International Approaches in facade design – How can we improve our European Standards by learning from eachother?
In a fast changing world, changes in the build environment will come along automatically. But if we compare the different standards we are using in Europe to design facades, lots of differences do appear.
When it comes to circularity standards, re-used products and the certification needs, fire safety measurements and so on, we all have our own approaches and visions. There is no such thing as a European Building Standard, but what can we learn from all these different approaches? During this session, facade experts from different countries will share their insights, learnings and failures they’ve experienced in international projects and leaded by Aulikki Sonntag, Business Development Manager at Staticus, they will debate what would be necessary to achieve a more equal playing field in Europe for facade designing and engineering.
Host – Aulikki Sonntag
Speaker 1 – Robert Capel
Speaker 2 – Damian Rogan
Damian established Eckersley O’Callaghan’s facade engineering group in 2012 and today leads a team of 30 engineers in London while supporting offices in the US, Hong Kong and Sydney. EOC has built a reputation for design and innovation across structures and facades and is engaged on eye-catching projects around the world. Damian is heavily involved in the practice’s R&D and low-carbon design initiatives and is a member of the CWCT sustainability committee.
Speaker 3 – Thomas Henriksen
Thomas has a Doctorate in Architectural Engineering from TUDelft and over 20 years specialised experience in structural and facade engineering across a range of energy efficient buildings and infrastructure projects worldwide.
Previous roles include Global Facade Leader at Mott MacDonald Ltd, Technical Director at Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG and Technical Director at Seele Austria GmbH. He was also a Project Manager for ÍAV hf., also known as IPC (Iceland Prime Contractors), and Senior Structural Facade Engineer at Ove Arup Ltd.
Speaker 4 – Sophie Pennetier
Sophie Pennetier is a structural engineer with expertise in façades and sustainability. She founded Digne in 2024 to support manufacturers and non-profits decarbonization in the built environment. Digne projects include glass recycling research and innovation, carbon-informed design and procurement support to manufacturers including Enclos, and other circularity projects.
Her 17 years’ experience spans from consulting (with RFR, GNA, SHoP Construction, Arup) to contracting with Enclos, where she has lead sustainability efforts until 2024.
Adjunct Faculty with SCI-Arc since ‘21, Sophie teaches Structures, Facades Tectonics and Embodied Carbon. Serving on the Board of Directors of the Façade Tectonics Institute, she has developed the FTI Carbon group research and grown its educational content. In 2023 she was awarded, in the individual category, the US Glass Sustainability Award for her contributions to industry research and education.
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