The external facades of a building are more than a protective mantle or a skin regulating temperature and light. They determine a building"s very appearance. Increasingly, external surfaces are designed to reflect their status as an integral part of the building rather than just a wrapper. In Detail: Building Skins focuses on the wide-ranging aspects of facade design, from the selection and use of materials to the advanced technical possibilities now open to the architect. A wide array of carefully selected international examples show the theory in practice. All plans, details, and large-scale sections of the facades have been fully researched, and expert authors provide the essential information needed to plan and design facades and understand the latest developments in technology and materials.