The arrival of new solutions for facade design This is changing the way building envelopes are conceived in Europe and in the modern and contemporary architectureWithin this trend, the launch of Equitone It is positioned as a proposal designed for those seeking a balance between formal freedom, technical performance, and increasingly industrialized construction processes.
In a context where the ventilated fiber cement facade Having gained ground in residential, commercial and facilities projects, this range introduces the digital printing on high-density panels as a tool to reproduce finishes inspired by traditional building materials, without sacrificing the behavior of fiber cement systems.
Equitone: digital printing applied to facades
The brand Equitone, part of the Etex Group and specializing in fiber cement facade materials, has developed the range Equitone as a specific solution for design architectural envelopes using digitally printed panelsThis line is part of The Graphicals, the family of products focused on surfaces with a higher graphic load.
Using a technology of Digital printing applied to high-density fiber cement panelsThe firm allows for the transfer of designs to facades that evoke materials such as wood, stone, exposed concrete, or oxidized metal. The idea is to combine a visual expression close to natural materials with the properties of fiber cement, both in safety and durability.
The company emphasizes that this type of solution comes at a time when the industrialization of construction It is gaining traction in the European market. The ability to manufacture components with high precision and in series, without sacrificing aesthetic customization, aligns with the demand for projects where efficiency and creativity go hand in hand.
Surfaces inspired by natural materials and organic textures
Within Equitone, the collection is structured into several families that They reinterpret common materials in architectureEach series responds to a distinct aesthetic line, allowing design teams to adjust the facade language to the project's identity.
- WoodSurfaces that reproduce the appearance of wood in different tones, designed to provide a feeling of visual warmth without assuming the maintenance associated with natural wood outdoors.
- Peace: panels that evoke steels and rusted metals, with an industrial appearance and a very marked plastic presence in the envelope.
- Stone: designs that recreate the natural stone with a sober and timeless language, geared towards facades where a solid and stable image over time is sought.
- Concrete: finishes inspired by the exposed concrete typical of contemporary architecture, linked to minimalist proposals and projects where concrete plays a leading role in the formal discourse.
Alongside these families more closely linked to recognizable building materials, the range includes designs developed in collaboration with architects that explore more organic references. These are graphics that take as their starting point corals, leaves, water ripples or textures of carved wood, among other elements present in nature.
These graphic surfaces allow the transfer organic motifs directly onto the facade materialThis opens the door to more expressive compositions in the building envelope. In this way, the fiber cement panel becomes a surface where texture and pattern take on a greater role, beyond just flat color.
High-density fiber cement with technical performance
Beyond the visual aspect, Equitone maintains the technical characteristics associated with High-density fiber cement manufactured by the Etex GroupThe product base is a fiber cement panel which is subsequently given a printed surface and specific protection.
The exposed face is protected with a finished with UV filter This treatment helps preserve the color and graphic from solar radiation, reducing the risk of premature degradation and helping to maintain a stable image over time. This treatment complements the inherent resistance of fiber cement to water, temperature changes, and other external factors.
Among the outstanding technical features of these panels are their non-combustible character, an especially relevant aspect in the design of secure enclosures; its structural robustnesswhich allows them to be used as part of ventilated facade systems; and the absence of harmful emissionsThis is a point to consider in projects that prioritize indoor environmental quality and sustainability.
The combination of these properties makes it possible for the panels to be used in residential, institutional and commercial buildingsboth in new construction and renovation. Furthermore, its dimensional stability in the face of humidity and climatic changes It facilitates its installation in different climatic zones of Spain and the rest of Europe.
Application in ventilated facades and industrialization of the work
The Equitone range is specifically designed for installation as Exterior cladding in ventilated facade systemsThis solution is widely implemented in European projects due to its thermal advantages and weather protection. In this type of configuration, the panels form part of a substructure that creates an air chamber, contributing to the building's energy performance.
When it comes to industrialized elements, manufactured with controlled measurements and finishesThe panels align with the trend towards more planned construction processes that are less reliant on on-site craftsmanship. This translates into greater predictability of deadlines and costs, something increasingly valued in residential developments and large-scale projects.
The possibility of incorporating printed designs without sacrificing technical performance It also allows architects to introduce a greater degree of aesthetic customization into the building envelope without deviating from regulatory requirements. From a specification standpoint, this opens a path to designing recognizable facades with distinctive textures and graphics within a framework of standardized solutions.
In this sense, the brand emphasizes that the development of Equitone responds to the demand of combining industrial efficiency and creative freedom, an idea very present in the discourse of many architecture firms that work with ventilated facades in the European environment.
With the impetus of proposals such as Equitone The design of fiber cement facades adds new tools to reinterpret traditional materials, incorporate organic motifs and adjust the envelope to the identity of each project, while maintaining the technical requirements of current building practices.
