Performance-Based
Façade Design
16-18 Sept. 2026 | Venice, Italy
The Mission of PBFD
Performance-Based Façade Design (PBFD) serves as a pivotal platform for industry and academic experts at the forefront of innovation across companies and associations involved in façade development, design, consulting, manufacturing, testing, and standardization. It goes beyond the technical aspects of façade design to explore how companies, developers, and industry leaders shape their external presence, credibility, and influence. PBFD brings together global professionals to explore the future of façade design, fostering innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.
Interactive discussions and activities centered on performance-based design best practices, recent advancements, and emerging possibilities for building envelopes act as catalysts for developing technical solutions within the industry. Attendees include founders and consultants from façade firms, technical directors, business development managers, researchers, contributors to standardization bodies, and façade enthusiasts.
Given the exclusive and niche nature of the event, participants have the opportunity to interact closely and drive innovation forward.
The History of PBFD
In 2025, PBFD returned with renewed momentum and an even more ambitious program. Hosted at the Auditorium Santa Margherita, the third edition revolved around the theme Technology Meets Nature and explored how façade systems can serve as catalysts for sustainable development. The two-day program featured keynote lectures and expert panels, culminating in a high-level Debate on the role of façades in shaping sustainable developments. Topics included carbon footprint reduction, circular economy strategies, long-term maintenance, and durability.
A record number of participants—more than 130 architects, engineers, manufacturers, and researchers—joined from across the globe. Highlights included keynote contributions by Zaha Hadid Architects, Koltay Facades, and Werner Sobek, as well as exclusive off-site technical tours at the Simeon factory. The lively discussions, both on and off stage, organically opened the way to the 2026 theme: Durable Façades.
In 2024, the PBFD initiative returned to Venice, this time at the historic Scuola Grande dei Carmini, where the event expanded in scope and ambition. Under the theme Façade Reflections, a sold-out Seminar brought together 100 experts to discuss innovations in façade design, manufacturing, testing, and sustainability. Workshops delved into cutting-edge tools for AI-driven design optimization and strategies for sustainable façades rooted in circular economy principles. Off-site activities included exclusive visits to Carlo Scarpa's architectural masterpiece Tomba Brion and the Blackwater Testing Lab, further enriching the participants' experience with real-world applications of façade performance testing and design. The international program attracted experts from all over the world.
The 2023 inaugural edition, held at the Università Iuav di Venezia, established a strong foundation with a Seminar focused on the Current Challenges of performance-based design for façades and a Workshop that contributed to the drafting of ISO 16316:2024, a standard for windborne debris resistance in façade systems. Experts from leading organizations and institutions addressed topics such as hazard mitigation, energy efficiency, and advanced façade resilience. More than sixty façade experts convened in Venice, traveling from three continents.
Each edition has underscored Venice’s role as a global hub for advancing façade innovation, offering a unique platform for forward-thinkers to reimagine the potential of building envelopes. The initiative continues to inspire and empower participants to shape the future of architecture and sustainable design.
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Angela Mejorin
Curator
Founder and curator of Performance-Based Façade Design (PBFD), the international platform bringing together specialists in building enclosures, research, testing and standardization, Angela Mejorin works as a consultant on building envelope performance and international regulatory frameworks. She serves as Project Leader and Voting Member within ISO, CEN and ASTM International, contributing to the development of standards for curtain wall systems and building hardware. She holds two doctorates — from Western University and Università Iuav di Venezia — with research focused on wind-borne debris mitigation and performance-based façade testing, a dual track that underpins the methodological approach of the PBFD conference. Her engineering experience includes work on the Intesa Sanpaolo headquarters by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and the Museo Alfa Romeo.
PBFD Advisory Group
The Performance-Based Façade Design (PBFD) Advisory Group is a multidisciplinary body of recognized experts guiding the long-term vision of the initiative. Comprising leading voices from architecture, engineering, real estate, academia, sustainability, policy, and international standardization, the group plays a strategic role in shaping the thematic direction of future PBFD editions.
Members ensure the initiative remains aligned with innovation, performance-based design, and global challenges in façade technology. Their diverse expertise—spanning advanced materials, building physics, economic modeling, regulatory frameworks, and regenerative urban planning—supports content evaluation, fosters cross-sector dialogue, and reinforces PBFD as a forward-looking platform at the intersection of design, technology, and sustainability.
