VENTILATED WALLS

Made in Italy

Excellent results in terms of temperature and humidity

Functionality and benefits:
Encasing the facade of a building with a ventilated wall system is the most effective outdoor covering technology that solves the problem of providing protection against humidity and weather conditions, insulating it and improving noise levels inside.
From the basic design to the final plans, from the actual production of the parts to the installation and assistance on site, Marazzi Engineering is able to supply ”tunrkey” ventilated walls or to offer its customers the expertise of its technical staff and its experince for the benefit of their projects and resources to resolve any issues concerning the appearence, features and technical specifications. Unlike other standard solutions (layers of insulation fitted on the internal face of the building or inside cavity walls), this system guarantees excellent results in terms of temperature and humidity with no need to interfere with the internal layout of the building or alter its interior finishes.

Ventilated walls are the outcome of a sophisticated development in technology that is fairly recent compared to traditional systems with “jacket” type layers. They not only perform better, they have also done away with the disadvantages (deterioration of the outer face, lack of ability to “breathe”, no ventilation in the layer of insulation). At a time when the focus on using energy as efficiently and responsibly as possible is a universal tendency, the reasons for the increase in their popularity also include the extra energy savings they offer combined with the improved interior climate they provide. A continuous layer of external insulations protects it in a more uniform way, eliminating thus heat bridging and improving the building’s energy performance. A ventilated wall consists of multiple layers and these cause an ongoing process of natural ventilation through the facade, removing excess humidity and playing a vital role in keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter by controlling heat loss. Yet another advantage appreciated by contemporary architects is the potential to fully exploit the considerable aesthetic potential offered by exterior wall coverings, as the most demanding design challenges can be approached with no significant constraints on architects and designers.

The system’s construction specifications result in a solution that is lightweight, durable and cost effective, making Marazzi Engineering ventilated walls ideal for the redevelopment of the perimeter walls of existing buildings, also thanks to the modular design of the substructure.

Marazzi Engineering ventilated walls are made up of four layers:

A continuous layer of insulation applied to the outside perimeter wall
An air gap for ventilation
A structure to support the outside wall covering
The outside wall covering

Structure and technology:
From the point of view of their construction, Marazzi Engineering ventilated walls have three types of components:

The thermal insulation next to the outer walls made of a insulating, water-repellent material;
An aluminium substructure secured to the building with brackets that is covered and shaped in different ways depending on the anchoring system;
The outside covering, fitted with open joints;

There is a wide range of accessories in addition to these basic components, designed to answer any need in terms of the desired look or for planning constraints.

THERMAL INSULATION
The insulating panels are placed on the outside face of the perimeter wall to form a continuous layer. They have been specially developed for ventilated facade systems and are made of materials with different specifications and characteristics:

Mineral wool
Polymers
Natural materials

ANCHORING SYSTEMS IN SUPPORT OF THE ALUMINIUM SUBSTRUCTURE
Marazzi Engineerings suggests different kinds of anchoring systems:

The Exposed Hooks System (A.G.V System)
The first ever system launched by Marazzi remains a very popular choice because of its simplicity and affordability. The parts of the outer face are supported by stainless steel hooks. The A.G.V. system can be used for either flat or vertical surfaces and even for sloping or curving (polygon) surfaces. The standard plate sizes used are 60×120 cm, 60×60 cm and 30×60 cm, all of which can be squared. Other sizes can also be used made by cutting standard sizes.

The Concealed Hooks System (A.G.S. System)
This system was the next step in the development of the ventilated facade and is an ideal solution when the intended final appearance of the facing requires as few technical constraints as possible. The plate is hooked onto the load-bearing substructure, connected to the outside wall of the building with aluminium angular brackets. The extreme simplicity of the A.G.S. system can easily accommodate any kind of detail, including corners and door- and window frames. The compatible sizes are the same as for the A.G.V. system: 60×120 cm, 60×60 cm and 30×60 cm, again squared, and other sizes made by cutting.

