Façade Forward

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Identify the key drivers shaping innovation in façade design and construction
• Evaluate emerging façade technologies using the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale
• Apply the five phases of market acceptance to new façade solutions
• Understand how façade systems contribute to urban resilience and climate adaptation
• Analyse how the three pillars of sustainability influence innovation and circularity
• Identify and select advanced materials and technologies that enhance building performance
• Compare the strategic challenges of new-build façade engineering with those of retrofit projects
• Translate innovative ideas into feasible, future-proof façade solutions

Module 1: Trends – Emergence, technology readiness levels and market acceptance

You will learn about the importance of different drivers for new trends in façade technology, how to evaluate innovations based on Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and to analyse their acceptance in the market using the hype cycle.

Module 2: Digitalisation and new technologies

Digital technologies ensure the façade industry keeps up with Industry 4.0 and beyond. We will meet with industry professionals to learn how we can apply these technologies to our own façade project.

Module 3: Resilience

With extreme climate events becoming more frequent, our façades must be resilient to ensure they can withstand the threats.

Module 4: Sustainability and energy-efficiency

We look at the façade innovations that are pushing the industry forward in terms of minimizing waste, maintaining sustainable resource use and reducing global emissions through construction and service.

Module 5: Advanced materials

We are now demanding more from façades to assist in solving problems in the modern world which requires advances in materials.

Module 6: Retrofit

Retrofit provides us with a great opportunity to reduce the overall material usage in the construction industry. However, this is not standard practice. In this module we will dive into the challenges regarding retrofitting and some of the solutions being offered.

Featuring the contributions of the H2020 project INFINITE.

INFINITE develops industrialised, all-in-one building envelope solutions that combine prefabrication, digitalisation, and integrated technologies to enable fast, cost-effective, and scalable deep renovation of existing buildings.

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 958397

The course is led by experts from TU Delft, TU Darmstadt and Eurac Research. In addition to virtual visits, the course offers a peek behind-the-scenes at how circular design principles are applied in manufacturing and architectural firms.

Miriam Schuster

Postdoctoral Researcher at Delft University of Technology

Miriam Schuster co-leads the Glass and Polymer Group at the Institute of Structural Mechanics (ISM+D) and Design at TU Darmstadt since 2022 and works as a postdoctoral researcher on the sustainability and circularity of glass in construction, with a focus on the evaluation of reusability and remanufacturing.

Resources will be uploaded after the course closure.