Elevating façade performance: one certified practitioner at a time

For the past few months, I have been reviewing the blueprint for change that the Façade Tectonics Institute (FTI) developed to address the many barriers to the adoption of high-performance facades. This month, I am focusing on the fifth concept for change, which was created to address two identified obstacles to the adoption of high-performance facades, related to practitioner capacity:

• Insufficient number of qualified façade consultants and engineers
• Often, inadequate building energy simulations, especially related to the façade

These gaps in façade-related expertise and simulation undermine the design, execution and commissioning of high-performance façades. To address these issues, FTI proposes:

• A broad certification program for façade professionals
• A standardized process for simulating facades in support of code compliance

Why Certification Matters

I have previously written about the importance of certification for people and products, quoting David Stutzman, founder of Conspectus, who asserted in his 2018 GlassCon Global paper that certification provides “a uniform measure of an accepted standard to demonstrate qualifications and the ability to reduce risk.”

In addition to stakeholder risk reduction, for façade professionals, certification can offer a standardized pathway to verify competence, build the industry’s capacity and elevate the quality and consistency of façade design and execution. In addition, certification can:

• Build trust among stakeholders
• Ensure code compliance and incentive eligibility
• Drive market transformation through professional accountability
• Reduce the cost to deliver high performance

We have seen the beauty of professional certification demonstrated by the two certification programs run by the Architectural Glass and Metal Certification Council (AGMCC):

• The North American Contractor Certification (NACC), which certifies glazing contractors
• The Architectural Glass and Metal Technician (AGMT) Certification Program, which certifies individual glazier professionals

The adoption of these certification programs has gained traction in the installer community. They provide risk mitigation to glazing contractors, owners, insurers and general contractors and have set the quality bar for glazing system installation.

A North American Certified Façade Engineer Program

A certified façade engineer program is envisaged as a comprehensive educational and certification framework to equip professionals with the skills needed to design, simulate and supervise the construction of, and commission, high-performance facades.

Key Components of the Proposed Program

The concept is a module-based curriculum aligned with topics such as:

• Understanding assemblies and materials
• Design and detailing
• Building energy simulation related to the building envelope and façade assembly thermal modeling
• Field inspection, testing and commissioning

With several tracks, professionals would be able to achieve certification aligned with specific specialties, such as field testing, commissioning and energy simulation and thermal modeling, or across the full breadth of the curriculum. The modular approach would allow façade professionals to specialize. Importantly, it would enable professionals to focus on whole-building performance, such as whole-building commissioning or energy modeling, to ensure they have sufficient expertise in façade performance to execute their responsibilities at the building level fully.

Benchmarking Existing Models

There are already models for certification programs from other fields and internationally that can be benchmarked and leveraged. Several certification programs and training resources exist at the building level:

• The Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) by the Building Commissioning Certification Board (BCCB)
• Building Commissioning Professional (BCxP) Certification by ASHRAE
• Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP) Certification by ASHRAE
• International Building Simulation Association (IBPSA) training resources

These should be reviewed to identify any gaps related to the façade. Then, we can determine how best to close the gaps and connect them to the façade engineer certification program.

Standardizing Façade Simulation

Standardized simulation procedures for building envelopes are essential to ensure the consistency and accuracy of building energy modeling. In the absence of clear guidelines, façade simulations vary widely in quality, undermining performance predictions and code compliance.

Vancouver, British Columbia, has taken the lead on setting standards for building energy modeling. They produced a set of guidelines designed to standardize simulations and ensure code compliance, which the province subsequently adopted. Their guidelines focus on façade simulation, including spandrel simulation, the performance of which is often overestimated. A North American standard would support improved simulation standards, code compliance and implementing a professional certification program.