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Zak World of Façades United Kingdom

Name: Zak World of Façades United Kingdom
Start: 2026-06-03
Location: The Manchester Deansgate Hotel

edition

219

Date

03 June 2026

Venue

The Manchester Deansgate Hotel

City

Manchester

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

08:30 — 09:20 Delegate Registration & Networking

Event Convenor & Host

09:20 — 09:30 Welcome Address

09:30 — 09:55 Topic to be Announced

10:35 — 10:45 Condensation and Airtight Solutions for Façades

11:10 — 11:50 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

Session 2

12:35 — 13:00 Topic to be Announced

13:40 — 14:25 Networking Lunch Break

Session 3

15:10 — 15:20 Innovating the Architectural Terra Cotta Industry for Sustainable, High-Performance Façades

16:20 — 16:25 Vote of Thanks & End of the Conference

16:25 — 17:00 Post Event Networking Reception

09:55 — 10:20

Lucy Head

Associate Director

Studio Egret West

Daniel Onions

Senior Architectural Technologist

Studio Egret West

Topic

Shaping Everyday Wonder

Talk points

Balancing iconic design with the value of everyday urban spaces

Applied across major Manchester projects (Mayfield, Albert Bridge House, Cotton Quay)

Creating places that are rooted, inclusive, and alive to daily life

10:20 — 10:35

Ian Wilson

Group Chairman

Benx

Topic

Beyond Performance: How We Respond to Façades

Talk points

Why façades matter

The role of colour, form, and texture

What branding tells us about colour

Aligning aesthetics with design intent

How Benx is responding

10:45 — 11:10

John Ross

Directors

6a architects

Chiara Faliva

Associate Director

BuroHappold

Topic

Tate Liverpool: Reworking Heritage — How Can Facades Balance Preservation, Performance & Public Engagement?

Talk points

Opening Up vs Preserving Identity: How the façade strategy reveals the original Victorian warehouse while carefully upgrading a Grade I-listed structure — balancing conservation with contemporary intervention

Façade as an Interface with the Waterfront: The role of opening up the envelope to increase visibility, daylight, and connection to the dock — transforming the building into a more inviting civic destination

Retrofit, Reuse & Performance Upgrades: Integrating new curtain walling, insulation, and window systems while reusing existing fabric — delivering improved thermal performance with minimal carbon impact

11:50 — 12:15

Paul Crowther

Associate Director

Sheppard Robson

Elena Giraldi

Senior Façade Engineer

AKT II

Topic

Heritage at Height: Façade Design and Manchester's Historic Context

Talk points

Terracotta and rhythm at tower scale

Performance in constraint - Acoustics, Part L, and tight-site delivery

Design intent realised through a unitised façade

12:15 — 12:35

Nico Klomp

CEO

Kawneer

Peter Webbon

Commercial and Development Director

Kawneer

Topic

The Future and Façades in the Heart of Manchester

13:00 — 13:40

Fabio Moretti

Senior Facade Engineer

Arup

Nick Tyrer

Associate Director and Design Lead

BDP

Topic

Designing Identity Through Façades: Innovation, Performance, and Fan Experience at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Talk points

Architectural Vision & Identity: Translating club heritage and fan culture into a distinctive façade design language

Engineering Complexity: Addressing structural, environmental, and performance challenges in large-scale stadium façades

Material Innovation & Sustainability: Selection of materials and systems to achieve durability, energy efficiency, and low carbon impact

Fan Experience & Urban Integration: Enhancing spectator engagement while ensuring the stadium façade contributes positively to the cityscape

14:25 — 14:50

Camille Destres

Director

Safer Building Design, BB7

Andrew Spinks

Technical Director

Hansen Group

Topic

Engineering Fire Safety in Complex Façades

Talk points

Case study on the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) for Northumbria University Project

14:50 — 15:10

Sean Robinson

Director & Head of Building Safety

Anstey Horne

Craig Renton

Associate Director and Building Regulations Technical Lead

Anstey Horne

Topic

Navigating Building Safety Regulator Gateways 2 & 3

Talk points

Key lessons from Gateway 2 and 3 submissions

Common pitfalls, causes of delay, and how to avoid them

What the Regulator looks for in compliant applications

Best practice in design coordination, evidence collation, and change control

Embedding compliance into project programmes from the outset

15:20 — 15:40

Amaldev Premkumar

Facade Design Engineer

Ramboll

Topic

A Data-Driven Framework for Sustainable Façade Design: Methodology and Case Study Validation

15:40 — 16:20

Moderator

Giovanni Gori

Regional Director UK and Senior Façade Engineer

Maffeis Engineering

Panelist

John Williams

Technical Director - Façade Engineering

WSP

Panelist

Adam Thornton

Founding Director

5plus Architects

Topic

Greater Manchester Rising: How Can Façades Shape the Next Era of Urban Density, Identity & Sustainability?

Talk points

Density vs Identity: As Greater Manchester grows vertically, how can façades maintain architectural character while responding to rapid urbanisation

Performance in a Northern Climate: Designing façades for durability, energy efficiency, and comfort in a wind-driven, low-solar, high-moisture environment

Developer–Architect Alignment Under Regulation: How can commercial viability, planning constraints, and design ambition be balanced as the Building Safety Act 2022 introduces greater responsibility, liability, and stricter approval gateways from early design stages?

Retrofitting the Existing City: Upgrading ageing building stock to meet modern performance and carbon targets without losing heritage value