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The right commercial glazed façade starts with the building’s support conditions and installation strategy, not with a catalogue image. Use a shopfront wall when glazing spans from the floor slab to the structure above, a window wall when units fit between floor slabs, and a curtain wall when an external non-loadbearing skin is hung from slab-edge anchors. Then decide whether the curtain wall should be assembled on site (stick-built) or delivered as factory-glazed units (unitised). Wind pressure, deflection, slab-edge geometry, waterproofing, thermal continuity, access and sequencing must be checked for the actual project by the project team and structural engineer.
Start with the support condition
Commercial glazed façades can look similar from the street while transferring loads and managing water in very different ways. The first specification question is where the framing is supported and how it relates to the floor slabs.
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| System | Primary position and support | Typical application | Key detailing question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopfront wall | Non-loadbearing glazing spans between the floor slab and the building structure above. | Ground-floor commercial premises, often with integrated doors and security provisions. | How will the head, sill, doors, security and adjacent structure accommodate movement and weather? |
| Window wall | Glazing is installed between floor slabs and fastened to the floor slab; the top sits in a sub-head fixed beneath the slab above. | Floor-to-floor perimeter glazing where the slab edge is part of the façade zone. | Where will the slab edge and spandrel be treated, and does moving the system outboard alter support or perimeter interfaces? |
| Curtain wall | An external non-loadbearing wall is hung from slab edges with anchors. | Building-wide exterior skins on low-, mid- and high-rise commercial buildings, subject to the selected system. | How do anchors, mullions, panels, waterproofing and opaque spandrels form a continuous outer envelope? |
These categories describe arrangement and load path, not a universal performance ranking. A high-performing shopfront is not automatically a substitute for a curtain wall, and a product labelled “curtain wall” still needs project-specific engineering.
Shopfront walls: where they fit
A shopfront wall is a non-loadbearing glazed façade that spans from the floor slab to the structure above. It is commonly used at ground-floor retail and commercial frontages, where the façade must accommodate frequent entry, visibility and security. Integrated doors, door hardware, security grilles or other protective measures are common parts of the design rather than afterthoughts.
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Advantages in the right location
- Direct access at ground level can simplify delivery, replacement and maintenance.
- Framing can coordinate naturally with entrances, display zones and adjacent solid construction.
- The system is appropriate where the opening is bounded by a floor and a structural element above, rather than by a stack of independent floor-to-floor units.
Questions to resolve before specifying
- What structure provides the head restraint, and how much movement is expected at the head and sill?
- Are doors, thresholds, security devices and accessibility clearances included in the façade package?
- How will the sill drain, and where will water discharge without damaging finishes or tenant areas?
- Does the shopfront need to meet the same wind, impact, acoustic, fire or thermal requirements as the rest of the envelope?
For a multi-storey elevation, extending a ground-floor shopfront concept upward without rechecking support and movement is a common specification error. The system’s location in the building must match its load path.
Window walls: floor-to-floor glazing with a slab-edge interface
In a window-wall arrangement, glazing is installed between floor slabs and fastened to the slab. The top of each unit sits in a sub-head fixed beneath the slab above. A spandrel or opaque panel can conceal the slab edge, allowing the exterior to read as a continuous glazed elevation while the structure remains at the perimeter.
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Outboard placement and thermal continuity
Moving a window-wall system outboard so that insulated glazing aligns more closely with exterior cavity insulation can improve the continuity of the thermal layer. That move is not free: it changes the support eccentricity, anchor forces, sill and head geometry, flashings, fire-stopping interfaces and perimeter waterproofing. The outboard position must therefore be coordinated with the structural engineer and the wall build-up, not selected solely for an attractive sightline.
Window-wall coordination checklist
- Document the slab edge, edge beam, embeds and allowable anchor positions.
- Show the sub-head beneath the slab above, including movement and tolerance allowances.
- Define spandrel construction, insulation, vapour control and the interior finish at each floor.
- Coordinate slab-edge fire and smoke protection with the glazing and spandrel details.
