Michele Assabese

Experience

Michele Assabese joined WJE as an Associate Director of Facade Engineering in September 2025. Prior to joining WJE, Mr. Assabese served as a practice area leader responsible for facade consultancy, facade failure investigation, repair design, and refurbishment works for major development schemes across London and throughout the UK. His project experience spans the full life cycle of modern and contemporary building envelopes, from early-stage design through failure investigations and large-scale remedial strategies.

As a practice area leader, Mr. Assabese began his career working alongside engineers and architects in Germany and Italy on projects located across the EU. Through that experience, he has gained a unique and culturally diverse understanding of building codes, regulations, and the project delivery process. His technical expertise and first-principles approach to problem solving have also allowed Mr. Assabese to establish himself as a leader among his peers, a reliable resource for his clients, and a valuable mentor to peer-level professionals and younger associates who have served on his teams.

As a facade engineer, Mr. Assabese has extensive experience providing technical guidance and engineering support to owners, developers, designers, and construction professionals responsible for new-build, refurbishment, and adaptive reuse schemes. His specific areas of expertise include curtain walling, rainscreen systems, and modular constructions with an emphasis on adapting to changing industry standards and meeting the challenges of an increasingly demanding regulatory framework. As a trusted voice in his area of practice, Mr. Assabese has also served as an expert witness responsible for educating and helping to resolve design and construction claims when called upon to serve in that capacity.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

Facade Consultancy Services for New Developments

• Church Street, Site A - Westminster, London, England: RIBA Stages 3–4 *
• Olympia National Hotel - London, England: RIBA Stages 4–5 *
• West King Street - Hammersmith, London, England: RIBA Stage 3 (Residential Scheme, Offices, and Cinema) and Stage 4 (Town Hall Extension and Refurbishment) *
• Greenford Quay Development - London, England: RIBA Stages 3–5

 

Facade Surveying

• Various UK Locations: Vendor and acquisition surveys *
• Various London, England Locations: Planning preventative maintenance surveys *
• Various UK Locations: Dilapidation surveys for end of lease commercial properties *
• Various UK and Europe Locations: General condition surveys *

 

Facade Failure Investigations

• Various UK Locations: Intrusive surveys and desktop assessments in relation to the combustibility performance of the existing envelopes *
• Various UK Locations: Structural integrity failure of facade systems *
• Various UK Locations: Water/air ingress investigations in residential and commercial properties *
• Various UK Locations: Glass failure investigations *
• Various UK Locations: Timber composite window systems failure investigations *

Facade Consultancy Services for Refurbishment Works

• Tavis House - London, England: Refurbishment and Extension: RIBA Stage 3 *
• 30 Finsbury Square - London, England:   Refurbishment; tender and design audit *
• Office in Canary Wharf - London, England: Remedial work specification, design audit, and site monitoring for the retained unitised curtain wall *
• Medius House, London: Client monitoring services for facade refurbishment works and for new extension *

​* Indicates project work at previous firm

Professional Affiliations

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
Ordine degli Ingegneri, Sezione A: Civile-Ambientale (Italy)

Registrations

Chartership with Ordine Degli Ingegneri di Foggia (Italy)
Member of the Society of Facade Engineers (MSFE, CIBSE)

Education

University of Bath
Master of Science, Facade Engineering, 2015

University of L’Aquila, Italy
Master of Building Engineering and Architecture (honours), 2011

Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Erasmus Scholarship, 2009