The Modul Panel System.
This is a more innovative and cost-effective version of the A.G.S. system. The covering plates are pre-assembled onto panels by attaching metal shaped sections that are secured to the plates with special screw anchors. The assembled panel is then mounted onto the same substructure used for the A.G.S. system. By pre-assembling the plates onto the panels, this solution helps reduce the use of connecting materials, substructure parts , preparation time and finally the installation time on site. The Modul Panel was designed specifically for long, narrow sizes (30×120 cm, 30×90 cm), making them more cost-effective to use.

The Key Panel System.
This system was inspired by the same philosophy as the Modul Panel system, as the rectangular plates are pre-assembled vertically by attaching them to open horizontal sections using screw anchors. These are then hooked onto a substructure that is identical to the A.G.S. system. The affordability of the Key Panel system is down to the same considerations as the Modul Panel.

The Sika Tack® Panel System.
The covering plates are secured to the same type of substructure with vertical uprights as the A.G.V. system using a polyurethane adhesive. The main advantage of this system is the elimination of any mechanical fastening, so it becomes particularly affordable. It is extremely versatile and is compatible with the main materials used for outer facings: porcelain stoneware, fibre cement, aluminium and laminates.

COVERING PLATES
Marazzi Engineering has a wide range of materials for the outer face of its ventilated facade:

Porcelain stoneware
Marble, granite and natural stone
Terracotta
Extruded material

Until a few years ago, the standard size of porcelain stoneware plates for ventilated walls was 60×60 cm, a single shape that limited the creativity of designers because their only resort was the costly cutting of ceramic tiles whenever they wanted to use different modules. Marazzi uses some of the latest production technology in the industry and can offer designers a wide variety of ceramic sizes, such as 30×60 cm and 30×120 cm, right up to large sizes such as 60×120 cm. This opens the door to the most diverse textures and sophisticated architectural solutions, giving designers total flexibility.

ACCESSORIES
Marazzi Engineering can supply a wide range of fittings and accessories for ventilated walls, such fibreglass safety net, end sections for the horizontal joints in aluminum, micro-perforated aluminium grilles, to complete and customize the designer’s solutions.

Architectural design:
Ventilated facade are a technologically complex wall covering system that requires the designer to assess a number of basic requirements in terms of technical and financial considerations as well as the intended final appearance.
Thanks to its twenty years experience in the field of ventilated walls, Marazzi Engineering is able to support the developer in all the stages of the project:

Decision of how the modules are to be made up;these can be defined as the sum of the size of the plate and the gap between them;
Choice of the colour and type of covering;
Choice of the thickness of the “final package”. In turn, this depends on the choice of insulation panel and the thickness of the air gap;
Decision of the basic layout of the structure;

It is important to note that the system used for anchoring the facade plates is one of the planning decisions that affect the successful outcome of the project most. The main two alternatives (with exposed or concealed hooks) have an affect on the final appearance of the facade but also impact its economic feasibility, as they affect the modularity of the design of the facade. In very simple terms, aligned joints are the preferred option with the exposed hooks system whereas the concealed hooks system also allows for staggered joints.

Materials for ventilated walls:
Marazzi Engineering always searches the best materials for the covering of its ventilated walls.
From porcelain stoneware, to marble, granite and natural stone, to terra cott up to extruded materials, Marazzi Engineering uses materials with high technical qualities and exceptional performances. Not only functional benefits, but most of all materials with high aesthetical content, able to give strong identity to every ventilated wall. It is thus possibile to achieve, by fully exploiting the modular anchoring system, combinations of sizes and colours that are impossible with other facade solutions, such as trademarks, designs and decorative motifs.
The various covering options also include high-tech Marazzi porcelain stoneware and crystallised stoneware, the material that is without doubt the best combination of durability and technical performance, including:

resistance to bending
compression
harsh weather conditions, chemicals, frost and fire resistance
light weight

while guaranteeing a compatible thickness and size for all Marazzi Engineering anchoring systems.

Marazzi uses some of the latest production technology in the industry and can offer designers a wide variety of ceramic sizes, such as 30×60 cm and 30×120 cm, right up to large sizes such as 60×120 cm. This opens the door to the most diverse textures and sophisticated architectural solutions, giving designers total flexibility. Surfaces can have different finishes (natural, glazed, polished) and the options for combining different lines are endless. However, bespoke sizes can always be cut for special applications.