Overview of the facade materials market in Bishkek
Following up on the landscape design topic, I have prepared an article (especially since you have been asking for it for a long time) on materials for finishing and designing the facade of a private house + what is included in a house facade design project.
I have chosen the most relevant and widespread facade materials that can be found in Bishkek and that we most often use in our projects. The article describes their main advantages, varieties, and suitability for our climate conditions. Plus, all sections of the article are illustrated with projects by my studio, clearly showing how the material looks in volume on a specific facade.
Stone Facade
One of the most frequent options for decorating private residences is natural or artificial stone. In our portfolio, houses decorated with stone make up the majority. The reasons are clear—stone looks pompous and majestic, matches the classical style, and lasts for centuries.
Options for natural finishing include granite, marble (much more expensive, hence used as accent details of the design), travertine, and limestone (the well-known Sary-Tash quarry). The latter are used much more frequently.
Artificial stone is also a decent option for house decoration. The color palette of such a material is much broader (essentially, you can find practically any shade, but these are still natural colors, as artificial stone is an imitation of natural material).
I will write a bit about the most frequent options of artificial stone in our country: concrete-based artificial stone, polymer-sand panels (look like torn and split pieces of stone, often used for accent areas of the building), facade ceramics (a very wide variety of textures and shades), and fiber cement boards (imitate natural stone—travertine, granite, marble—but are much lighter than the latter).
Clinker tiles can help bring an interesting touch to the facade design (a fairly expensive, yet high-quality material due to its strength characteristics). To be fair, the material has its drawbacks too: it is quite heavy, which means by no means every facade can "handle" such a load. Here you cannot do without an architect—only a specialist can account for the load already at the design stage and provide a safety margin when calculating the foundation.
Plastering the Facade
I think this facade decoration option is familiar to everyone. Today, it is no less popular than 50 years ago... That is because this finishing option is not overly expensive, quite fast, and, with a well-planned design, beautiful. In addition, the widespread adoption of external wall insulation technology has also helped plastered buildings remain at the top.
I will list several types of plaster that can be used as facade decoration:
mineral plaster (inexpensive, completely non-combustible, but can crack significantly during building settlement);
acrylic plaster (an elastic material suitable for new buildings; it will not crack. However, it is combustible, so non-combustible insulation is required);
silicate plaster (more expensive than the first two, cures quickly, thus requires thorough priming and skilled craftsmen; resistant to dirt and moisture);
silicone plaster (very similar in properties to silicate plaster)
You can decorate plastered facades with polyurethane stucco elements. Of course, in order to emphasize all the features of the building and select the most suitable elements in terms of both size and design (their range is huge), you will definitely need a facade design project. Otherwise, you may end up with a simply ugly building (pardon my bluntness, but that is usually how it turns out), featuring an ill-conceived rainwater drainage system, distorted proportions, a pile of air conditioning units in prominent places, etc.
Facade paints, as a decorative method, will always remain popular. Combined effectively with other finishing materials, such facades will always look top-notch. I believe, practically speaking, not a single facade can do without the use of this material.
Facade Panels
This is a very broad category. Facade panels can be made of both natural and synthetic materials, as well as an impressive mix of the two. As a rule, each type has its own characteristics, but they also share common traits—high protective properties and a vast decorative selection. Most often, such materials imitate natural ones quite convincingly: stone, wood, brick. In Bishkek, there are plenty of various companies offering such facade panels from different brands.
About Wood
Pure wooden facades are a rarity in our city. This does not mean architects do not like them; in their own way, they are wonderful... It is just that using them is quite costly and impractical; wood is, after all, not that durable, albeit aesthetic.
If you want a wooden facade, an alternative for you could be decking made of wood-polymer composite. This material has all the advantages of synthetic materials while retaining the texture and color of natural wood. This is precisely the option we offered to the client of the project shown in the photo.
Facade Design Project
To sum up: if you want a beautiful and even striking house facade (which harmoniously combines up to 10 finishing materials!) that will make you stand out from the gray mass, reflect your taste, and complement the surrounding landscape, you have only one option: order a design project.
What does such a service include? Analysis of the condition of the facade, finishing and cladding materials, and the entire structure; Detection of deterioration, material damage, and structural deformation; Search for optimal design solutions considering the design brief, architecture, and regulatory documentation; Preparation of a detailed implementation plan
And in conclusion, let me add: even if you have chosen high-quality, expensive materials, this still gives you practically NO GUARANTEES. Only with a competent design project and a professional construction crew can I personally promise: yes, you will be able to live in this house for a long time without worrying about the safety, quality, and beauty of your facade.