- Trace the drainage path at sill, mullion and end conditions.
- Check whether the façade remains serviceable from the floor or requires external access.
Curtain walls: the external non-loadbearing skin
A curtain wall forms the building’s outer skin while carrying its own weight and environmental loads back to the structure through anchors at slab edges or other designed supports. It is not a loadbearing wall for the building’s floors, but its anchors, mullions, transoms and panels must resist wind, movement and water actions calculated for the site.
A curtain-wall assembly may combine framing, vision glass, opaque insulated spandrels, wall panels, pressure plates or caps, gaskets, flashings and waterproofing components. Treat the envelope as a system: a change to one interface can affect drainage, thermal bridges, glass bite, access or movement elsewhere.
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When a curtain wall is the logical starting point
- The project needs a continuous exterior skin across several storeys.
- Anchored, drained framing can be coordinated with a regular slab-edge grid.
- Vision areas and opaque spandrels must be integrated into one façade package.
- Installation access, craneage and floor-by-floor sequencing can be planned around the selected construction method.
Stick-built and unitised curtain walls compared
“Stick-built” and “unitised” describe fabrication and installation sequence, not a guarantee of better weather, thermal or structural performance. The project’s geometry, repetition, labour market, access and programme determine which approach is practical.
| Consideration | Stick-built curtain wall | Unitised curtain wall |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrication | Framing members and components are assembled piece by piece on site. | Larger factory-made units are assembled and glazed before shipment. |
| Site labour | Generally requires more onsite labour and specialised installation skills. | More work is completed in controlled factory conditions; site crews erect the delivered units. |
| Storage | Requires space to store profiles, glass, gaskets and other components at the site. | Requires organised delivery, protected staging and packaging management for complete units. |
| Access | Many operations occur at the façade line and may require platforms, scaffolds or other external access. | The guide associates unitised construction with quicker erection and the potential to eliminate some external-access issues. |
| Best fit indicated by the guide | Useful where site assembly is manageable and the elevation or sequencing benefits from component-by-component installation. | Larger applications are generally more suited to unitised construction, subject to project-specific assessment. |
The comparison above reflects the general guidance in Alspec’s Clear Choices: A Specifier’s Guide to Commercial Glazed Facade Systems (November 2021). It is not a promise that every unitised project will install faster or that every stick-built project will cost more. Confirm logistics, tolerances, interfaces and programme with the façade contractor.
Stick-built sequence
- Survey slab edges, embeds and datum lines before releasing fabrication dimensions.
- Install anchors, brackets or starter members in the approved positions.
- Erect vertical mullions and secure them for the designed movement.
- Install transoms, pressure plates, gaskets, flashings and drainage components.
- Set glass, spandrel panels and insulation in the specified sequence.
- Complete perimeter seals, end dams, closures and internal finishes.
- Inspect drainage paths, fasteners, glass bite, seals and movement joints before concealment.
Unitised sequence
- Freeze the module grid, slab-edge survey, unit interfaces and lifting points.
- Fabricate and glaze units in the factory using approved drawings and quality checks.
- Protect completed units during transport and stage them in the erection order.
- Install floor or slab-edge brackets and verify survey tolerances.
- Hoist or place units, engage stack joints and secure anchors.
- Close vertical and horizontal joints, including gaskets, sealants, fire and drainage interfaces.
- Test representative interfaces and correct alignment or seal defects before the elevation is closed.
Project assessment: the information a specifier must assemble
1. Application and elevation geometry
Map each elevation by use, height, exposure, repetition and access. A retail entrance, podium, stair enclosure and repetitive office tower may all require different framing or glass even when they share a visual language. Identify corners, parapets, canopies, recessed zones and transitions to masonry, insulated panels or solid walls.
2. Structural support and movement
Draw the actual load path from glass and framing through anchors or fasteners to the slab, beam or structure above. Establish dead load, wind pressure, serviceability deflection, inter-storey drift, thermal movement, construction tolerance and differential movement. Do not infer these values from a generic product sheet. The ThermAFrame 150 mm Flush Glazed Framing Issue D manual (February 2024) directs users to its wind-load tables and recommends certification by a consulting structural engineer for the site’s required design wind pressure and deflection.
