Professor Ajla Aksamija delivered a keynote address “Facade Retrofits: Design Methods for Improving Facade Performance of Existing Buildings” at the Facade Tectonics Institute’s Vitruvian Honors & Awards Ceremony in New York City on September 18, 2025. The ceremony was held at the Center for Architecture. This global awards program celebrates excellence and innovation in the design and delivery of building facades. The program recognizes outstanding projects, project teams, and individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the design, engineering, fabrication, installation, and lifecycle performance of building envelopes.

Prof. Aksamija discussed design methods for high-performance facade retrofits and the necessary steps to ensure that environmental factors and energy-efficiency strategies are integrated into the design process. She presented her extensive research work on this topic, including various case studies (residential, mixed-use, and higher-education buildings).