Trends in the facade industry

A lot is happening in the field of facades. Key trends include reducing CO₂ emissions and material use, more focus on safety and embracing circular and modular construction. All these trends within the facade industry will take centre stage at the Future Facade trade fair on 7 and 8 May at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.

Expert insights

Joep Römgens, Head of Service, Marketing and Product Management at Schüco Benelux, will open the programme on day 2 in Theatre 1, where he will highlight and explain various trends in the industry. "An important trend is modular construction, as this enables the realisation of more homes in a shorter period of time," he says. "Safety is of course also a hot topic. This includes fire safety, but unfortunately facades also increasingly have to meet standards related to violence, such as bullet resistance, burglar resistance and even explosion resistance. The latest trend is leasing facades, which can significantly improve the durability of facades. In a leasing model, the facade remains the property of the builder and is leased by the building owner. This facilitates material recycling and reuse, contributing to greater circularity within the sector."

Innovations

After the opening by Römgens, several Schüco colleagues will take the stage. Andrea Pilla, senior façade engineer, will present two innovations that are still in the research phase. Römgens explains: "With the 'Minimal Wall' product, Schüco aims to reduce material use. It is a clever combination of glass and aluminium that forms a laminated system using a special adhesive technique. This results in a very strong connection, while also reducing material costs and CO₂ emissions.

Daniel Arztmann, head of Custom Engineering, will discuss how Schüco brings architects' often unconventional designs to life. "He receives the most extreme ideas," says Römgens. "The title of this lecture is 'Crazy Architectural Engineering'. By this we mean: architects, let your imagination run wild - we will make it feasible. Of course within the laws of building physics, environmental impact, circularity and so on. But essentially, no idea is too 'crazy' for us to tackle. Daniel will show wonderful projects that Schüco has realised in the Middle East."

Andreas Bitter, Head of Sales Grid2Shell, will present the self-supporting aluminium/glass structure Grid2Shell. Römgens: "With this structure, complete glass facades and skylight structures can be built."

Stephen Tanno, director of Pre-Construction Services, will discuss the need and challenges of high-rise buildings. "Pre-dimensioning plays a crucial role in the construction process," Römgens explains. "It involves collaboration at an early stage with the architect. Tanno, based in London, focuses exclusively on high-rise buildings. This is a hot topic in today's housing shortage and urbanisation."

Challenges

Römgens concludes Thursday morning's programme with a presentation on the challenges facing the facade construction industry. "New buildings are of course designed to be energy-efficient and smart. But if we want to be Paris proof by 2050, the real challenge - and opportunity - lies in existing buildings. About 85% of these buildings will still be standing in 30 years' time and the majority are not energy efficient or energy neutral, let alone energy positive. A huge effort is needed to transform, renovate or upgrade these houses and buildings. At Schüco, we call this 'Value Up' - creating added value. We offer solutions for different scenarios, from maintenance, repairs and upgrades to complete core renovations where a building is gutted and given a completely new facade. There are many options in between.

It is crucial to develop solutions that go beyond the product level. People often forget that residents have to leave their homes during renovations. However, temporary housing options are scarce. The solution is to approach renovations so efficiently that residents can leave their homes in the morning and return to a completed project in the evening. This requires much more than just a product - it requires a well-thought-out strategy."