SFE News

Article category: News
Published on: 13 Mar 25

Spotlight Awards: The Breathing Brick Screen: Parametric Approach to Traditional Pakistani Jali

Located in the vibrant heart of Karachi, Pakistan, this architectural marvel stands as a testament to the city’s rich cultural heritage and its forward-looking embrace of innovation. As part of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi (ACPKHI), the building serves as a dynamic hub for artistic expression, cultural exchange, and community engagement. Designed through the collaborative efforts of Shaikh Abdul Basit, who handled construction and execution, and Muhammad Talha Muftee, who led parametric design and construction drawing automation, the structure exemplifies the seamless fusion of technical precision and artistic vision.

Article category: News
Published on: 13 Mar 25

Spotlight Awards: Beijing City Library

The Beijing City Library, a striking new addition to the city’s cultural landscape, sets a new benchmark in glass façade engineering with China’s tallest self-supporting glass façade. Designed by Snøhetta and engineered by Eckersley O’Callaghan, the building seamlessly integrates structural ingenuity with architectural ambition, ensuring that its transparent enclosure becomes a defining feature of the city’s skyline.

Article category: News
Published on: 13 Mar 25

Spotlight Awards: Old War Office (OWO)

The Old War Office (OWO) Pavilion aimed to provide a new hospitality space that revitalizes the Courtyard of the Old War Office, now converted into a hotel and residences. The project serves as an exemplary case study of a contemporary addition within a Grade II listed context. 

Article category: News
Published on: 13 Mar 25

SFE Technical Committee: Standards and Guidance

The SFE Technical Committee recently reviewed the draft updates to BS EN 13126-10, -11, and -12 (2008): Building hardware - Requirements and test methods for outwards opening windows. The primary concern raised was that the updates do not address testing for wind load when windows are left open in windy conditions. The committee emphasized the need to develop a testing standard to ensure that outwards opening window hardware is designed to be robust enough for its intended application, particularly in high-rise buildings.

Article category: News
Published on: 13 Mar 25

Society of Façade Engineering – Building Safety Act Committee

Peter Goff, Director within the Facade Engineering team at Buro Happold gives an update on the Society of Façade Engineering – Building Safety Act Committee

Article category: News
Published on: 13 Mar 25

CWCT Update Spring 2025

In this update, we will consider sustainability, fire, the Building Safety Act and CWCT courses.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

Spotlight Academia: Mechanical behavior of rainscreen walls subjected to fire load

Nowadays the construction industry is characterised by high multifunctional and complex buildings with innovative façade systems. Unlike a simple prescriptive approach according to standards and codes, a performance-based design allows to define safety levels and goals, to evaluate heat transfer to the structure and the structure response based on fire behaviour in order to reach the required level of safety. However, many recent fire events demonstrate that the need to improve the technical knowledge and practical procedures in building façade systems design, especially those concerning fire vulnerability, is still very strong. In this context, Davide Vairo’s thesis objective is to investigate the mechanical behaviour of a typical ventilated opaque façade system in case of fire, and to evaluate the influence of temperature on material’s mechanical properties along with the effects of thermal expansions on the stability of the façade itself.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

SFE Hubs: what we have been up to Winter 2024

The SFE Hubs have had a busy end to 2024, providing the global façade engineering community with high quality technical content and a platform to network with individuals from across the supply chain. In 2024, the SFE hosted 23 events in 7 countries amassing over a thousand registrations with hundreds of attendees.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

Industry-wide recognition: Past SFE Chair Awarded CIBSE Medal

Past SFE Chair, Saverio Pasetto MSc CEng FCIBSE FSFE was awarded a CIBSE Silver Medal at the 2024 CIBSE Presidents Awards Dinner.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

Façade failures dissemination

In this Newsletter we present a case study of a rainscreen panel failure, where the cladding panel dislodged due to inadequate vertical structural movement allowance. While helping hand brackets are a cladding subcontractor’s staple and preferred panel fixing arrangement, the security of the hook-on elements is reliant upon adequate engagement, without restrictions.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

SFE Spotlight: In conversation with Chris Aspinall

Chris started his engineering career not in the construction industry but in large diesel and gas turbine engineering projects. From the age of 22 he lived outside of the UK in various parts of the world working on marine propulsion, power generation, oil and gas pumping schemes. He tells that in his early days the diesel engines he worked with powered Abu Dhabi which, in the 1970’s, was a small fishing village!

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

Spotlight Façade Awards: Barn Elms Ecological Kiosk

The Barn Elms Ecological Kiosk, an integral part of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, exemplifies architectural innovation harmonising with nature while addressing critical infrastructure needs. As part of a £5 billion effort to reduce sewage pollution in the River Thames, the kiosk houses essential mechanical and electrical components to intercept the West Putney storm relief sewer overflow, ensuring untreated sewage is responsibly collected and managed. Beyond its functional purpose, the kiosk redefines infrastructure by integrating sustainability, biodiversity, and artistic expression into its design.