Zak World of Façades Zak World of Façades
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Zak World of Façades Canada

edition

199

Date

22 October 2025

Venue

Canada

City

Toronto

Official page Watch the Event

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 & Welcome Coffee Hour
08:50 — 09:00 Welcome Address
10:25 — 10:55 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

Session 2

12:45 — 13:35 Networking Lunch Break

Session 3

15:15 — 15:55 Networking Tea / Coffee Break

Session 4

17:10 — 17:15 Thanks/Conference Concludes
17:15 — 18:30 Special Performance by Gambit the Magician - Self-proclaimed as Toronto’s Second-funniest Magician Over Drinks & Networking

Tomer Diamant

Principal

Teeple Architects

Topic

Event Convenor & Host

09:00 — 09:25

Lilia Koleva

Partner

NEUF architect(e)s

Marco Chow

Senior Architect

NEUF architect(e)s

Topic

Aerospace Architecture: Distilling the Façade Design and Delivery Methodologies

Talk points

Integrated façade design: Bridging functionality, practicality and schedule
Maximizing value through integrated 3D shop drawings and trade-offs
Expect the unexpected: Lessons learned

09:25 — 09:45

Brian Hubbs

Principal | Specialist

RDH Building Science

David Stanton

Associate | Sr. Engineer

RDH

Topic

Choosing the Right Façade for Iconic Buildings

Talk points

Outline essential consideration of the façade design team to ensure successful design collaboration
Discuss clashes and "impossible geometry" in case studies and graphical examples of building and façade movement
What makes one façade system better than another?

09:45 — 10:10

Tobiasz Staszak

Area Manager - North America

Reynaers Aluminium

Topic

Project Case Study: 89 Avenue Yorkville

Talk points

Reynaers’ 360-degree approach to the 89 Avenue Project
Virtual Reality as a game changer in architecture and construction

10:10 — 10:25

Kristoph Karbach

EVP - North America

Lumon Canada

Topic

Bringing Outdoors-in with Glazed Balcony Technology

Talk points

Innovative design for sustainable urban living
Case studies in Canada and Europe
Technical specifications

10:55 — 11:15

Adrian Betanzos

Principal

VIA

Topic

There are no Bad Materials

Talk points

The subtle line between understanding why each material should be the right material for the right place

11:15 — 11:30

Matias Reyes

National Architectural Manager

Vitro Architectural Glass

Topic

Beyond Transparency: How Glass Can Enhances Biophilic Design

Talk points

Understanding biophilia
Designing with nature in mind
Glass as a catalyst for biophilia

11:30 — 11:45

Peter Dushenski

Managing Director

GlasCurtain

Topic

Northern Resilience: Zero-Tariff Façades for Net-Zero Buildings

Talk points

Why does a Canadian supply chain now rank alongside U-factor on so many project specs?
With –40 °C design temps and Net-Zero standards gaining traction, how do we keep attractive window-to-wall ratio and still meet building performance targets?
What innovative domestic glazing technologies can architects leverage to maximize performance while minimizing geopolitical risk?

11:45 — 12:10

Jennifer Mallard

Principal

Henriquez Partners

Topic

The Custom Precast Façade at Kennedy Green

Talk points

Lessons learned from other projects
Benefits of design flexibility
Design and detailing coordination

12:10 — 12:45

Moderator

Hamid Vossoughi

Senior Principal - Building Sciences

WSP

Panelist

Alex Weller

Associate | Senior Project Architect

HOK Architects

Panelist

Pascal Létourneau

Heritage Lead for CENTRUS | Principal

DFS Architecture

Panelist

Brian Langenberg

Façade Specialist and Project Manager

WSP Building Sciences

Topic

Building Enclosure Upgrades to Canada’s Most Iconic Heritage Building

Talk points

Overview of the Centre Block Rehabilitation Project, Canada’s largest and most complex heritage restoration projects
With ambitious sustainability targets, this project balances enclosure improvements with the preservation of key heritage building characteristics that compose a significant portion of the building enclosure
How building envelope improvements were implemented with new air, moisture and thermal control layers

13:35 — 14:00

Matthew Ferraro

Principal

Weiss/Manfredi

Topic

University of Toronto's Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

Talk points

Site context and heritage materiality and form
Precast concrete and window system façade - A modern interpretation on historical context
Aluminum stick built and unitized mega panels - Celebrating innovation and neighborhood connections

14:00 — 14:20

Krista Palen

Partner

Transsolar KlimaEngineering

Topic

GBC’s Limberlost Place | Ontario's First Mass-Timber Institutional Building

Talk points

Form and façade design maximizing natural light and ventilation through operable windows and solar chimneys
Prefabricated envelope construction enabling quality control, thermal optimization, and waste reduction
Coordinated façade development through iterative design and stakeholder input for high-performance, low-carbon mass timber systems

14:20 — 14:35

Robert Miller

President

Jansen America

Topic

Practical Tips for Sustainable Architecture

Talk points

Historical renovations: Traditional aesthetics with modern performance
New building designs with optimized materials
Tips for LEED certification

14:35 — 14:50

Eric Claeys

Founding Partner

Fassada Steel

Topic

Hybrid Steel Curtain Walls

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

14:50 — 15:15

Jelena Madzarevic

Manager - Building Science

EllisDon

Andrew Geldard

Senior Associate - Design Director

BDPQ

Topic

Balanced Envelope Decision Making in a Changing Landscape

Talk points

Envelope decision-making is a balancing act—juggling energy performance, durability, embodied carbon, constructability, and cost
Opportunities exist both in the "tried and true" envelope approaches and with emerging envelope technologies
Close collaboration between the many parties (architecture, contractors, building enclosure consultants etc.) is key in navigating complex decision making and executing complex façades

15:55 — 16:15

David Wach

Senior Engineer

Engineering Link

Topic

Beyond Compliance: Quantifying Façade Thermal Performance and Lessons Learned

Talk points

Compliance with modern energy efficiency standards and codes requires careful consideration of thermal bridging of façade components
Guides for calculating thermal bridges have limitations and project specific thermal modelling of key elements is required
Design of the façade must balance thermal performance with constructability, durability and aesthetics

16:15 — 16:30

Jörn Teipel

Lead Technical Manager – Architecture

Outokumpu Nirosta

Topic

Stainless Steel as Façade Material – Sustainable, Aesthetic, and Durable

Talk points

Ensuring longevity: Up-to-date corrosion field test results for stainless steel in urban environments
Façade finish on buildings around the world
Sustainable features of stainless steel

16:30 — 17:10

Moderator

Kamilah Bannister

Development Manager

Great Gulf

Panelist

Abel Gill

Associate

Adamson Associates

Panelist

Dan Francis

Façade Designer

RJC Engineers

Panelist

Richard Orser

Sr. Project Manager

Permasteelisa N.A.

Topic

Shaping the Skyline: The Design & Engineering of Forma’s Façade

Talk points

Highlights the ambition and innovation behind the project
Focus on teamwork and turning vision into reality between ownership, design, engineering, and execution teams

How it was

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Chapters

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Presenting Partner

Associate Partners

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