Performance-based façade design

Delft University of Technology via edX

Go to class Write review

Details

Go to class

Provider

edX
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

$149.00 Certificate Available
Duration & workload

7 weeks, 3-4 hours a week
Sessions

On-Demand
Subtitles

English

Found in

Overview

Façades are the most visible part of a building, yet they do not receive the attention they deserve in education – and they should! Façades play an important role in creating a healthy indoor environment, contribute to sustainable building practices, and are key in reducing operational costs due to their potential longevity. Above all, they can give a building the beautiful look that sets it apart from any other in the surroundings. International experts from TU Delft, TU Darmstadt and Eurac Research have teamed up to create a series of courses on façades engineering to close this knowledge gap.

This course brings together deep expertise in façade engineering, building physics, and sustainable design. It combines academic insight with real-world practice – from lab testing and simulation to advanced façade consultancy—to guide you through the core challenges of performance—based façade design. You'll learn to move beyond visual aesthetics and code compliance, and into multi-domain performance thinking: structure, energy, daylight, acoustics, comfort, and cost.

You’ll start by exploring the core principles of façade performance: how it’s defined, how different stakeholders evaluate it, and how simulations and experiments are used to go beyond compliance checks. In each module you’ll dive into a specific performance domain—structural, thermal, acoustic, daylight, and solar radiation—learning how to quantify its impact and balance it with competing priorities. Finally, you'll assess multi-domain comfort by examining how sound insulation contributes to occupant well-being and interacts with thermal and visual factors. Each topic is supported by expert interviews, lab demonstrations, case study walkthroughs, and quizzes.

This course is ideal for (aspiring) façade engineers, architectural designers, and building technology students who already have some foundational knowledge (which can be obtained in the MOOC Principles, Materials and Technologies of Façades) and want to build confidence in applying structural, building physics, and sustainability concepts to complex façade systems.

By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to assess and optimize façade performance in real-world design settings—striking the right balance between function, sustainability, comfort, and innovation.

Syllabus

Module 1 - Façade performance: how to assess, predict or test?

This foundational module introduces the concept of performance-based façade design, highlighting how façades are evaluated across multiple criteria such as structure, energy, comfort and cost. You will explore how to use KPIs, simulations, and physical testing to assess performance, and recognize when compliance-based methods are sufficient versus when advanced analysis is needed.

Module 2 - Structural Design Principles of Façades

This module focuses on structural design principles specific to façades, including load-bearing behavior, stiffness, and the transfer of forces through components like mullions and glass. You will learn to distinguish between ultimate and serviceability limit states, apply safety factors, and evaluate the impact of fire and seismic loads.

Module 3 - Heat Flow: Thermal Performance of Façades

You will dive into how façades manage heat transfer and moisture to maintain comfort and energy efficiency. Topics include conduction, convection, radiation, U-values, and the impact of thermal bridging and air permeability. We will also consider condensation risks and strategies for managing heat storage and inertia.

Module 4 - Daylight and solar radiation: striking the balance

This module covers how façades influence visual comfort and energy performance by controlling daylight and solar gains. You will learn to assess indicators such as t-vis, g-value, and glare control, and compare static and dynamic shading systems. You will appreciate how façade design balances aesthetics, comfort and environmental responsiveness.

Module 5 - Acoustic and multi-domain comfort

Focusing on user well-being, this module examines acoustic performance and its relationship to other comfort criteria such as light, heat, and space use. You will learn how to quantify façade acoustics using KPIs and assess how performance needs vary across different building types and locations.

Module 6 - Advanced topics and case studies

This final module brings together the course’s core concepts through applied case studies and advanced topics that reflect real-world practice. You will explore how energy performance interacts with façade systems, and how commissioning and continuous testing help ensure that façades perform as intended over time. The module also introduces economic considerations in façade design, helping you understand how performance, durability, and lifecycle cost affect decision-making. These topics will prepare you to evaluate and communicate façade performance in both technical and strategic terms.