High-rise facade design in Australia is being reshaped by seven converging forces in 2026: post-cladding-crisis compliance expectations, tightening energy efficiency requirements under Section J, sustainability and ESG pressure, the growth of build-to-rent, construction cost constraints, demand for prefabrication, and a renewed focus on visual differentiation. For architects, developers, and builders working on multi-storey projects, understanding these trends is not optional - they directly affect material selection, programme, cost, and certification outcomes.
These are not predictions. They are patterns visible across live projects, tender documentation, and specification briefs that Valmond & Gibson sees across its national project pipeline. Here is what is shaping high-rise facades right now.
Is Non-Combustible Now the Default for High-Rise?
Yes. The post-cladding-crisis shift is effectively complete. Non-combustible materials are the baseline expectation for external walls on multi-storey buildings, not just a compliance checkbox.
The NCC has always required non-combustible external walls on Type A and Type B construction. What changed after the cladding crisis is how seriously every participant in the chain treats that requirement. Certifiers scrutinise test reports more carefully. Insurers ask more questions. Builders factor compliance risk into procurement decisions. And specifiers increasingly default to solid aluminium, extruded aluminium, and glass rather than accepting composite panel systems that require more complex evidence of suitability pathways.
This shift is not just regulatory - it is commercial. The cost of getting material selection wrong on a high-rise project, measured in remediation, programme delays, and insurance complications, now far exceeds any upfront saving from cheaper alternatives. The result is that non-combustible systems tested to AS1530.1 with NATA-accredited laboratory reports have become the path of least resistance, not the premium option.
For V&G’s product range, this is a structural tailwind. interloQ (CSIRO report FNC12595), element13 (CSIRO report FNC12545), 165CW, and conneQt are all non-combustible aluminium systems. The compliance documentation exists, it is tested by accredited laboratories, and it is ready for certifier review on day one.
Why Are Architects Using Mixed Facade Systems on Single Buildings?
Because high-rise buildings have distinct zones with different performance requirements, and no single facade system is optimal everywhere.
This is one of the clearest trends in current high-rise design. Rather than specifying one cladding system for the entire building envelope, architects are combining multiple facade types:
- Curtain wall on the lower commercial or podium levels, where transparency, retail visibility, and ground-floor presentation drive the brief.
- Rainscreen cladding on the residential tower above, where opaque wall area dominates, thermal performance matters, and cost per square metre is a primary concern.
- Screening and battens on plant levels, balconies, and rooftop areas, where ventilation, visual screening, and architectural expression intersect.
- Solid panels for feature walls, soffits, and accent zones where a different material expression creates visual break-up across the elevation.
This approach creates better buildings. Each zone gets a system optimised for its specific requirements rather than a compromise that works adequately everywhere but excels nowhere.
It also creates a procurement challenge. Coordinating three or four different facade suppliers on a single project introduces interface risk, programme complexity, and multiple compliance documentation streams. This is where a supplier with a complementary product range adds genuine value. 165CW for the curtain wall zones, interloQ for the rainscreen cladding, element13 for feature panels and soffits, conneQt for battens and screening - all from one supplier, with compatible fixing systems, coordinated finishes, and a single compliance documentation pack.
How Is NCC Section J Changing Facade Design?
The facade is now the primary energy efficiency lever on high-rise buildings, and Section J tightening is accelerating this.
Energy efficiency requirements under the NCC have progressively increased, and the 2022 edition (with subsequent updates) has made the building envelope a critical factor in overall energy performance. For high-rise, this means facades are doing more thermal work than ever before.
In glazed zones, this drives demand for high-performance insulated glass units with lower U-values and solar heat gain coefficients. Curtain wall systems like 165CW with thermally broken glazing adaptors - using polyamide strips with aluminium nose caps - become important for achieving the required thermal performance without compromising the design intent.
On opaque walls, ventilated rainscreen systems with continuous insulation behind the cladding are increasingly specified. The rainscreen principle - where the outer skin protects a ventilated cavity with insulation behind it - is well suited to meeting Section J requirements on high-rise. interloQ as the outer rainscreen skin, fixed over continuous insulation on a drained and ventilated cavity, is a proven configuration for meeting both thermal and weather performance requirements.
The practical implication for project teams is that facade design can no longer be separated from energy modelling. Early coordination between the architect, facade engineer, and energy consultant is essential - and so is selecting facade systems that can accommodate the required insulation depths and thermal break details.
What Does Build-to-Rent Mean for Facade Selection?
Build-to-rent changes the equation from lowest capital cost to lowest lifecycle cost - and that shift favours durable, low-maintenance aluminium systems.
Australia’s BTR pipeline has grown substantially, with institutional capital now behind a meaningful share of new Class 2 approvals in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Unlike build-to-sell apartments, BTR operators retain ownership for 15 to 25 years or more. Every material decision stays with them.
This creates different priorities:
- Durability over decades. Aluminium does not rot, warp, delaminate, or require repainting on the cycles that timber, fibre cement, or render demand. PVDF coatings on element13 panels are tested to AAMA 2605, the highest performance standard for architectural coatings.
