A decorative terracotta facade is composed at building scale, not selected from one surface image. This guide preserves a PM256 record published in November 2016 while focusing on colour blocks, panel modules, joint rhythm, openings, corners, terminations, adjacent materials and physical mock-ups.
The 2016 source introduced digital inkjet as a route to additional surface designs; current patterns and manufacturability still require confirmation. Use the main Terracotta Rainscreen page for current product/system context and the Stone Surface resource for surface-family selection. This page addresses how an approved finish is organized and detailed across an elevation.
Archived PM256 product and commercial record
The following values are retained for traceability. The current-use column explains what must be checked before any value enters a current drawing, schedule or order.
| 2016 field | Archived value | Current-use boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Item / model | PM256 | Confirm that the code remains active and still identifies the same body, profile and printed finish. |
| Size | Customized | No dimensions or limits were stated. Confirm module, geometry, tolerances, edges and fixing interface. |
| Color | MIX | Approve current samples, an acceptable colour/pattern range and the production-lot comparison method. |
| Surface finish | 3D Inkjet | Confirm the current face construction, relief, sheen, pattern scale/repeat and compatibility with the selected unit. |
| Material | Natural Clay | A historical body description; it does not prove environmental benefit or make the printed face natural stone. |
| Weight | 31 kg/m² | No configuration, method or tolerance was cited. Obtain the current declared value for engineering and logistics. |
| Water absorption | Less than 0.5% | No standard, specimen, laboratory or report was cited. Require current scoped evidence before relying on the value. |
| Thickness | 18 mm | Confirm the current section and tolerances; the image is not a dimensioned profile and the value cannot transfer to another item. |
| Minimum order | 1,500 m² | A historical commercial term. Request a current quotation for the selected finish, module, quantity and schedule. |
| Lead / delivery time | 35 days | A historical estimate. Current timing depends on samples, detailing, production release, quantity, packing, destination and logistics. |
| Legacy certification text | CE, ISO 9001:2008 | Not presented as current. Request each applicable document with holder, scope, site, product, issuer and validity. |
| Legacy order route | Order button enabled to old `/contact-us/` URL | Use the current Contact page for project requests. |
Preserved stone-look selection board
Readable legacy item references on the board:
PM826
PM552
PM550
PM259
PM255
PM554
PM256
PM258
The board can support an initial palette discussion, but it is not a current colour standard or permission to mix codes. Confirm the exact current body, surface and module behind each shortlisted item, then create a project-specific colour legend and physical approval range.
Compose the elevation before resolving individual panels
Start with the building grid
Map floors, structural bays, openings, movement joints, parapets and base conditions. Decide which lines the panel module should align with and where controlled offsets are intentional.
Define colour-block hierarchy
Separate field, accent, frame, band, recess or entrance zones. Use a coded elevation legend so “light,” “dark” or “mixed” cannot become an undefined site choice.
Set module and joint rhythm
Coordinate panel width/height, orientation and joints with window mullions, slab lines and facade proportions. Confirm current manufacturing dimensions before freezing the grid.
Control pattern scale
Review printed veining or mottling across several panels. Identify repeats, orientation, crop and transitions so the surface does not conflict with the intended module rhythm.
Plan hierarchy at viewing distance
Test the composition from close pedestrian views and principal distant approaches. Fine surface variation may merge into tone while large colour blocks and joints remain legible.
Include replacements
Assign panel and finish IDs, define blending or placement rules and retain approved reference samples and spare-unit records without promising an exact future batch match.
Resolve openings, corners and adjacent materials
| Condition | Composition question | Detailing and verification prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Window and door openings | Do heads, sills and jambs continue the field grid, form frames or create recesses? | Coordinate returns, flashings, drainage, membranes, supports, tolerances and interfaces with the opening package. |
| Outside and inside corners | Does the colour/pattern wrap, stop, alternate or change zone at the corner? | Confirm current corner/return options, cut edges, cavities, joints, support and movement with drawings and a physical sample. |
| Base and grade | Where does the visual field start, and how does the lower course relate to paving or landscape? | Coordinate clearances, impact/exposure conditions, drainage, flashings, access and replaceability. |
| Parapets, roofs and soffits | Does the field terminate, fold or change material at the upper edge? | Resolve caps, membranes, flashings, ventilation/drainage routes, supports and interfaces with roof/soffit packages. |
| Movement joints | Are building and cladding movement lines integrated into the composition? | Keep required movement independent of visual preference and coordinate widths, backing, seals, supports and adjacent modules. |
| Penetrations and attachments | Are lights, signs, screens, louvers, pipes and fixtures aligned or intentionally offset? | Define loads, penetrations, flashings, seals, supports and access without relying on the terracotta panel as an unspecified attachment base. |
| Glass, metal, masonry and render | Is the transition flush, recessed, framed or shadowed, and how do colours and sheen relate? | Coordinate tolerances, differential movement, flashings, sealant/joint strategy, cleaning and staining risk at each boundary. |
Issue coordinated drawings and physical approvals
- Colour elevation: identify every field/accent zone, finish code, direction and change line with a controlled legend.
- Panelization drawings: show modules, joint grid, panel IDs, cuts, corners, openings, terminations and movement joints.
- Interface details: coordinate head/sill/jamb, base, parapet, soffit, corner, penetration and adjacent-material conditions.
- Current samples: label the exact item, body, surface, date and approval status; approve a range rather than one ideal piece.
- Composition mock-up: combine representative modules, joints, colour blocks, an opening or corner and adjacent materials at useful scale.
- Technical mock-up/testing: where the project requires it, define the separate assembly, criteria, sequence, witnesses and consequences of changes.
- Production release: reconcile signed samples, colour elevation, panel schedule, current feasibility, shop drawings and change authority before fabrication.
A visual mock-up can approve composition and workmanship only within its recorded scope. It does not automatically establish structural, fire, water, thermal, acoustic or durability performance of the proposed wall.
Archived application and project claims need a current review
The 2016 article marketed the product for new and renovated exterior walls; metro, railway, tunnel and other underground projects; European- or American-style architecture and villa walls or roofs; ceilings; office buildings and commercial podiums; interior walls; and surgery rooms, clean rooms, pharmaceutical facilities and food-production workshops.
That list is preserved as historical context, not evidence of universal suitability. Each use requires project-specific review of substrate, exposure, fixing, movement, structural actions, fire strategy, enclosure design, access, hygiene or emissions criteria, cleanability and governing codes.
Use the Architectural Terracotta Gallery for identified precedents, while keeping new elevation decisions tied to current drawings, samples and engineering.
Coordinate a decorative terracotta elevation
Send the project location, elevations, openings and key details, target modules, proposed colour blocks and surfaces, adjacent materials, preliminary quantity, criteria, delivery destination and programme. Current product feasibility and facade engineering must be confirmed before release.