3. Slab edges, spandrels and fire interfaces
Coordinate slab-edge thickness, edge beams, embeds, spandrel panels, insulation, fire stopping and interior lining before framing is finalised. A spandrel that hides the slab edge must still provide the specified opaque, insulated and fire-resisting build-up. Window-wall outboard positioning deserves a separate structural and perimeter-detail review because the support line no longer sits where a conventional interior alignment might suggest.
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4. Waterproofing and drainage
Require section details for head, sill, jamb, mullion, transom, corner, expansion joint and interface with adjacent walls. Confirm where drained water goes, how pressure-equalised cavities are vented, and how sealants can be inspected or replaced. A continuous external seal is not a substitute for a designed drainage path.
5. Glass and thermal build-up
Specify glass thickness, heat treatment, coatings, insulating-glass configuration, safety classification, acoustic targets and spandrel treatment from the project brief. Keep the glazing range tied to the named framing system. Thermal alignment can improve continuity, but it can also increase anchor eccentricity and complicate flashings or interior reveals.
6. Access, storage and sequencing
For stick-built work, reserve protected storage for long profiles, glass and small components, and plan safe access to every installation bay. For unitised work, reserve transport routes, unloading zones, lifting capacity, weather protection and a staging plan that prevents units being installed out of sequence. The selected method must fit the site, not just the elevation.
How to read manufacturer performance data
Product figures are useful only when the product, test method, limit state and configuration are named. They are not industry-wide façade limits.
Hunter Evo 150 mm Curtain Wall example
Alspec’s architect brochure describes the Hunter Evo 150 mm Curtain Wall as a captive-glazed unitised curtain-wall system intended for low-rise to mid-rise applications. The brochure states the following maximum product performance and configuration data:
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| Parameter | Stated value | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Frame size | 150 × 80 mm | Brochure dimension for the named Hunter Evo system. |
| Single glazing | From 6 mm | System range stated in the brochure; confirm the approved glass and bite for the project. |
| Double glazing | Up to 30 mm | System range stated in the brochure; not a universal insulating-glass limit. |
| Serviceability limit state | 2,000 Pa | Maximum product performance stated by the brochure; the project wind design may differ. |
| Ultimate limit state | 4,500 Pa | Maximum product performance stated by the brochure; verify the applicable design combination. |
| Water | 1,200 Pa | Brochure performance figure for the named system. |
| Test reference | AS4284 | The brochure says the system is tested to this standard. |
These values apply to the brochure’s named system and stated configuration. They do not establish allowable panel sizes, anchor spacing, deflection criteria or water performance for another curtain wall, another glazing build-up or another site. The brochure’s search metadata indicates publication in 2026, but no publication month is stated; obtain the current controlled document before tender.
ThermAFrame 150 mm Flush Glazed Framing example
The ThermAFrame 150 mm Flush Glazed Framing Issue D manual, dated February 2024, specifies glazing from 6 to 32 mm for that system. It directs fabricators to wind-load tables for maximum panel dimensions and asks them to obtain consulting structural-engineer certification for the design wind pressure and deflection required at the site. Its technical specification refers to AS2047 for windows in buildings, AS1170 for loading, and AS1288 or AS4666 for glass and insulating-glass units.
Those references and the 6–32 mm range belong to the ThermAFrame system described in that manual. Check the current edition, jurisdictional amendments and project brief before relying on them.
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Standards should appear in the specification with their edition, scope and relationship to the tested assembly. A test report does not remove the need to design anchors, slabs, glass and interfaces for the actual building.
- Use the project’s governing wind actions and combinations, with structural-engineer confirmation of pressure and deflection.
- Confirm whether AS2047 applies to the selected window or framing application and whether other façade testing is required.
- Specify glass and insulating-glass-unit requirements under the applicable provisions of AS1288 or AS4666, as relevant to the project.