- Panel-level repairability. interloQ’s interlocking connection allows individual panels to be removed and replaced without disturbing adjacent panels. For a BTR operator managing tenant damage or localised storm impact, this means fast, low-cost repairs.
- Compliance longevity. BTR assets are refinanced, revalued, and re-insured multiple times during the hold period. Facade compliance documentation needs to hold up to scrutiny years after practical completion - not just on the day the certifier signs off.
Are Sustainability Credentials Influencing Material Selection?
They are, and the pressure is coming from multiple directions simultaneously.
Green Star ratings, NABERS Energy and Water, and investor ESG frameworks all influence material selection on high-rise projects. For some developers, particularly those backed by institutional capital or superannuation funds, sustainability credentials are not aspirational - they are conditions of the investment mandate.
Aluminium has a strong position here. It is 100% recyclable with no loss of material quality. Recycled aluminium requires approximately 5% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium. In a building lifecycle context, an aluminium facade that lasts 30 to 50 years and is then fully recycled at end of life has a compelling story compared to materials that degrade, cannot be recycled, or end up in landfill.
The durability factor matters for embodied carbon calculations as well. A facade system that lasts the full design life of the building without replacement avoids the embodied carbon of a second facade system 15 or 20 years in. When assessed over a 50-year building life, the initial embodied energy of aluminium is offset by its longevity and full recyclability.
Why Is Prefabrication Gaining Ground on High-Rise?
Programme pressure. On high-rise projects, the facade is often on the critical path, and anything that reduces on-site installation time has a direct impact on project completion.
Unitised curtain wall systems like 165CW are factory-assembled as complete panels - frame, glazing, seals, and hardware - then delivered to site and installed as units. This shifts the majority of labour from site to factory, where quality control is more consistent, weather is not a factor, and production can run in parallel with the building structure going up.
For the opaque facade zones, pre-finished rainscreen panels arrive on site ready to install. interloQ panels are cut to length, pre-punched for fixing, and delivered in the specified finish. The installation process is mechanical - fix the subframe, hang the panels, and move on. No wet trades, no site painting, no curing times.
The combination of unitised curtain wall on glazed zones and pre-finished rainscreen on opaque zones is a programme-efficient strategy that more builders are adopting on high-rise.
How Is Facade Appearance Becoming a Commercial Asset?
With more residential high-rise projects competing for buyers and tenants, the facade is increasingly recognised as a commercial differentiator - not just a weatherproofing system.
Extended colour ranges, woodgrain finishes, textured coatings, and mixed panel orientations allow architects to create visual distinction without adding complexity to the underlying structure. interloQ’s vertical and horizontal installation options, combined with multiple panel widths, create rhythm and variation across elevations. element13 offers solid colours, metallics, woodgrain, and textured finishes including the Interpon Structura range.
On projects where multiple buildings sit within a precinct or masterplan, coordinated but distinct facade treatments help each building maintain its own identity while contributing to a cohesive streetscape. The ability to vary colour, texture, and panel orientation within a single product system makes this achievable without multiplying the number of suppliers or complicating the compliance documentation.
How Does V&G Fit the High-Rise Facade Brief?
All four products in the V&G range - interloQ, element13, 165CW, and conneQt - address different zones and requirements on high-rise buildings. They are non-combustible, tested by NATA-accredited laboratories, and supplied with complete compliance packs.
| Product | High-Rise Application | Key Test Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| interloQ | Rainscreen cladding - residential tower, feature walls | AS1530.1 non-combustible (CSIRO FNC12595), AS/NZS 4284 weather (1500Pa SLS) |
| element13 | Solid panels - soffits, feature zones, accent walls | AS1530.1 non-combustible (CSIRO FNC12545), cyclonic wind rated (SLS 1875Pa, ULS 5559Pa) |
| 165CW | Unitised curtain wall - commercial podium, glazed zones | Australian designed and extruded, thermally broken, AS/NZS 4284 conforming |
| conneQt | Battens, screening, architectural fins - plant, balconies | Same alloy and finish range as interloQ, stand-alone or integration system |
The practical advantage is coordination. One supplier across multiple facade zones means aligned lead times, compatible fixing details, coordinated colour matching, and a single point of contact for compliance documentation. On a complex high-rise with three or four facade types, that simplification has real value for the builder, the certifier, and the programme.
These trends are not temporary. The forces behind them - regulation, energy efficiency, institutional capital, programme pressure, and commercial differentiation - are structural. The high-rise projects being designed and tendered now will be built with these realities baked in. Selecting facade systems that align with all of them, rather than optimising for one and compromising on others, is how the best project outcomes are achieved.
Need compliance documentation or technical guidance for a high-rise project? Talk to our team.
Related Reading
- Facade Design for Apartment Buildings in Australia
- Aluminium Facades for Build-to-Rent Projects in Australia
- Green Star Ratings and Aluminium Facade Systems
- Choosing the Right Aluminium Facade System for Your Project
Last updated: 4 April 2026