2024 Awards Judges

Saverio Pasetto

Saverio Pasetto (MSc FCIBSE FSFE) is a Technical Director and Head of Façades at Skanska Building (U.K.), a leading construction company and developer. He provides building envelope technical leadership while overseeing and coordinating the façade package management on all projects.

Saverio is the Chair of the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT), a leading industry founded information provider and trainer. He is a Fellow of the Society of Façade Engineering (SFE) of which he has been Chair and is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineer (CIBSE).

Adam Desborough

Adam is a Director and studio lead at Howells' Birmingham office and has extensive mixed-use, commercial and masterplanning experience. He qualified as an Architect in 2012, having trained at the University of Liverpool and Birmingham City University’s School of Architecture and Design. He is a member of the BCO, having previously sat on the BCO NextGen Midlands Committee, where he was a keen advocate for promoting and raising design quality within the sector.

He has a broad range of design and project management skills and had led projects from early-stage concept design through to delivery. He also works across a variety of scales from large, complex urban regeneration sites through to individual bespoke buildings.

Adam has a keen interest in materials and detailing, and particularly in how traditional materials such as terracotta, can be used in conjunction with modern methods of construction. Most recently he has been overseeing Wellington Square in Leeds, a new mixed-use destination of two tech-hub offices with a landmark 45-storey hexagonal tower—which is set to become the tallest building in Leeds. He was also Project Lead on the award-winning 125 Deansgate, which was built in a rich red terracotta to create a strikingly crafted office building in Manchester.

Brian Eckersley

Brian is a chartered structural engineer and co-founder of Structural and Façade Engineering practice Eckersley O’Callaghan. He studied Civil Engineering followed by Part 1 Architecture and worked on some of the first pioneering glass structures with Tim Macfarlane. Brian has since built a firm of 140 staff with offices in 8 countries, and he remains passionate about good design and the integration of engineering into architecture. The work of the practice is very broad, ranging from refurbishment of historic buildings, advanced timber construction, complex roof forms and innovative glass structures, as well as tall buildings, and façade engineering for all these typologies.

Claudia Farabegoli

Claudia is a chartered building engineer with more than 20 years of international experience in façade design and consulting for a wide range of building types and in various continents. She joined Thornton Tomasetti in 2013 with experience in all stages of project development  from the initial feasibility studies to testing and site monitoring or defect analysis. She enjoys working with the whole range of materials and systems that are now available in Facades, from timber to stone to double skins. Claudia is responsible for overall design quality review, technical mentoring and knowledge sharing within her London team. Claudia is passionate about architecture and the growth of Façade engineering as a discipline, and misses no opportunity to Talk Facades to anyone willing to listen.

Teresa Farina

Teresa has 15 years specialist façade industry experience, and she is part of the senior façade technical team in Sir Robert Mc Alpine since 2019. As technical lead for major and industrial projects, her role involves providing technical advice from pre-construction to completion, evaluating suitable construction scenarios and procurement strategies according to program and cost plan. Over the years, Teresa has delivered complex projects ranging from the structural design to high-performance cladding and glass systems where she enjoyed complex problem solving and an interdisciplinary approach between planning, architecture and construction.

Teresa is a chartered building engineer in Italy and in UK. In 2022, she completed a Master in Construction Law and Dispute resolution at Kings College in London.

Ed Forwood

Ed Forwood MICE, MIStructE, MSFE is a Structural and Façade Engineer and former Director with Arup.  He supports the wider façade industry through his association with the SFE where he is an active member of their events committee and the CWCT where he has been both an active member of their Sustainability committee and the Chair of their Circularity Working Group.  Ed also was one of the contributory authors to the IStructE publication “Structural Aspects of Cladding”.  Ed is a passionate advocate for digital transformation and particularly focussed on how it can lead to improvements in the procurement of facades, improved sustainability performance and cross-discipline optimisation.  Ed is currently an independent consultant.

