Innovation - Permasteelisa Group

Innovation – the future of façades

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Permasteelisa Group’s legacy of ground-breaking buildings speaks for itself. We constantly explore new façade technologies, materials, knowledge and services to challenge the norm, push boundaries, and realise some of the world’s most complex, visionary projects.

Our four innovation pillars

Specialities

Over our 150-year history we have developed a range of specialisms that make us unique. We want to continuously build on these through innovation, focusing on what we already do best, and making it even better. For example, as the first façade company to introduce Closed Cavity Façade (CCF) technology, we are constantly working to refine it – we recently became the first company globally to develop blast-enhanced CCF, which is linked to our expertise in ballistic and seismic protection.

Service

We are known globally for the quality of our end-to-end service – clients tell us what they need, and trust us to deliver. We constantly seek new ways to improve this, both developing new services and refining our service model. Current key areas for innovation include refurbishment, circularity and carbon payback tool services. We are also focusing on improving our BIM collaboration with clients.

Efficiency

We are committed to ensuring efficiency throughout the pipeline of tendering, design and engineering, production and installation. Innovation is key to achieving this. Our current focus is maximising the potential of AI and automation, in particular making the most of our existing data through LLMs; enhancing manufacturing installation and maintenance through automation, digital twin and IoT; and supporting clients with new technologies such as introducing a chip with data to a unitised façade panel.

Sustainability

Sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. We want to own the agenda for sustainability, developing façade solutions for net zero buildings and integrating circularity through refurbishment. We are proud to have been the first company globally to have achieved an Environmental Product Declaration for a bespoke façade, and are pioneering low-carbon aluminium and glass solutions.

Sustainability

Our team is dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability through constantly seeking new ways for Permasteelisa Group to make the best possible use of materials, technology and services to accelerate decarbonisation.

Sustainability innovations

We are currently focusing on:

  • Façade renovation and circularity
  • Using Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to ensure reducing carbon is integral to project strategy from the earliest design stages
  • Carbon payback tools
  • Low-carbon materials
  • Dynamic, responsive façades, including resilience for climatic changes
Sustainability

Technical know-how

Our history of firsts in façade technology is unsurpassed. Technical developments that have emerged from Permasteelisa Group include double-skin façades, closed cavity façades (CCF), extra-large glass panels, hot and cold bent glass, glass-fibre reinforced polymers for freeform geometries, and bomb-blast and ballistic protection technology.

Complex geometry

Our expertise in innovating with technology, materials and techniques to create façades with complex geometry is prized by architects. Through pushing the boundaries of the possible, we have helped to shape some of the world’s most extraordinary buildings, including Musée des Confluences in Lyon, France; Aldar HQ Building in Abu Dhabi, UAE; and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain.

Testing

We lead the way in calculations and testing, in particular in relation to the acoustic performance and compliance of façades. We constantly invest in new tools and facilities – most recently a new façade monitoring lab in Italy – to improve our ability to carry out testing, quality assurance and quality control.