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Zak World of Façades USA

Name: Zak World of Façades USA
Start: 2026-10-14
Location: Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers

edition

232

Date

14 October 2026

Venue

Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers

City

New York

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

Event Convenor & Host

07:30 — 09:00 Delegate Registration & Networking

09:00 — 09:15 Welcome Address

09:15 — 09:30 Block by Block NYC Initiative to Build More Affordable Housing

10:35 — 11:35 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

12:20 — 12:50 Topic to be Announced

13:30 — 14:30 Networking Lunch Break

14:30 — 14:50 Topic to be Announced

14:50 — 15:10 Topic to be Announced

16:05 — 16:35 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

16:55 — 17:35 Topic to be Announced

17:35 — 17:40 Thanks & End of the Conference

09:30 — 09:50

Tali Mejicovsky

Director of Design - Building Envelope

Turner Engineering Group

Topic

Topic to be Announced

09:50 — 10:00

Andrew Pries

Director of Innovation & Technical Sales

Boston Valley Terra Cotta

Topic

Architectural Terra Cotta Innovations for Sustainable, High-Performance Façades

Talk points

Addressing global issues in the built environment and realizing the potential of terra cotta solutions

Materiality and performance benefits of terra cotta façades in modern architecture

Terra cotta façade innovations that address global challenges and enhance building performance

10:00 — 10:10

Alberto Alarcon

Marketing Manager

Kuraray America

Topic

Laminated Glass: A Transparent Solution for Flood Control

Talk points

Understanding the risks and causes

Current flood defense strategies

Engineering & design solutions using laminated glass

10:10 — 10:35

Jared Della Valle

CEO & Founder

Alloy

Topic

The Alloy Block's One Third Avenue: Aspiring to be the tallest passive house in the world

Talk points

The Alloy Block, Downtown Brooklyn, includes New York City’s first all-electric skyscraper and Passive house schools

11:35 — 12:00

Mattias Kunz

Director

David Chipperfield Architects

Topic

The Rolex Building

12:00 — 12:20

Jordi Marasse

Technical Project Consultant

Reynaers Aluminium

Topic

Sustainability from Every Angle in the Building Envelope

Talk points

Sustainability strategy

The importance of operational carbon and embodied carbon: Need to go hand in hand to decarbonise

What really makes a building sustainable

12:50 — 13:30

Dan Piselli

Principal

Director of Sustainability, FX Collaborative

Sara Bayer

Associate Principal | Director of Sustainability

Magnusson Architecture

Topic

Affordable Housing through a Sustainability Lens

Session summary

Dan Piselli

14:30 — 14:50

Jeff Thompson

Principal

Walter P Moore

Topic

ETFE skylights at JFK Terminal 6 and 38 Jackson, Hoboken

14:30 — 14:50

Andy Loff

Chief Executive Officer

Building Composites

Dean Mouritzen

Project Executive

HITT

Reginald Truxon

Senior Associate

Gensler

Topic

HITT Headquarters: A New Paradigm in Building Skin

Talk points

Exploring the innovative envelope of HITT Contracting’s new Virginia headquarters which is not just a workplace, but a prototype for what’s next in the industry

14:50 — 15:10

Aman Krishan

Design Principal

HOK

Topic

Sculpted By Light: Reframing the Brooklyn Borough-Based Facility as a Dignified Civic Façade

Talk points

A bold initiative to implement design-build for Brooklyn Borough Based Jails rooted in New York’s legacy of enduring civic architecture

A sculpted façade expression translating dignity and permanence through a contemporary architectural language

Design-led design-build partnerships can yield the best of delivery process: design excellence within budget and schedule

15:10 — 15:20

Bob Zhang

Commercial Director

Tianjin North Glass

Topic

Advances in Curved Architectural Glass

Talk points

Multi-curved glass

High-end curtain wall glass panel

Customization

15:10 — 15:20

Skyler Will

Associate - Technical Service and Development Scientist

Dow

Topic

Designing Beyond Limits: Advanced Sealant Technologies for Modern Façades

Talk points

Modeling complex real-world loads beyond traditional design methods

Predicting durability through material science and performance modeling

Unlocking architectural freedom while maintaining reliability

15:10 — 15:20

Dean White

Regional Façade Sales Manager

Cosentino

Topic

Sustainable Façade Design with Ultracompact Stone

Talk points

Ultracompact stone: A sustainable carbon neutral façade material

Attachment methods for ventilated rainscreen and curtainwall integration

Design considerations related to performance, budget, and design intent

15:20 — 15:30

Greg Simmons

CEO

Insol

Topic

Stunning, Beautiful Façades - What Could Possibly Go Wrong

Talk points

Risks worth designing for

Mitigation worth paying for

Case studies worth learning from

15:20 — 15:30

Natasha Appel

Business Development Manager

EJOT

Topic

Stainless Steel: Preferred Material for Rainscreen Attachment

Talk points

Influence of the rainscreen attachment system

Benefits of stainless steel: Resistance to fire, thermal and energy, corrosion resistance

Sustainability

15:20 — 15:30

Robert Miller

President

Jansen America

Topic

Topic to be Announced

15:30 — 16:05

Alex Josephson

President

Partisans

Matthias Hollwich

Principal

HWKN

Topic

Next Gen- Emerging thinkers in computation, AI, fabrication, panelization and materials

Session summary

Alex Josephson

15:30 — 16:05

Rowan Georges

Senior Associate Principal

Director of Specifications, SOM

Topic

Specifications for evolving carbon standards and NYC Local Law compliance

Talk points

best practices and methodologies for evaluating materials assessments, such as EPDs

in-house research and maintaining current and exetnsive materials libraries

collaboration with manufacturers early on

15:30 — 16:05

John Cetra

Founding Principal

CetraRuddy Architecture

Vincent Ortiz

Director of Professional Services

CANY

Topic

Façade Retrofits, Overcladding & Recladding

Talk points

challenges found and met in reconfiguring an existing property with a new façade

bringing NYCHA housing up to code, creating more livable spaces for the City

16:35 — 16:55

Jared Della Valle

CEO & Founder

Alloy

Topic

Topic to be Announced