Peter Goff

Peter joined Buro Happold in 2009, and is now an Associate Director in their UK façade engineering team. Peter’s project experience ranges from bespoke cultural buildings, residential developments, healthcare facilities and transport hubs, with a particular focus on projects where the façade poses complex technical, performance and buildability challenges. Peter also currently leads Buro Happold Facades’ technical developments in the field of fire performance of facades, and their response to the Building Safety Act.

Neesha Gopal

Neesha Gopal joined Foster + Partners as Associate Partner, Façade Specialist in July 2023 and is based in London, UK.

Neesha chartered as an Architect and following several years as a Project and Site based Architect, she specialised in Façade Engineering joining whitbybird in 2003. During her 10 years became the Façade Team Director of then Ramboll in 2012 before leaving to join Meinhardt in 2013 as Façade Director for Meinhardt Façade Technology, UK and Europe. In January 2020 Neesha joined Lendlease and became Head of Façades for Europe in 2021.

Neesha also chartered as a Project Manager in 2003 and to gain a greater understanding of façade engineering, Neesha undertook the MSc in Façade Engineering at Bath University and passed with distinction in 2015.

Neesha is active within the industry, as a member of the Technical Committee for CWCT and SFE committee member for Events. Neesha support initiatives to expand diversity in construction which has included taking part as an Ambassador for Women in Construction and as a judge for the Women in Construction and Engineering Awards.

Daniel Gruesser

Daniel, a Façade Specialist, joined Tuner + Townsend alinea in 2018. He brings more than15 years of façade experience to the London-based cost consultancy and in the past, he worked at façade consultancies, façade contractors and a main contractor. Daniel brings a wealth of façade knowledge and contributes valuable insights on cost and procurement. He has close relationships with the supply chain.

Daniel provides valuable support in developing façade cost plans and integrating value engineering concepts into the iterative RIBA Work Stage process. He also plays a role in establishing and facilitating the delivery of façade PCSAs. This helps to mitigate project risks and ensures certainty among all stakeholders.

Gerd Hoenicke

Gerd Hönicke is a senior level executive with more than 35 years of progressively responsible experience in the international facade industry. He has served as CEO of Schneider a German Façade contractor before he joined Seele in 2009 as Technical Director. The impressive project portfolio including the German Cancelory Berlin, Central St. Giles London, EZB Frankfurt, Kimbell Art Museum Dallas, 5 Broadgate London and The Broad Museum in Los Angeles reflects his façade detail handwriting. 2019 he set up his own façade consultancy business and he was involved in various prestigious projects in the US and the UK i.e., Parcel 9 Washington DC and Landmark Pinnacle London.

Aneel Kilaire

Aneel is an Associate at Ramboll in their Birmingham office. He has been over ten years in the façade industry, gaining knowledge and experience in the design of facades in a wide range of materials, from concept design, right through to site erection and post-installation diagnostic services, for projects in the UK and abroad.

He has an MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Spanish. He also has a PhD from the University of Nottingham, where he pursued the development of an integrated façade component which globally addresses the issues of enclosure, aesthetics, energy/light transfer, weather tightness and mixed-mode ventilation principles.

He is proud to be the Honorary Treasurer for the Society of Façade Engineers, Midlands Region Event Coordinator and actively involved with the CWCT.

Steve Lo

Dr Steve Lo developed and currently teaches on the MSc Modern Building Design at the University of Bath. His research interests include: the embodied carbon of building envelopes, adaptive building skins, facade integrated PV and the design challenges of facade related building physics. He is author of 29 conference papers and 14 peer-reviewed journal papers, is one of the founder members of the European Facade Network (EFN) and a member of the editorial committee of the Journal of Facade Design and Engineering (JFDE).

Chris Macey

Chris Macey is CEO of Wintech Group, one of the founding members and past chairman of the Society of Façade Engineering. Chris has been active in façade engineering consultancy and test engineering for 35 years.

