Beyond the Products: Meet the experts behind TECHNAL Technical Support

Behind every project lies more than a product. From specification and fabrication through to building performance modelling, testing and onsite support, technical expertise plays an important role in delivering successful outcomes.

As Technical Manager for TECHNAL UK & Ireland, Damien Trezieres and his team work closely with fabricators and project teams to help ensure customers have access to the knowledge, support and technical solutions they need throughout a project's lifecycle. We spoke to Damien about the role of technical support, the expertise available across the TECHNAL team and the value that collaboration brings to projects across the UK & Ireland.

Can you tell us about your role, the expertise within TECHNAL's technical team and how you support customers beyond supplying products?

As Technical Manager, my role is to lead and develop the team, ensuring our customers have access to the expertise, guidance and support they need throughout a project's lifecycle. Ultimately, that's a shared goal across the entire team: helping customers find the right solution and supporting successful project outcomes from concept through to completion.

The product is only one part of that solution. Our technical team works alongside customers, architects, fabricators and contractors, providing guidance on performance requirements, compliance considerations, fabrication and system optimisation.

One of our greatest strengths is the breadth of expertise within the team. Our regional technical advisors work closely with our fabricator partners while also offering specialist knowledge across areas including Passive House, building performance, testing, certification, digital tools and building performance modelling. Together with our field engineers, they provide technical guidance, onsite support and project-specific expertise throughout the project lifecycle.

How has technical support from TECHNAL evolved in recent years, and what are the most common challenges customers come for help with?

The construction industry has changed significantly. There is now a much greater emphasis on demonstrating performance, meeting increasingly demanding regulations and delivering safer, more sustainable buildings.

As a result, our technical support has evolved far beyond answering manual-related questions. Customers are looking for guidance that considers the wider project, including performance requirements, sustainability targets, certification and compliance considerations.

The challenges we support with vary considerably. At one end of the scale, it may be a fabrication query relating to a specific system or process. At the other, it could involve complex requirements around acoustics, thermal performance, wind loads or sustainability.

Our role is to help customers understand the options available, navigate technical challenges and make informed decisions with confidence. Rather than simply providing product information, we work alongside customers to understand the issue, explore solutions and provide evidence-based recommendations that support the project's objectives.

Ultimately, our focus is on giving customers the support and expertise they need to succeed.

TECHNAL offers expertise across specification, training, sustainability, performance and onsite support. How do these different specialisms work together and what benefits does early engagement bring?

Collaboration is central to how our technical team operates.

Our regional technical advisors each bring a specialist expertise. While every advisor works directly with customers in their region, they also collaborate closely with colleagues across the business to provide a joined-up service.

A project may require input on specification, building performance modelling, training and compliance considerations at different stages. Rather than customers needing to source that expertise separately, their regional technical advisor can coordinate the right support when it's needed.

Customers can engage with us at any stage of a project, but generally the earlier the better. Early involvement provides an opportunity to review requirements, identify potential challenges and explore solutions before major decisions have been made. This helps minimise risk, avoid unnecessary redesign and reduce the likelihood of costly issues later in the project.

What do you believe sets TECHNAL's technical support apart and how do digital solutions, testing and building performance modelling strengthen the support you provide?

For me, it comes down to the combination of people, products and technical capability.

We invest heavily in developing specialist expertise, testing to UK and Ireland standards, digital tools and training so that customers have access to support that extends far beyond the product itself.

Digital tools and performance validation are becoming more important within modern facade design. We offer a range of resources and software including TechDesign, BIM resources, dynamic Environmental Product Declarations and TechAcoustic, helping customers to access performance, support project requirements and make informed decisions earlier in the process.

Alongside these supporting tools, our local testing and certification provide confidence that proposed solutions can meet project objectives. In many cases, building performance modelling with TechAcoustic can help to validate a solution before any physical testing is required, creating significant time and cost savings while maintaining the evidence needed to support project requirements.

What also sets us apart is our collaborative approach. We listen carefully to customer feedback and use those insights to continuously improve both our products and support services. The objective is not just to supply systems, but to help customers and project teams find the right solution and support them throughout the project journey.

Can you share an example where technical expertise or early engagement made a significant difference to a project?

One example is the Mill Road project, which had some particularly demanding acoustic requirements.

By working closely with the fabricator and using our TechAcoustic modelling software, we were able to demonstrate the required performance across elevations without the need for a physical testing programme. This provided significant time and cost savings while still delivering the performance evidence required by the project team.

Another example is Princes Exchange, where we became involved early in the project and carried out a detailed technical review. That early engagement helped identify key considerations from the outset and reinforced confidence among the wider project stakeholders. It also enabled us to advise the contractor on the performance uplift and warranty advantages of replacing the full facade rather than just the glazing.

What feedback do you hear most often from customers and what are the biggest technical challenges facing the industry in the years ahead?

Over recent years we've seen a noticeable shift in how customers see the technical team.

The feedback we receive most often is that the team is approachable, responsive and genuinely focused on solving problems. Customers value having access to specialists who understand not only our systems but the wider challenges they're trying to address.

Looking ahead, building safety will remain a major focus, alongside increasing demands around sustainability, building performance, digitalisation and compliance. At the same time, there is a growing need to strengthen skills, knowledge and expertise across the industry.

TECHNAL is helping customers prepare by continuing to invest in training, technical guidance, digital tools and solutions, testing capabilities and building performance modelling. As projects become more complex, ongoing learning, collaboration and access to specialist expertise will become increasingly important.

If someone hasn't worked with TECHNAL before, what would you want them to know about the team and what does "Beyond the Product" mean to you?

I would want customers to know that they're supported by a highly experienced local team with a broad range of technical expertise and a strong understanding of UK and Irish markets.

What makes TECHNAL unique is that local knowledge is backed by the scale and resources of an international organisation. Our team combines project experience, testing and technical support from the UK and Ireland with access to global product development, research and performance data.

For me, Beyond the Product is about recognising that a successful project depends on more than the system itself. It's about giving customers access to the knowledge, evidence and expertise to make informed decisions with confidence.

The product may start the conversation, but it's the combination of local support, global development and documented, relevant performance that helps to deliver successful outcomes.

Successful projects rely on more than great products.

Gain access to the knowledge, evidence and technical expertise that supports confident decision-making, from early-stage design through to project completion.

Contact the TECHNAL Technical Support Team