Ventilated Facade Design in Georgia: Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to the questions we hear most from architects, developers and contractors. Links lead to the full articles.

What is a ventilated facade design?

A set of calculations and drawings for the rainscreen system on a building: structural calculation of brackets, profiles and anchors, thermal check, fire strategy, node details, panel layouts and schedules. It is the document the contractor installs from and the expert reviews. See design documentation.

Is there a Georgian standard for ventilated facades?

No. Georgia has no dedicated national norm for them. The rules are spread across the seismic and climatology regulations (Resolution No. 71), the Building Safety Rules (Resolution No. 41), the energy requirements (Resolution No. 354) and the construction products regulation (Resolution No. 476). The designer combines them. See Georgian regulations.

Is a calculation needed for a three-storey building?

Yes. A facade carries wind and seismic loads at any height, and Tbilisi and Kutaisi are rated 8 on the MSK-64 scale. Low height changes the fire provisions and sometimes the scope of the review, not the need to check anchors, brackets and profiles. See structural calculation.

How long does the design take?

It depends on the size of the facade, the number of different junctions and how complete the architectural drawings are. A concept proposal comes first, then the full package. We name the timetable once we have seen the drawings.

Can the cladding be changed after the design is done?

It can, but the calculation is repeated. Panel weight, size, fixing type and fire classification all affect brackets, profile spacing and the fire result. A change on site without the author's approval is the most common cause of defects. See site supervision.

Do I need a permit to replace cladding?

Resolution No. 255 does not require a permit for facade finishing work without a significant change of dimensions and external appearance, except for monuments of culture. A new system that changes the look substantially is another matter. Details in permits and expert review.

Who signs the facade design?

Under Article 98 of the Code, the architectural design is signed by an architect and the structural design by a design engineer for classes II to IV. We prepare the calculations and drawings; the signing party is the licensed author named in the permit documents.

Do Eurocodes apply in Georgia?

They are not mandatory. The Code requires them to be taken into account when regulations are drafted, and designers use EN 1999 and EN 1991 as an agreed reference. Intensity, wind and snow come from the Georgian regulations. See Eurocodes in Georgia.

What U-value must the wall reach?

Under Resolution No. 354 the limits for external walls are 0.50, 0.38 and 0.25 W/m²K for climate zones 1, 2 and 3. Batumi and Kutaisi are in zone 1, Tbilisi in zone 2. The values are unchanged by the amendments of 2023 and 2025. See thermal calculation.

Is NFPA 285 required?

Resolution No. 41 requires it in Section 1403.5 for buildings of types I to IV above 12 m height with a combustible water-resistive barrier, and metal composite cladding has its own provisions in Section 1407. See fire strategy.

Which cladding is best for Batumi?

The one with a coating and fasteners suited to salt air: PVDF-coated aluminium, UV-resistant HPL, ceramic or clinker, on an aluminium or stainless subframe with insulated metal contacts. See design conditions by city and system selection.

Can a ventilated facade be installed in winter?

Yes, because there are no wet processes. Limits come from strong wind, ice on scaffolding and the working conditions of the crew, and from the temperature limits of the sealants and membranes in the specification.

Do you supply materials as well as the design?

Yes. We design the facade and supply cladding and subframe materials. You can order only the design, and it is independent of who supplies the materials. See materials.

What do you need to start?

Elevations, plans, the address and an idea of the cladding. A sketch is enough for a first proposal. The full list is in what to send.

Do you provide supervision during installation?

Yes, author supervision for facades we designed: answers to the crew, checks of hidden work and approval of any change. Technical supervision for the developer is a separate role.

Notes for reviewers and co-designers

Which documents does a reviewer expect with the facade design?

A structural calculation with the source of each load, a thermal check that counts the bridges at brackets and anchors, a fire section naming insulation, cladding and barriers, node details, panel layouts and schedules, and the supplier documents for the subframe and anchors. The order and content are set out in design documentation.

What goes wrong most often?

Unchecked anchors in a weak wall, fire barriers missing from the air gap, insulation fitted after the profiles, mixed metals without insulating pads and cladding changed on site without a new calculation. Each one is avoidable at the design stage and visible only before the cladding closes the layer, which is why supervision is built around hidden-work records.

Can you work with drawings from another designer?

Yes. We take the architectural set as the base and return the facade section of the design: calculations, details and schedules that the architect and the reviewer can coordinate with the rest of the project.

How to use these answers

They are general. The numbers in the Georgian regulations are amended from time to time, and a specific building has its own class, height, wall base and cladding. Before you rely on a figure in a calculation or a contract, check the current consolidated version of the document on matsne.gov.ge, and ask us to confirm which values apply to your site. Seismic coefficients for Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi, wind and snow data, wall U-value limits and fire provisions are all site- and height-dependent, and a facade design brings them together in one set of documents that a reviewer can check line by line.

For a complete picture, read next: system selection, fire strategy and seismic design.

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