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Zak World of Façades Germany

Name: Zak World of Façades Germany
Start: 2025-11-12
Location: Hilton Frankfurt City Centre

edition

201

Date

12 November 2025

Venue

Hilton Frankfurt City Centre

City

Frankfurt

Official page

Speakers & Panelists

Conference Agenda

Every speaker for the day, grouped by session. Select a topic to see who is presenting, the session focus and the talk points.

Session 1

08:00 — 08:50 Delegate Registration & Networking

08:50 — 09:00 Welcome Address

10:20 — 10:50 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

Session 2

12:55 — 13:55 Networking Lunch Break

Session 3

15:30 — 16:00 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

Session 4

17:00 — 17:05 Vote of Thanks & End of the Conference

Antonius Kapusta

Head of Pre-Construction Services and Large Object Management

Schüco International

Topic

Event Convenor & Host

09:00 — 09:20

Daniel Pfanner

Partner

Bollinger + Grohmann

Topic

Sustainable, Resilient, Circular and What Else? A View on Current Trends in Façade Engineering

09:20 — 09:50

Sonja Gallo

Chief Architectural Officer and Co-Managing Director

caspar.

Topic

Designing Façades at the Human Scale (“Maßstab Mensch”)

Talk points

Fusing function, form and empathy through the “Maßstab Mensch” principle

Putting people first: How façade design can serve emotional and spatial needs

From surface to experience: Rethinking material, proportion, and atmosphere

The “Maßstab Mensch” mindset as a bridge between innovation and empathy

09:50 — 10:05

Reinhard Pritzlaff

Technical Advisor

Speira

Topic

New Building Designs Require New Material Solutions in Aluminium: A View to the Challenges

Talk points

Different and partially contradictory requirements on aluminium as façade material

How to best balance the properties of aluminium façade sheets to meet the specific project requirements

Case studies: Creating bespoke material solutions

10:05 — 10:20

Steve McIntyre

Principal Environmental Consultant

Viritopia

Topic

Eco‑Brutalism in Practice: Integrating Nature, Tech & Texture into Façade Design

Talk points

Why eco‑brutalism responds to real-world challenges

How green façades support people and planet

Opportunities for green façades across building typologies

10:50 — 11:15

Lars Anders

Group CEO

Priedemann Façade Experts

Topic

Future-Proof Façade Concepts

Talk points

How market shifts and refurbishment requirements challenge project developments

Why traditional processes need to be rethought and further developed

From concept to solution

11:15 — 11:40

Marcus Kröger

Project Leader - Aluminium Materials and Recycling

Schüco International

Topic

Circular Construction in Practice

11:40 — 12:10

Eike Becker

Managing Partner

Eike Becker Architekten

Topic

To Review and to Readdress Façades between High Tech, Timber Construction, and AI

12:10 — 12:55

Moderator

Roland Bechmann

Managing Director

Werner Sobek Stuttgart

Panelist

Angelika Schmid

Principal

Werner Sobek Stuttgart

Panelist

Benjamin Peter

Head of Technical Department

seele

Panelist

Matej Ferenc

Director

Ingenhoven Architects

Panelist

Michael Rathgeb

Managing Director

Ingenhoven Architects

Panelist

René Krull

Senior Planning Coordinator

DB Projekt Stuttgart

Topic

Designing Complexity: Transparency and Daylight in Stuttgart’s New Main Station

Talk points

Merging aesthetics and functionality: The importance of geometry

Fresh air and daylight in an underground station: How to make it happen

From design to construction: S21 as a cornerstone for the digital revolution in the built environment

13:55 — 14:20

Lidor Gilad

Partner

Head of Design and Development, Itten+Brechbühl

Topic

Beyond the Surface – The Future of Façade Design

14:20 — 14:45

Roman Schieber

Managing Director

knippershelbig

Alberto Veiga

Co-Founder

Barozzi Veiga

Topic

A Play of Light and Shadow: Dynafit HQ

Talk points

Translating the complex geometry into a construction system

A fundamental approach to combine the architectural concept with an efficient shading system

The folded façade geometry to increase performance

14:45 — 15:00

Eric Claeys

Founding Partner

Fassada Steel

Topic

Hybrid Steel Curtain Walls, Mastering the Demands & Complexity of Today’s Façades

Talk points

Hybrid steel curtain walls, the long-waited disruption in the market?

Fire resistance, tower infernos belong to the past

Drastic reduction of CO2 emission

Redefined sustainability: Not just 0 energy, but also 0 finance cost!

15:00 — 15:15

Ulrich Theisen

IBP Regional Manager - Dach & Skandinavien

AGC Interpane

Topic

Sustainability and Innovation - A Holistic Approach to Architectural Glass from a Glass Manufacturer's Perspective

Talk points

Low-carbon glass and recycling

Energy efficiency and sustainability

Innovations and services for architectural glass

15:15 — 15:30

Maximilian Stangler

Key Account Manager

ACO

Topic

Think Vertically, Plan Holistically: Façade Drainage as Part of Urban Water Strategies

Talk points

Rethinking façade drainage: Aesthetics meets functionality

Holistic planning: Connecting façade, surface, and subsoil systems

Case studies of future-proof façade drainage solutions

16:00 — 16:20

Holger Meyer

Managing Partner

Holger Meyer Architektur

Topic

Smart Redevelopment: Sustainable Concepts for Existing Buildings

Talk points

Frankfurt is one of the fastest-changing cities in Europe. It’s thrilling to be part of this dynamic shift and to be part of shaping it in a meaningful way

The consistent preservation of a well-suited building — from vision to realization — has become a proven and successful model

In terms of quality, refurbishments are now barely distinguishable from new builds

16:20 — 17:00

Moderator

Anke Rollenhagen

Associate Director

Buro Happold

Panelist

Ahmed El Nagar

Façade and Machine Learning Engineer

Buro Happold

Panelist

Christine Sohar

Senior Associate

MVRDV

Panelist

Patrick Bedarf

Design Technologies Expert

Itten+Brechbühl

Topic

AI and Architecture: Managing Risks, Driving Innovation

Talk points

Risks and control mechanisms: Dealing with dependencies, sensitive data and quality assurance

Fields of application for AI in architecture: From design and simulation to knowledge management and automation

Opportunities and future prospects: Which skills and strategies unlock the potential?

How it was

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Chapters

Partners

Presenting Partner

Associate Partners