Front

Established in 2002, Front is a specialist façade consulting practice of 50 staff, based in New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Hong Kong and London. We are a cross-disciplinary group of creative individuals with professional backgrounds in Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. We work with owners, architects, engineers, construction managers, contractors, and fabricators in a collaborative fashion. We are specialists in architectural façade systems for new construction, including curtain wall, bespoke cladding systems and the use of structural glass and related lightweight structures. Our portfolio of work ranges in size and complexity and includes large-scale high-rise curtain wall projects, public and cultural institutions, additions to historically sensitive sites, as well as custom designed work for private residences and artists. Our design and technical consulting work includes façade system design and optimization, detailing, and analysis, value engineering, guidance through the procurement and bidding process, and review during fabrication, mock-up, testing, and construction. We will consider the criteria for structural and environmental performance and recommend mock-up and test methods. We work with a variety of building systems and a wide palette of materials, including steel, aluminium, copper, titanium, concrete, stone, glass, and other composites. A key aspect of our collaborative work process is our ability to utilize 3D analysis of façade systems to review, interrogate, manipulate, and analyze building information as three-dimensional data. The use of these 3D tools can add significant benefits to system design efficiency and to improving the cost control process and project coordination, often bringing clarity and legibility to complex design problems. Drawing upon our first-hand experience with the successful execution of many original and challenging architectural projects and our specialist knowledge of the facade industry, we can assist in the evaluation of qualified bidders, and advise on procurement methods, constructability of systems, value engineering options, and how best to meet the project schedule and budget. At Front, we engage fully with our creative partners in the design and construction industry. We provide strategic advice through intensive collaboration to realize innovative projects across the globe. As active and open-minded participants in the design process, our goal is to find practical ways to realize the design intent. Our global outlook and experience are the foundation of our practice.