
The Performance-Based Façade Design initiative was an insightful event that highlighted the balance between innovation and tradition in the façade industry. Its significance lies in the way it integrated cutting-edge advancements like AI with established methods, creating a comprehensive experience for participants.
Akira Kudou - Japan Sash Manufacturers Associatio (Windows & Doors)

The first edition of the Performance-Based Façade Design (PBFD) initiative curated by Angela Mejorin has been hosted at Università Iuav di Venezia. The Seminar and Workshop had the support of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Western (Canada) and Iuav (Italy) Universities, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Order and College of Engineers of the Province of Venice, PoliMi University (Italy).
The Seminar took place on Monday afternoon, September 4th, 2023, with a focus on performance-based design for façades: The Current Challenges. Some of the topics covered by the presentations were related to façade design for hazard mitigation, building sustainability, energy efficiency, freeform skins, and safety performance.
SEMINAR
Current Challenges
WORKSHOP
Windows, doors and curtain walling – Impacted by windborne debris in windstorms – Test method and classification
The Workshop took place on Tuesday morning, September 5th, 2023. It corresponded to the in-person meeting for the ISO Standard draft preparation "Windows, doors and curtain walling – Impacted by windborne debris in windstorms – Test method and classification". ISO / TC 162 / WG 5 "Curtain walling" Designated Experts, together with all workshop participants, went through the in-progress standard document.
Angela Mejorin was appointed as the Project Leader of the ISO 16316 standard that has been published in October 2024.
The Orsoni Furnace seamlessly connects traditional craftsmanship with modern façade design, creating materials that redefine architectural aesthetics. Founded in 1888 by Angelo Orsoni, the company gained prominence with its vibrant smalti and mosaic tesserae, showcased at the 1889 Great Exhibition in Paris. Orsoni’s mosaics have adorned iconic architectural façades such as Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, the Sacré Coeur, and Westminster Abbey, blending art and structure to transform buildings into visual masterpieces.
With innovations like uniform tesserae production, Orsoni advanced the integration of mosaics into façades, emphasizing durability and detail. Today, under the TREND Group, Orsoni continues to inspire contemporary architects, offering handcrafted mosaics that enhance façades as both functional and artistic elements. The Orsoni legacy exemplifies how traditional techniques can elevate modern performance-based façade design.
OFF-SITE ACTIVITIES
Fornace Orsoni 1888

SEPTEMBER 4, 2:00 - 6:00 PM
SEMINAR PROGRAM
Current Challenges
Angela Mejorin - Performance-Based Façade Design. Current Challenges
David Bott - Performance-based façade design approaches from concept to completion
PERFORMANCE-BASED FAÇADE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS
Ingo Stelzer - High performance laminated glass for challenging façade needs
Gery Chinzi - Curved glass and hot bending innovations for bespoke façade solutions
Guido Sabatini - The upcoming construction products regulation: new rules for declaring performance of products in the EU
PERFORMANCE-BASED FAÇADE DESIGN INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Angelo Lucchini - New design challenges for opaque ventilated façades
Alberto Consolaro - Seismic design of façades: strategies and application cases
Stefano Rossi - The extension of the BIM process related to façade design
Oliver Varley - Challenging façade solutions with performance-based design
Jalal Farooq - Wind-borne debris-resistant façade solutions
Angela Mejorin - Final Discussion and Closing Remarks

SEPTEMBER 5, 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
WORKSHOP PROGRAM
Windows, doors and curtain walling impacted by windborne debris in windstorms
Angela Mejorin - Welcome
Akira Kudo - Welcome from the ISO/TC 162 Secretariat
Paolo Rigone - Introduction to the on-going ISO/TC 162 standardization activities
Angela Mejorin - “Windows, doors and curtain walling – Impacted by windborne debris in windstorms – Test method and classification” under development by ISO/TC 162/WG 5
Angela Mejorin - Final Discussion and Closing Remarks

SEPTEMBER 5, 2:30 - 4:00 PM
OFF-SITE ACTIVITY PROGRAM
Orsoni Furnace
2024 Speakers
Seminar & Workshop location: Palazzo Badoer, Venice
Palazzo Badoer originates from the "house of the priory of San Giovanni Evangelista," which belonged to the Badoer family. A document from 1350 granted the Badoer family the right to bury the members of the Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista. The cemetery, still located beneath the main hall of the palace, historically influenced the unique layout of the building, which can be described as "Z-shaped." This plan distinguishes it from the typical structure of a Venetian palace. Subsequent modifications to the palace continued until 1712, when the building reached its formal architectural completion. Additional interior renovations were carried out in later years.
In 1974, the Iuav (Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia) purchased the palace from the Institute of Santa Caterina, Sisters of Nevers. Extraordinary maintenance and functional adaptation works for the building’s use as the headquarters of the Department of Architectural History began in April 1978. Since 2008, Palazzo Badoer has been the home of the Iuav Doctoral School.