David Metcalfe

David Metcalfe is a physics graduate with a Master’s degree in Façade Engineering.

As Director of CWCT he is responsible for all of the Centre’s technical and training output. 

David lectures extensively on the subject of building physics, glass and fire.

Recent work has included guidance on fire and facades, the writing of a comprehensive guidance document on the use of built-up walls in modern construction, and establishing a new Master’s course in Façade Engineering at the University of the West of England.

He is a board member of the Society of Façade Engineering and is currently chairing the Society’s fire committee.

Loreana Padron

Loreana Padron is Head of Sustainability and Associate Director at ECD Architects. As a qualified Architect (ARB, RIBA) with a Master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture, she has extensive professional experience in all stages of the design and construction process, both for new-build and refurbishment projects. She is a Certified Passivhaus Designer (CEPHD) and a strong advocate for following a fabric-first approach, as well as the re-use and retrofit of buildings.

As an Architect with a passion for evidence-based design, she integrates sustainable practices into every aspect of her work, both from a project and an architectural practice perspectives. From the sourcing and footprint of materials to designing energy-efficient buildings, her goal is to create beautiful, healthy and functional spaces that have a positive impact on both people and the planet.

Simone Starini

Simone Starnini is a Fellow Member of the Society of Facade Engineering and operates as a Sales Director for the specialist subcontractor seele UK Ltd with responsibility for winning and delivering projects for the UK market. Simone was previously Head of Façade Engineering for Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), one of the leading construction companies, managing façade projects from design to completion. Before SRM, he was Head of the façade engineering department at Laing O’Rourke for 14 years. Simone is also equipped with wealth of experience from his professional experience of working for Focchi, a world renowned Façade Specialist Contractors operating in UK and other parts of the world.

Simone has delivered numerous iconic façade projects in London and the UK such as The Leadenhall Building (Cheesegrater), One Hyde Park and London Stock Exchange Building in London.

Simone possesses a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Bologna (Italy) and a Master in Architectural Engineering at Penn State University (USA).

Rimmy Vij

Rimmy Vij is a Technical Director at WSP Façade Engineering in the UK, bringing a wealth of expertise and innovation to the forefront of Façade Design and Engineering. With a passion for pushing the boundaries of façade aesthetics and performance, she plays a pivotal role in projects from early concept stages to project delivery.

Beyond her role at WSP UK, Rimmy serves as the Chair of the Society of Façade Engineering, spearheading initiatives to foster collaboration, technical excellence, and good practice within the façade engineering industry. Her dedication to advancing the field not only ensures the integrity of buildings but also paves the way for a more resilient and visually captivating built environment. She has worked within the Awards committee since 2016 and streamlined the process behind the scenes and her extensive experience and profound influence within the awards committee make her an ideal candidate for judging façade awards. With a deep understanding of both technical intricacies and architectural aspects, she ensures that she brings invaluable insight to the evaluation process.

In her multifaceted role, Rimmy Vij continues to inspire and lead by example, shaping the future of façade engineering and celebrating technical excellence in façade design.

Lisamarie Villegas Ambia

Lisamarie is Director New Business + Sales of seele, one of the leaders in the world of façade and roof construction, providing solutions for spectacular building skins and innovative façades.

Lisamarie's role is focused around providing pre-construction services to her clients; from a very early feasibility stage collaborating closely together with key accounts, architects + consultants throughout the full tender process to contract award. 

Whilst at her current position at seele she additionally completed her facade engineering degree at the University of Applied Science in Augsburg, Germany.

Being an architect herself and having studied and tutored at the Technical University in Berlin + Lima, she holds a very strong relationship with the architecture world;

Lisamarie has gained her work experience so far working as an architect on internationally-acclaimed projects for Zaha Hadid Architects including The Library Pierre Vives in Montpellier, the Evelyn Grace Academy in London and Kapsarc in Riyadh and then later as a specialist contractor having been with seele for more than a decade now, since 2010