- Review AS1170 loading provisions and all local building, fire, energy and safety requirements in force for the jurisdiction.
- Require test evidence for the complete, relevant configuration rather than extrapolating from an unrelated mullion, glass thickness or joint.
Choosing between the three systems: a practical decision path
- Locate the glazing. If it spans from a floor slab to structure above at a ground-floor frontage, start with shopfront. If it occupies a floor-to-floor bay supported at the slab, investigate window wall. If it forms a suspended exterior skin across the building, investigate curtain wall.
- Draw the support line. Mark anchors, sub-heads, mullions, brackets, embeds and movement joints. Reject any concept whose support cannot be built and inspected.
- Resolve the opaque zone. Show spandrels, insulation, slab-edge fire protection and interior finishes at every floor.
- Set the performance brief. Establish wind, deflection, water, thermal, acoustic, safety-glass and durability requirements before selecting a catalogue configuration.
- Choose the construction sequence. Compare stick-built and unitised methods against repetition, labour, storage, external access, lifting and programme.
- Obtain engineering sign-off. Have the structural engineer certify the site wind pressure, deflection and support design; have the façade team review drainage, movement and interfaces.
- Control substitutions. Treat changes to glass thickness, coatings, mullion spacing, anchors, gaskets or sealants as design changes requiring review, not as equivalent products by default.
Common specification failures and their fixes
Using a product maximum as the project design value
Failure: A brochure’s pressure or water number is copied into every elevation. Fix: Calculate the site actions and verify the complete assembly, then check that the selected system and details have adequate margin.
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Ignoring outboard window-wall support
Failure: The frame is moved outward to align insulation, but anchors, slab edges and flashings remain drawn in the original position. Fix: Recalculate eccentric support and redraw head, sill, jamb, fire and waterproofing interfaces as one coordinated detail.
Specifying a curtain wall without a drainage strategy
Failure: The elevation shows caps and seals but no path for infiltrated water. Fix: Provide drained, inspectable sections and identify discharge points at sills, joints and transitions.
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Assuming unitised always means faster
Failure: A unitised system is selected without checking module repetition, transport, lifting, staging or slab tolerances. Fix: Compare the complete logistics plan with a stick-built alternative before committing.
Leaving doors and security outside the shopfront package
Failure: The glass line is specified, but thresholds, hardware, security and accessibility are resolved later. Fix: Include the full entrance assembly, interfaces and maintenance requirements in the façade scope.
Relying on an obsolete manual
Failure: A superseded glazing range or standard is carried into a new tender. Fix: Check the latest controlled manufacturer documentation and current jurisdictional standards at design, tender and construction stages.
Documentation package for tender and construction
A robust package lets bidders price the same performance and gives installers enough information to build without inventing interfaces. Include:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Elevation and plan drawings identifying shopfront, window-wall and curtain-wall zones.
- Typical and atypical details for head, sill, jamb, corner, expansion joint, slab edge, spandrel and adjacent wall.
- Support reactions, anchor zones, movement allowances and survey tolerances.
- Glass make-up, safety classification, coatings, insulating-glass requirements and spandrel appearance.
- Wind, deflection, water, thermal, acoustic, fire and durability criteria with applicable standards.
- Stick-built or unitised installation sequence, access assumptions, storage limits and protection requirements.
- Inspection and testing plan covering glass damage, fasteners, gaskets, sealants, drainage, alignment and representative façade tests.
- Submittal requirements for calculations, shop drawings, samples, test reports, engineer certification and proposed substitutions.
Bottom line for specifiers
Alspec’s 2021 guide puts the decision correctly: “Determining whether a shopfront wall, window wall or curtain wall is best suited for the project at hand will require architects, designers and specifiers to assess site conditions and the application context.” Use that principle as the design gate. Select the system whose support line, slab-edge treatment, water management, glazing build-up and installation method match the real building, then verify wind, deflection, glass and standards with current documentation and project engineering. Manufacturer figures such as the Hunter Evo and ThermAFrame values are useful reference points only within their named systems and stated configurations.
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