OpenFace is a project led by an expert team of teachers, lecturers, researchers, and professors specializing in façade design and engineering. Their knowledge and experience in designing and developing façades, along with their years in teaching will make the course a fun learning experience.
TU Delft
“Current societal challenges require a shift in the way façades are conceived, designed, manufactured and operated. This entails for instance to move from compliance-based to performance-based design. First step is to question and deeply understand what are actual end-user requirements in a resilient and resource efficient built environment”.
Alessandra, PhD Engineer, is assistant professor at TU Delft. Her research focuses on how human-façade interaction can have a positive influence on human and planet health.
TU Delft
“Good innovation leaves the audience excited about how its ideas can be implemented in other applications”.
Annebel graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Through various internships, she developed a passion for building sciences and façade design and is now pursuing a master’s degree in building technology at TU Delft. Looking forward to the start of her career, she aims to contribute to the development of sustainable façade technologies through research and practice within the field of façade engineering.
TU Darmstadt
“In the pursuit of sustainable architecture, the façade plays a critical role as both the interface between the building and its environment and a determinant of energy efficiency. By advancing our understanding of façade technologies through circularity principles, we can develop solutions that not only enhance building performance but also contribute to a more sustainable and resilient built environment”.
Meet Bernadette, Doctoral Candidate and Research Associate at the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design, Technical University of Darmstadt, in Germany. Her research focuses on advancing climate-resilient and energy-efficient building solutions by integrating climate adaptation principles with circularity measures. It emphasizes the importance of circularity assessment methods and informed decision-making in the early stages of construction projects.
TU Darmstadt
“Implementing circular strategies offers tremendous potential for the façade industry. Let’s unite the relevant stakeholders in the logistics chain to foster innovation and bring about meaningful change”.
Meet Isabell, Civil Engineer and researcher at the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design at TU Darmstadt. She studies energy and material-optimized façades with special focus on glazing systems.
TU Delft
“Façades, the first what you see when approaching a building, it’s the face that makes the city while also responsible to the energy use, the carbon footprint and the overall performance of the building that finally makes it inhabitable, comfortable and a place to be. This is my playground and for years the driver that keeps me looking for innovative and sustainable solutions”.
Marcel Bilow is associate professor at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology, and the head of the Bucky Lab. He has taught building construction and product design for more than 20 years. His hands-on approach in research and education especially within the field of façades, experimental prototyping and production techniques makes him the go-to expert for connections, products and the use of materials. Besides his academic activities he had run an office for façade engineering and is the co- author of more than 15 books.
Eurac Research
“Our planet has finite resources, and we urgently need a paradigm shift in the construction industry. Innovation and education in the field of façades is key to building with less resources and more intelligently; so that façade components have longer, or even multiple life cycles and optimal performance in evolving environments”.
Meet Miren, PhD Architect, Senior Researcher at Eurac Research – Institute for Renewable Energy. Her research focuses on the development of innovative façade technologies. Adaptiveness, circularity and prefabrication are key pillars of her R&D activities.
TU Darmstadt
“The key challenge lies in utilizing available resources responsibly while seamlessly integrating essential functions such as thermal protection and light ingress into façades across diverse and ever-changing environments”.
Miriam Schuster, PhD Engineer, PostDoc at the Institute for Structural Mechanics and Design at TU Darmstadt and head of the glass and polymer research unit. During her PhD she studied the mechanical behavior of several laminated glass interlayers. As a PostDoc, she has been predominantly concerned with the sustainability and circularity of glass and glass products, with a focus on the evaluation of reusability and remanufacturing.
TU Darmstadt
“As a student passionate about façade technologies, it’s exciting to explore innovative solutions that can lead to more sustainable and efficient architecture. It’s important that we keep our finger on the pulse with the latest building research to create a brighter, greener future”.
Nathan is Master’s student at TU Darmstadt and Façade Engineer with a keen interest in implementing circularity in the façade industry.
TU Delft
Tatiana Elizabeth Armijos Moya is an Ecuadorian-Dutch architect and researcher specializing in architectural engineering and sustainable building technologies. She holds a PhD in Architectural Engineering from TU Delft, where she studied green climate control systems, focusing on the impact of plant-based systems in indoor environments. Tatiana also has a Master of Science in Building Technology and Sustainable Development from the same institution, and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher and work package leader for the HORIZON 2020 ENSNARE project at TU Delft. She is also the co-coordinator of the MicroMaster program OPENFACE and editor of the Journal of Façade Design and Engineering. Tatiana has extensive experience in architectural practice, including designing government buildings and sustainable housing prototypes in Ecuador. Her teaching experience spans TU Delft and the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, where she mentors students in research and design programs focusing on sustainable architecture. Her work has been published in several prestigious journals, and she frequently participates in international conferences on topics such as indoor air quality and green building systems.
TU Delft
“Façade – a super interesting field of technology: integrating functionality, building and material technology as well as architectural aesthetics. And by this influencing our wellbeing technically and emotionally – a super interesting field of technology!”
Uli Knaack is a professor for Façade Technology at TU Darmstadt / Faculty for Civil Engineering and parallel professor for Building Technology at TU Delft / Faculty of Architecture.