At Priedemann any project starts with the determination of the planning basis, with the facts, requirements and possibilities – no matter when we start and always together with everyone involved in the project

• What is the design concept?
• Which local standards apply?
• Urban planning requirements?

We design different variants based on the strategic objectives, we identify their advantages and disadvantages and keep on developing the preferred solution.

• Sketches of concepts drawn by hand
• Taking into account different options for materials and the construction
• Inclusion of structural and thermal loads
• Dependencies in the building structure are taken into consideration

Priedemann develops the facade concept for planning ready for approval – taking into account all planning principles and requirements determined up to that point, e.g. the climate plan, building technology and building statics.

• Detailed hand-drawn sketches
• CAD-based layout plans and CAD-guided details
• 3-dimensional analysis of the shell of the building for complex facades
• Selection of the materials and type of facade
• Drafting of the facade plan on the basis of the building physics and acoustic specifications

Priedemann sees the implementation planning as a precise simulation of the construction process and the building – in detail, digitally and, depending on the complexity, as a 3-dimensional model.

• Guide-detail planning as CAD drawing on a scale of 1:1 with all connections to adjacent components
• Detailed representation of the layers, components and individual components of the facade solution supplemented by material descriptions and dimensioning

For tendering and awarding contracts Priedemann defines and specifies the planned facades and details as well as the connections to adjacent components.

• Summary of technical requirements as well as client and user specifications for construction and materials as “Technical Preliminary Remarks”.

The first phase after the award of the contract is of particular importance. Often some time has passed since planning and a number of changes may have occurred, the planning team has changed, user requests have been added or additional requirements are putting pressure on the budget. Priedemann checks and assesses whether all of the documents are up to date, complete, feasible and if any improvements can be made, coordinates change management and is the contact for all questions of the planning team concerning the facade.

• Checking that the documents provided are complete
• Comparison with possible project changes and updates
• Determining the status quo for the start of construction
• Checking the system components to be implemented
• Clarification of unresolved questions, communication with the planning team

• Priedemann checks and comments on the contractor’s structural assumptions as well as the performance in terms of energy and acoustics
• Checking and evaluating the contractor’s work schedule

The supervision of assembly and installation is particularly important for us, to ensure the agreed quality. Our principle is that deviations from the agreed planning must be identified at an early stage, documented and the implementation corrected. This controlling refers both to production and manufacturing as well as to the assembly on the building site:

• Verification of compliance with the approved design, ensuring compliance with the agreed qualities, standards and test series
• Regular reporting on production progress; the reports contain recommendations for possible improvements as well as a list of unfulfilled services, performance arrears, defects identified

The aim of Priedemann’s thermal-structural planning is to minimise heat losses and undesirable heat input through the exterior of the building and to avoid damage caused by weather conditions. The range of services includes identifying all influences and values relevant for the facade structure as well as the exact dimensioning and determination of the materials for the layer structure of the facade.

• Thermal insulation: On the basis of local and specific project requirements and after evaluation of the technical building plan, we determine the necessary values for thermal insulation in the summer and winter.
• Energy standards: We take into account which energy standards and objectives must be met – such as KfW requirements, low and passive house standards or requirements of green building labels such as LEED, BREAM or DGNB.
• Materiality: We calculate the necessary U-values and resulting insulation thicknesses, make specific material suggestions, give advice on the correct wall structure and determine the g-values taking into account the measures selected to provide protection from the sun.

Facades have to cleaned and maintained. What sounds trivial is a component of facade planning and maintenance, which ensures the long-term value of a project, so it should not be underestimated. Priedemann keeps operating costs low by making the logistics of maintenance and cleaning an integral part of the planning right from the start. This is not only about equipment for maintenance and cleaning, the type and design of the facade itself can make a decisive contribution. Facade solutions that do not take this into account during planning and construction make maintenance more expensive over the entire service life.

• Moving components: Facades today contain a large number of movable and electrical components. Individual components require regular maintenance. This needs to be taken into account right from the start.