A facade (also façade) is generally one exterior side of a building, usually the front. It is a foreign loan word from the French façade, which means “frontage” or “face.”

In architecture, the facade of a building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building. From the engineering perspective of a building, the facade is also of great importance due to its impact on energy efficiency. For historical facades, many local zoning regulations or other laws greatly restrict or even forbid their alteration.

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