starting point. With a conceptual design in hand, the manufacturer’s team of design experts function as project consultants, assisting the process by generating the final skylight solution and the required design documentation. Specification-grade product manufacturers will offer a broad range of framing, glazing options and design features to ensure that the architectural vision and intent can be fully realized. By partnering with the metal-framed skylight manufacturer early in the design process, the manufacturer’s design experts will assist in refining the skylight design to produce a fully engineered, optimized and cost-effective product solution.
Simplified Architectural Integration, Installation and Construction
Metal-framed skylights are often complex, structural systems, and successful installation and long-term performance is determined by the skylight’s framing system details, with advanced product solutions engineered for efficient field assembly and construction. Innovative framing features and technologies have been pioneered that enable cost-effective product assembly and in-field installation. Recent innovations in adaptable mounting assemblies, enhanced skylight rafter and purlin framing profiles and revolutionary structural skylight framing connection technologies reduce field assembly complexity by as much as 75% when compared to yesterday’s metal-framed skylight framing systems.
Advances in metal-framed skylight framing technologies even enable architectural skylights to be fully assembled on the ground, and merely lifted into place. Additionally, industry-leading manufactures can provide factory-preassembled and finished skylights when certain size contestants are met. The end results are significant reductions in installation effort, time and labor costs, yielding a more-efficient installation process.
Life-long Efficiency and Performance
Ultimately, successful projects result from architectural design solutions that stand the test of time. Over the life of the building, the architectural metal-framed skylight serves as an integral component of the building’s thermal and watertight envelope. As a result, the skylights components and system design must provide effective condensation-control solutions, thermal performance and watertight protection from climatic conditions and weather perils over the life of a building. Advanced metal-framed skylight framing and glazing assembly technologies should be designed to ensure that any potential internal condensation is appropriately controlled and removed from the building interior.
Additionally, framing and glazing systems should be chosen and implemented to effectively control and minimize heat loss and solar gains, and prevent damaging UV light from entering the building’s interior. Today’s industry-leading metal-framed skylight products allow the architect and building owner to select from a wide array of advanced framing and glazing options that enable the resulting design to effectively address local climate and functional requirements over the life of the building.
Neall Digert, Ph.D., MIES, is vice president, innovation and market development for Kingspan Light + Air, North America, Lake Forest, Ill.
