Façade

Abstract

A flexible prefabricated facade surface covering for installation on a surface of a structure includes a supporting layer, a plurality of surface elements connected to the supporting layer, and a filler provided between adjacent surface elements and connected to the supporting layer.

1 . A flexible prefabricated facade surface covering for installation on a surface of a structure, comprising:
 a supporting layer;   a plurality of surface elements connected to the supporting layer; and   a filler provided between adjacent surface elements and connected to the supporting layer.   
     
     
         2 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface elements and the filler are made from the same material, subject to the surface elements and/or the filler optionally comprising different colouring additives. 
     
     
         3 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1  wherein the surface elements and/or the filler is made from a flexible polymer material. 
     
     
         4 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting layer is a flexible mesh. 
     
     
         5 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 4 , wherein the mesh is embedded within each of the surface elements. 
     
     
         6 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 4 , wherein the mesh is embedded within the filler. 
     
     
         7 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface elements comprise a coating of surface finish powder. 
     
     
         8 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surface elements are formed with at least two different colours. 
     
     
         9 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated facade surface covering comprises a tessellating shape, such that when a plurality of the prefabricated facade surface coverings are installed adjacent to one another, the surface elements from a first of the prefabricated facade surface coverings interlock with the surface elements from a second of the prefabricated facade surface coverings. 
     
     
         10 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 9 , wherein the filler is provided adjacent surface elements on an edge of the prefabricated facade surface covering, and omitted from surface elements on an opposing edge of the prefabricated facade surface covering, such that when the plurality of prefabricated facade surface coverings are installed adjacent to one another, filler is provided adjacent surface elements of adjacent prefabricated facade surface coverings. 
     
     
         11 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated facade surface covering is flexible such that the prefabricated facade surface covering may be elastically deformed under handling or installation without cracking or permanent damage occurring. 
     
     
         12 . The prefabricated facade surface covering according to  any preceding claim 1 , wherein the supporting layer extends beyond the plurality of surface elements on a first side of the flexible prefabricated facade surface covering and does not extend beyond the plurality of surface elements on a second side of the flexible prefabricated facade surface covering that is on an opposite side of the flexible prefabricated facade surface covering from the first side. 
     
     
         13 . A building, a modular building unit or any component thereof comprising a prefabricated facade surface covering according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The building, a modular building unit or any component thereof of  claim 13 , wherein the prefabricated facade surface covering is attached to a surface of the building, a modular building unit or any component thereof using adhesive. 
     
     
         15 . The building, a modular building unit or any component thereof of  claim 14 , wherein the adhesive is formed from the same material as the filler. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a flexible prefabricated facade surface covering for installation on a surface of a structure, the method comprising:
 providing a supporting layer;   providing a plurality of surface elements connected to the supporting layer; and   providing a filler between adjacent surface elements and connected to the supporting layer.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of surface elements connected to the supporting layer comprises:
 providing a surface element stencil onto the supporting layer, the surface element stencil comprising openings defining the plurality of surface elements to be formed on the supporting layer; and   providing a surface element material onto the supporting layer through the openings of the surface element stencil.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of providing the surface element material onto the supporting layer through the openings of the surface element stencil comprises:
 providing an applicator arranged to supply the surface element material across a width of the surface element stencil;   moving the supporting layer and the surface element stencil together relative to the applicator, while supplying the surface element material; and   providing a blade adjacent to the applicator arranged to remove excess surface element material.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 providing a colouring layer material onto one or more of the surface elements, the colouring layer material being made from the same material as the surface elements material but having a different colour from the surface element material.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising contacting the surface element material with a tool or object to impart a surface texture to the surface elements. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 distributing a surface finish powder across the surface element material, or colouring layer material where provided, of one or more of the surface elements.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising pressing the surface finish powder into the surface element material, or colouring layer material where provided, to embed the surface finish powder into the surface element material or colouring layer material. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 before providing the filler between adjacent surface elements, hardening the surface element material, to form the plurality of surface elements connected to the supporting layer.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the filler between adjacent surface elements and connected to the supporting layer comprises:
 providing a filler stencil onto the supporting layer, the filler stencil comprising openings corresponding to gaps between the surface elements at which the filler is to be formed between adjacent surface elements on the supporting layer; and   providing a filler material onto the supporting layer through the openings of the filler stencil.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the openings of the filler stencil are narrower than the gaps between the surface elements. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of providing the filler material onto the supporting layer through the openings of the filler stencil comprises:
 providing an applicator arranged to supply the filler material across a width of the filler stencil;   moving the supporting layer and the filler stencil together relative to the applicator, while supplying the filler material; and   providing a blade adjacent to the applicator arranged to remove excess filler material.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 after providing the filler material onto the supporting layer, applying a shape to an exposed surface of the filler material.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein applying a shape to the exposed surface of the filler material is performed by moving a manual shaping tool along the surface of each line of the filler material between adjacent surface elements. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein applying a shape to the exposed surface of the filler material is performed by pressing a filler material shaping tool into the filler material, the filler material shaping tool having a configuration corresponding to a plurality of gaps between a plurality of adjacent surface elements, and a desired finished shape of the surface of the filler material. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein before the step of pressing the filler material shaping tool into the filler material further a release layer is provided between the filler material and the filler material shaping tool. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the steps of providing the surface elements and the filler comprise providing surface elements and filler made from the same material, subject to the surface elements and/or the filler optionally comprising different colouring additives. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the surface elements and/or the filler is made from a flexible polymer material. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the supporting layer is a flexible mesh. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the prefabricated facade surface covering is flexible such that the prefabricated facade surface covering may be elastically deformed under handling or installation without cracking or permanent damage occurring. 
     
     
         35 . A method of constructing or overcladding a building or a modular building unit, or any component thereof, comprising providing one or more prefabricated facade surface coverings according to  claim 1  or preparing one or more prefabricated facade surface coverings according to a method comprising providing a supporting layer; providing a plurality of surface elements connected to the supporting layer; and providing a filler between adjacent surface elements and connected to the supporting layer, and connecting the prefabricated facade surface covering to the building or modular building unit or any component thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The method of constructing or overcladding a building or modular building unit or any component thereof, according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of connecting the one or more prefabricated facade surface coverings comprises using adhesive. 
     
     
         37 . The method of constructing or overcladding a building or modular building unit or any component thereof, according to  claim 36 , wherein the adhesive is formed from the same material as the filler.