Perforated panels are metal sheets punched with regularly spaced holes, used on parking structures as facade screens, guards and decorative cladding.
They let a garage look like a finished building while still admitting air and light. The share of the panel that is open, called its open area, matters as much as its appearance: it controls how much air passes through, how much the garage can be seen into, and how much light escapes at night.
Design considerations
- Openness. For an open parking garage, only the open area of a screen counts toward the required openings. A 40 percent open panel over an opening counts as 40 percent of that opening. See openness calculation.
- Wind. Panels and their supports must resist wind loads, which are higher on solid-looking surfaces.
- Light. Panels can soften light spill from the garage, or create glare if finishes are reflective.
- Durability. Coatings, fasteners and dissimilar metals must suit outdoor exposure and road salt.
- Safety. Panels used as guards must meet height and opening requirements and must not create a climbable surface.
The Parkonomics view
A beautiful screen can turn an open garage into an enclosed one on paper. Run the openness calculation with the actual panel open area before the facade is approved.
Related terms: Architectural Mesh, Graphic Panel, Openness Calculation, Wind Loads, Open Parking Garage