Let STO raise the profile of your next architectural project
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As modern building designs become ever more adventurous, the demand for flexible and versatile construction materials continues to grow. Fortunately, manufacturers such as Sto are able to satisfy this challenge by offering innovative products which allow architects and designers to give free rein to their imagination.
Prominent among these products are StoDeco façade panels and profiles, which offer unrivalled scope to create cornices, arches, columns, pillars or any other type of architectural detailing for a façade. These panels and profiles allow buildings to have a genuinely individual and striking appearance, no matter whether it’s modern, classical, Art Deco, Bauhaus-inspired or totally original.
They are manufactured from Verolith - a natural volcanic material that is mixed with binding agents and treated with heat and pressure to create the extremely strong but lightweight basic StoDeco profile blocks. Sto then uses state-of-the-art computer-controlled cutting techniques to transform the blocks into 3-dimensional panels, profiles and decorative elements of all types. Sto offers a wide range of standard StoDeco profiles to suit many different detailing requirements, and they can be used to create virtually any type of appearance for a building façade.
Recreating the past
The StoDeco profiles are particularly appropriate when designing a new building that must blend with its surroundings, especially if it needs to reflect any specific architectural style or detailing found nearby. Refurbishment projects also benefit if the building is historically or architecturally significant and there is a need to reproduce or repair existing architectural detailing.
Whereas this sort of challenge might previously have been met using traditional materials such as concrete or stone, these can be expensive and difficult to work with. They are also susceptible to cracking when repeatedly exposed to wet and freezing weather conditions. StoDeco panels and profiles overcome each of these difficulties, making them equally well-suited to any type of project, even those which feature the most modern and adventurous façade designs.
Thanks to a low co-efficient of linear expansion the StoDeco profiles resist the tendency to crack, and this allows them to retain their line, shape and attractive appearance. Their low water absorption characteristics and lack of water-soluble constituents also help to eliminate the danger of frost damage.
They are lightweight and extremely resistant to damage and environmental attack. They can be installed onto an external wall insulation system or direct onto solid substrates, and can be fixed with Sto’s purpose-designed adhesive, or easily drilled and dowelled on site to ensure that the installation process is simple and smooth.
The surface texture of the profiles provides an ideal base for primers and final surface coatings, and Sto offers a comprehensive range of compatible iQ intelligent paints which enable the final façade to be matched exactly to the architect’s original vision.
Sto can also provide bespoke profiles to suit the specific size, shape or design requirements of any individual project. Geometric forms can be cut from panels of varying thickness to create individual decorative elements, making the scope to add arches, columns, plinths, sculptural panels or even logos almost endless. The profiles can be used to create contrast, add emphasis, and define the lines of a façade design, so allowing architects to create the type of visually striking façades that would be prohibitively expensive using traditional materials and methods.
Residential beauty
Bespoke StoDeco profiles were specified for a project in St. John’s Wood, London. Together with StoTherm Classic external wall insulation they were used to create a stunning external appearance for 11 new residential properties, all of which were required to achieve a very high standard of architectural finish, plus a BREEAM Excellent rating for construction sustainability.
They were specified for their outstanding quality of finish, and their speed of installation which would provide the fast-track solution required for the project. They allowed the designers to incorporate intricate architectural detailing with the same appearance as stone, but in a material that was lightweight and easy to cut, shape and install.
There was an enormous quantity of detailing required on this project and the highest standard of finish was a key requirement. Cornice, window and chimney detailing were all created, plus a wealth of columns, dentil courses and other features which enhance the development’s classically-inspired design. Many of the StoDeco profiles were manufactured to bespoke sizes and designs for this project, and were pre-cut prior to delivery.
Practical profiles
StoDeco profiles carry the backing of a full design and technical support service from Sto. This includes guidance on every aspect, including drawings for the detailing, matching to existing profiles and specification of appropriate colours and finishes.
Pete BishopUK Sales Manager
Sto Ltd