Façade Materials Market - Global and Regional Report 2024-2030

Architectural Glass is Experiencing Transformational Growth due to Global Architectural Trends Across all Segments

This analysis covers materials for façades in residential and non-residential buildings and in different regions worldwide. Materials covered include renders, clay-based materials, ceramics, terracotta, fiber cement, natural materials (wood, stone, and metals), polymer-based materials, synthetics and plastic composites, laminates, architectural glass, and other materials.

New building activity is calculated for both the residential and non-residential segments in all regions for 2023 and 2030. In both points in time, the share of each material is estimated based on innovation, sustainability, income level, and fire regulation-based factors.

In broad terms, cities worldwide are converging, particularly in the non-residential segment, with high rises becoming more similar to each other. The residential segment is more diverse, in terms of both façade materials and structural materials. Nevertheless, glass and minimalism, led by North American and European use cases, are strong almost everywhere and gaining market share.

High rises and big commercial building architecture are globalized, driving demand for glass as a main façade material.

Diversity in materials is higher as buildings get smaller, but curtain walls seem to be gaining market in the residential segment. This growing penetration might be driven by improvements in the performance of curtain walls and aesthetic trends among architects, investors, and end customers.

Globally, in the residential segment, when comparing the market share of materials between 2023 and the forecast for 2030, bricks, renders, fiber cement, and vinyl appear to be reducing their share, while glass, laminates, and natural materials show positive numbers.

Stone and wood are getting strong competition from materials that mimic their looks (e.g., a faux stone made with autoclaved aerated concrete [AAC] or a metal sheet that looks like wood) and with the advantages of ease of installation, low maintenance, lighter weight, and durability that some of the mentioned materials do not possess.

Scope of Analysis

Key Characteristics of Façade Materials

• The façade materials market comprises all the materials on the exterior of a building. As such, they must present certain characteristics, including durability, water and fire-proofing, and visual appeal.
• Façade materials include different types of renders that can be applied directly on the substrate, brick tiles, fiber cement planks (or tiles), vinyl boards, and steel plates, among others.
• Glass is included here as a façade material because of its increasing presence in the market, where it is being regularly used as windows and as a replacement to entire wall surfaces.
• Materials have been quantified in terms of surface area (square meters).
• Revenue and volume were calculated at manufacturers’ door.
• From an end-consumer price perspective, many of these materials do not only include the material but support systems (e.g., a rainscreen system), other materials (e.g., insulation, if required), any engineering and design services, shipping, labor, and any intermediations fees.
• Paints, primers, and barriers of any kind are not included in the scope of this study.

The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the Façade Materials Market

Transformative Megatrends

• Sustainability is significantly influencing the built environment, with a heightened focus on carbon emissions throughout a building's lifecycle.
• This trend particularly affects façade materials, intensifying the scrutiny on the carbon intensity associated with their manufacturing processes.
• Sustainability regulations aimed at reducing carbon intensity are particularly stringent in regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific (APAC), especially in countries like New Zealand, Canada, and various European nations.
• Conversely, some regions are not experiencing the same level of regulatory pressure, allowing for a temporary market presence of façade materials that are more carbon-intensive.

Competitive Intensity

• Builders, contractors, and architects have a plethora of façade material options available, with decisions influenced by multiple factors including budget, aesthetics, regulatory requirements, carbon footprint, workforce availability, workability, and maintenance needs.
• The market is characterized by intense competition, with thousands of companies vying for market share.
• The multitude of influencing factors compels companies to enhance every aspect of their products to boost market appeal.
• This competitive landscape fosters innovation, leading to the development of new products that amalgamate the best features of existing materials.
• Producers of materials and raw materials must remain vigilant about innovations introduced by competitors.

Geopolitical Chaos

• Many sought-after façade materials, such as renders and brick tiles, are primarily sourced from local raw materials.
• However, certain additives, tints, and specialty chemicals are supplied by a limited number of global companies, making the supply chain vulnerable to geopolitical tensions.
• Ongoing conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and unrest in the Middle East, pose risks to these supply chains.
• In response to these escalating risks, major global economies, including the United States and Europe, are increasingly reshoring or near-shoring critical manufacturing operations.
• Manufacturers must prepare for potential disruptions from suppliers and adopt strategies to diversify their supply chains to mitigate risks.

Segmentation

• Façade Materials
• Rendering
• Cladding and Siding Materials
  • Ceramics, Bricks, and Other Clay-based
  • Vinyl and Plastic-based Composites
  • Fiber Cement
  • Laminates
  • Natural Materials (wood, stone, metal)
  • Architectural Glass

     

Competitive Environment

• Number of Competitors: Approximately 1,000, ranging from multinational corporate groups to local small businesses 
• Competitive Factors: Cost, performance, aesthetics, and sustainability attributes
• Key End-user Industry Verticals: The building industry
• Leading Competitors: Saint-Gobain (through its diverse brand portfolio), Sika, Saipem, STO, Holcim, Fundermax, and Etex, among others according to the material
• Other Notable Competitors: Fundermax, Dryvit, Moeding, and Alucobond, among others according to the material
• Distribution Structure: Wholesalers, retailers, and direct sales
• Notable Acquisitions and Mergers: In 2021, Holcim acquired Firestone Building Products (roofing materials and metallic wall systems), and in 2022, Saint-Gobain acquired Kaycan (vinyl siding)

Key Companies: Façade Materials

• Render: Weber (Saint-Gobain), Sika, Holcim, STO (uninsulated render systems), Mapei, Dryvit, Parex, and Fosroc (repair mortars)
• Ceramics, bricks, and other clay-based:  STO (with ventilated façades), Moeding (ceramics and brick tiles), Wienerberger, Kingspan, Agro-Buchtal (ceramics), and NBK (Hunter Douglas) (terracotta)
• Fiber cement: Etex, SVK, Swisspearl, Clark Pacific, and Rieder (glass fiber-reinforced concrete, for implementation in ventilated façade)
• Wood-based (natural + EW + TMW): Moso (bamboo), Kebony (modified wood), and Nakamoto Forestry (burned wood cladding)
• Stone: Franken Schotter (stone façade panels) and Terracore (stone veneers and ceramic rainscreens)
• Metal: Pad-Clad (Carlisle Group), Ruuki (steel cladding), Zintek (zinc rolled), and Geoclad (Hunter Douglas)
• Vinyl and plastic-based composites: Vinyl siding: Certainteed/Kaycan, Versatex (vinyl siding), Alside (vinyl siding), Westlake Royal Building Products (vinyl siding), Georgia Pacific (vinyl siding), and SVK (vinyl siding) WPC: Trex, Unifloor, and Terafest
• Laminates: HPL: Fundermax and Trespa 
• Metal composite panels: Alumax, Alucom bond, and Quadrolad (Hunter Douglas) (aluminum + aluminum honeycomb)
• Others (including fabrics and adobe): Acrylic fabrics for tensile architecture: Texscreen (Hunter Douglas) and Serge Ferrari
• Architectural glass: Saint-Gobain, Pilkington, and Guardian