System and method of installing facade panels

A method of installing a wall cladding system on a building substrate, the method comprising:

• mounting a base wall of a slab bracket to a panel mounting location of a building structure, the slab bracket including first and second forward extending flanges defining a gap therebetween;
• providing a first façade panel with a first attachment rail secured along an upper edge the first façade panel, and a connector tube fastened to a mounting wall of the first attachment rail, with a support wall of the first attachment rail extending upward from the mounting wall being spaced from the connector tube to define a first slot;
• providing a second façade panel with a second attachment rail secured along a lower edge of the second façade panel, with a downward extending hanger wall of the second attachment rail being spaced apart from a rear surface of the second façade panel to define a second slot;
• securing the connector tube in the gap using one or more fasteners secured through first and second side walls of the connector tube and through the first and second forward extending flanges;
• and
• inserting the hanger wall of the second attachment rail in the first slot and the support wall of the first attachment rail in the second slot for interlocking retention of the second attachment rail and second façade panel with the first façade panel;
• wherein the connector tube provides a discrete panel mounting location and does not extend between multiple panel mounting locations of the building structure.