Our Focus
Novum’s Unitized Timber Curtainwall (UTC) is a high-performance, low-carbon façade system that combines timber construction with prefabricated unitized modules. It delivers strong thermal performance, design flexibility, and supports circular construction through reuse and disassembly.
System Benefits
Thermal Efficiency: The insulating qualities of timber, paired with precision-engineered triple glazing, provide significantly improved thermal performance.
Triple Glazing Standard: Standard triple glazing enhances both thermal insulation and acoustic performance.
Glazing System Type: Available with pressure plate and capped or toggle glazing systems.
Glazing Flexibility: The system supports both high and low glass-to-solid ratios.
Rainscreen Integration: Solid panel zones can integrate with a variety of cladding systems (GRC, brick slip, aluminum, etc.)
Sustainability & Design Innovation
Glulam Chassis Innovation: replaces conventional aluminum framing.
Embodied Carbon Reduction: Spruce glulam timber can account for approximately 10% of the embodied CO₂e of a structurally equivalent aluminum system, significantly reducing the overall carbon footprint.
Designed for Disassembly: Modules are engineered to be disassembled and separated into individual components, enabling reuse or recycling.
Precision Prefabrication: Factory-controlled prefabrication improves accuracy while minimizing material waste and energy consumption.
Sustainable Materials: FSC-certified timber ensures responsible sourcing.
Optimised Logistics: Modular construction and off-site prefabrication streamline transport and installation.
Net Zero Support: A fully traceable and transparent process enables project teams to make informed, carbon-conscious design decisions.
Unitized Timber Curtainwall (UTC) by Novum: A high-performance, low-carbon façade system designed to deliver adaptable, future-ready building envelopes.
Other Timber Systems
Point Supported Glass & Timber
Novum Structures emphasizes the seamless integration of timber with other materials such as glass and steel. This allows for innovative and aesthetically pleasing architectural designs that leverage the strengths of each material.
Key system specifications include:
- Transparency and Minimal Support: The PSG System is designed to offer high transparency with minimal structural support. This is achieved through the use of mechanical fixing methods such as bolting or clamping glass to substructures.
- Sustainability and Aesthetics: Timber is used for its sustainability and natural aesthetic appeal. Novum incorporates timber to create warm, inviting spaces while maintaining structural integrity and design flexibility.
- Custom Engineering Solutions: Novum offers custom engineering solutions to meet the specific requirements of projects that incorporate timber, ensuring that both the structural and aesthetic aspects are fully realized.
- Applications and Projects: Timber is used in conjunction with other materials in various projects to create unique architectural elements, from facades to canopies, showcasing the versatility and natural beauty of timber in modern construction.
Edge Clamped Glass & Timber
Novum Structures incorporates timber by combining it with our advanced edge clamped glazing system to achieve aesthetic and structural goals. Timber is used as part of the support framework for glazing systems, providing a warm, natural contrast to the glass.
Key system specifications include:
- The ECG System involves mechanically clamping glass at discreet points along its edges, eliminating the need for notching or drilling. It supports glass panels in various orientations including vertical, sloped, or overhead, accommodating almost any shape.
- Timber is often integrated into canopies and façades where the combination of wood and glass enhances the architectural appeal. The use of timber allows for sustainable building practices, leveraging the material’s renewable nature while maintaining structural performance.
- Novum’s expertise includes seamless integration of timber with steel and glass components, ensuring durability and visual harmony. Projects using timber typically showcase innovative design solutions that balance traditional materials with modern engineering.
Air Filled Pillow
Novum Structures offers an innovative solution that integrates ETFE Air Filled Pillows with Timber frameworks, creating an architectural system that combines sustainability, aesthetics, and structural efficiency. This system utilizes lightweight, durable ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) pillows, which are Air Filled membranes known for their transparency, thermal insulation, and energy efficiency. When paired with timber, the Air Filled Pillows achieve an attractive, natural look while benefiting from timber's renewable properties and structural strength.
Key system specifications include:
- ETFE Material: Lightweight, durable, and transparent; provides excellent thermal insulation and UV resistance. The timber framework acts as the primary structural support, offering a natural and renewable material option.
- Aesthetic Integration: Combines the modern transparency of ETFE with the warmth and texture of timber.
- Sustainability: Both ETFE and timber are environmentally friendly materials; ETFE is fully recyclable, while timber is a renewable resource.
- Applications: Ideal for use in canopies, facades, and skylights, this system is suited for both commercial and residential projects aiming for an eco-friendly design.
Stressed Skin Membrane
Novum's Stressed Skin Membrane System, when combined with a timber framework, creates a visually appealing and highly functional architectural solution. This system leverages tensioned, lightweight membrane materials that are engineered to be taut, creating a "stressed skin" effect, which adds structural rigidity and durability. Integrating timber as the structural framework enhances the system's sustainability, using a renewable material that complements the membrane's modern aesthetic with a warm, natural touch.
Key system specifications include:
- Stressed Skin Membrane Material: Lightweight, flexible, and durable; engineered for high tensile strength and resistance to environmental factors. The timber framework provides structural support and a sustainable, renewable base that complements the membrane’s contemporary look.
- Structural Efficiency: The tensioned membrane acts as an external skin, enhancing stability and rigidity while reducing the need for additional support structures.
- Environmental Benefits: Both membrane and timber are environmentally friendly options; timber is a renewable resource, while the membrane materials can be selected for recyclability
- Applications: Ideal for expansive roofs, canopies, atriums, and façades, this system serves projects that emphasize both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity.
Tell Us More About Your Project
Novum will collaborate with your team to create a complete system solution to your design intent with a corresponding budget. Contact us today.
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