Choosing a curtain walling type is one of the first facade decisions on a commercial project, and one of the hardest to reverse. It affects the programme, the crane and scaffold plan, the interfaces with the frame and the budget. Most aluminium glass facades fall into three families: stick (post-and-beam), unitised and structural or semi-structural glazing. This guide explains how each works and which project factors point towards one or the other.
Stick curtain walling: assembled on site
A stick system is built on site from vertical mullions and horizontal transoms fixed to the structure, then glazed and capped. Aluprof MB-SR50N is a typical example, with air tightness AE 1200 and water tightness RE 1200. MB-SR50N HI+ raises thermal performance to Uf from 0.59 W/(m²K) with PHI Darmstadt A+ certification, and the Procural PF152 family reaches Ucw 0.62 W/(m²K), with PF152HI certified for Passivhaus.
Stick systems are flexible. They handle irregular geometry, changing grid dimensions, corners and interfaces with other wall types well, and the components are compact and easy to transport. The trade-off is that more work happens on site: each joint is sealed by the installation crew, so quality depends heavily on site supervision and weather conditions during installation.
- Best for low- and mid-rise buildings, podiums, entrance halls and facades with varied geometry.
- Needs scaffolding or mast climbers along the facade during installation.
- Tolerant of late design changes, because profiles can be cut to size close to installation.
Unitised curtain walling: factory-built elements
In a unitised system, complete facade elements are assembled and usually glazed in the factory, then delivered to site and lifted into place, typically one storey high and one module wide. Adjacent units interlock, so the joints are formed as the elements are hung. Aluprof MB-SE65 is a unitised curtain wall with 65 mm profile widths and wind load resistance up to ±2000 Pa, and Procural PF173 is a modular facade with factory-prepared elements and Ucw 0.74 W/(m²K).
Because assembly, glazing and sealing happen under factory conditions, quality control moves off site and installation on site becomes much faster. Units can be installed from inside the floor slab, often without full-height scaffolding. The trade-off is more design and preparation work up front: the facade must be fully engineered and approved before production starts, and late changes are expensive.
- Best for high-rise buildings and facades with many repeated modules.
- Shortens the time needed to close the building envelope, which helps the fit-out programme.
- Needs storage space, crane or hoist capacity and careful delivery sequencing on site.
Structural and semi-structural glazing
In structural glazing, the glass is bonded to the frame so that little or no aluminium is visible from outside, giving a flush, continuous glass surface. Aluprof MB-MT50N is a structural glazing facade with Uf from 0.55 W/(m²K) and Passive House Institute A+ certification. Procural PF152ESG gives a flat glass surface with 22 or 28 mm joints and Ucw 0.64 W/(m²K).
Semi-structural systems sit in between: Aluprof MB-SR50N EFEKT is a stick system that creates a uniform smooth glass appearance with wind resistance up to 2400 Pa, while keeping the installation logic of a post-and-beam facade. Structural glazing is a question of appearance and glass fixing, not of assembly method, so it can be combined with stick or unitised construction.
Key decision factors
Building height and access
On a low building with good ground access, stick systems are usually the most economical. As height increases, scaffolding becomes more expensive and weather exposure during installation grows, which makes unitised elements installed from the floor slabs more attractive.
Repetition
Unitised facades pay off when the same modules repeat many times, because design and tooling costs are spread over many identical units. A facade with many one-off dimensions usually suits a stick system better.
Programme
If an early weathertight envelope is critical for the fit-out, unitised construction can shorten the site phase considerably. The design and production phase before delivery is longer, so the facade package has to be decided earlier.
Site conditions and tolerances
Tight city-centre sites with limited storage favour compact stick components, unless units can be delivered just in time. Unitised systems need brackets that absorb structural tolerances and slab movement, so the interface with the frame must be designed early. Stick systems adapt to deviations more easily on site.
Thermal, fire and security requirements
For Passivhaus-level projects, stick and structural systems such as MB-SR50N HI+, PF152HI and MB-MT50N offer certified thermal performance. Where the fire strategy requires fire-rated facade sections, Procural PF152EI and PF152ESG EI and Aluprof MB-SR50N EI are available in EI30 and EI60. PF152 variants can also be specified with RC2/RC3 burglar resistance, which is useful on ground floors.
Quick comparison
- Stick: flexible, economical on low- and mid-rise buildings, more site work, easy to adapt.
- Unitised: fast site installation, factory quality, suited to tall and repetitive facades, needs early design freeze.
- Structural and semi-structural: flush glass appearance, combined with stick or unitised framing depending on the project.
Many buildings mix types: a stick system for the ground floor and entrance, unitised elements for the tower, and structural glazing where the facade is the architectural feature.
You can compare all our stick, unitised and structural glazing systems on the curtain walling systems page. Fire-rated facade options are also listed under fire-rated systems.
Talk to us before the facade is frozen
Finestra Solution has 10+ years of experience in aluminium systems and 3000+ completed projects, with facades and glazing delivered to Latvia, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Spain. Send elevations, sections and your performance requirements through our contact page. We reply within 1–2 working days with a system recommendation and a quote, and the first project consultation is free.
