220th Edition – Zak World of Façades United Kingdom

This will be the 220th edition globally and the 4th edition in Manchester which will showcase sustainable innovations and challenges in the construction industry pertaining to the building envelope and will also display latest technological solutions.

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Speakers & Panelists
Amaldev Premkumar
Facade Design Engineer, Ramboll
Amaldev Premkumar is a UK-based Façade Engineer at Ramboll, specialising in sustainable digital workflows. As a member of Ramboll’s specialist digital groups, he applies emerging technologies to automate façade engineering processes, including embodied carbon assessments and thermal performance optimisation, ensuring...
Adam Thornton
Founding Director, 5plus Architects
Adam is a Founding Director with many years of practical experience across all sectors. His ability to establish good working relationships with clients, consultants and contracting teams contributes significantly to the successful delivery through all stages of the design process....
Chiara Faliva
Associate Director, BuroHappold
Chiara is an accredited conservation architect with more than 20 years of experience in building conservation, failure investigations and diagnostic. Her focus is to find future-proof technical solutions that conjugate conservation and development of heritage buildings to allow their continued...
John Ross
Directors, 6a architects
Andrew Spinks
Technical Director, Hansen Group
Craig Renton
Associate Director and Building Regulations Technical Lead, Anstey Horne
Craig L Renton. Associate Director and Building Regulations Technical Lead, working alongside the wider Building Safety team. Craig was previously part of the Building Safety Regulator.
Sean Robinson
Director & Head of Building Safety, Anstey Horne
Sean Robbinson, Head of Building Safety, Sean has extensive experience across the public and private sectors, specialising in building surveying, fire safety, and building safety within social housing, local government, and student accommodation. He is a leading practitioner in the...
Nick Tyrer
Associate Director and Design Lead, BDP
Nick Tyrer is the Design Lead at Sports Architects BDP Pattern. Over the past decade, he has shaped the studio’s creative vision and computational design approach, delivering internationally acclaimed stadiums, including venues for the FIFA World Cup and the Premier League, recently...
Fabio Moretti
Senior Facade Engineer, Arup
Fabio Moretti is a Senior Façade Engineer in Arup’s UK Façade Team, based in Leeds. With over ten years of industry experience, he has contributed to major UK projects such as 1 Mayfair (London), New Victoria (Manchester) and the Hill...
Peter Webbon
Commercial and Development Director, Kawneer
Nico Klomp
CEO, Kawneer
Paul Crowther
Associate Director, Sheppard Robson
Paul has worked on a broad range of projects, including the design of large-scale, award-winning buildings. His expertise lies in delivering consistent design quality across a range of sectors and typologies, from large-scale masterplans to individual buildings. This experience has...
Daniel Onions
Senior Architectural Technologist, Studio Egret West
Lucy Head
Associate Director, Studio Egret West
Ian Wilson
Group Chairman, Benx
Ian Wilson is the Chairman of Benx, a leading provider of innovative façade solutions. Prior to joining the company in 2015, Ian spent more than two decades advising companies across a range of industries on strategic and financial matters, as...
Simone Miriana
Head of Façade Engineering, AKT II
Simone is the Head of Façade Engineering at AKT II, leading design excellence, project delivery and global client relationships across commercial and residential developments. With international experience spanning the UK, Australia, the Middle East and North America, he brings a...
Giovanni Gori
Regional Director UK and Senior Façade Engineer, Maffeis Engineering
Giovanni is the Regional Director UK and Senior Façade Engineer at Maffeis Engineering. He is responsible for the London office and UK market, overseeing UK projects and Business Development. He has several years of experience in the engineering design, management,...
Camille Destres
Director, Safer Building Design, BB7
Camille is a chartered Facade Engineer with over 15 years experience delivering facade projects in all sectors. From her beginnings as a building physics specialist, she has developed her knowledge across all aspects of facade engineering to deliver high quality...
John Williams
Technical Director - Façade Engineering, WSP
John Williams is a Technical Director within the WSP Façade Engineering team, based in Manchester. John has 27 years’ experience within façade industry, ranging from hands-on installation to project and design management across Specialist Contractor, Principal Contractor / Developer and...
Conference Agenda
  • 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
Speakers:
  • 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
Speakers:
  • The problem
  • The theory
  • The solution
  • 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
Speakers:
  • Terracotta and rhythm at tower scale
  • Performance in constraint - Acoustics, Part L, and tight-site delivery
  • Design intent realised through a unitised façade
Speakers:
  • 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

Speakers:
  • Case study on the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) for Northumbria University Project
Speakers:
  • 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
Speakers:
  • 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
  • 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 Manchester’s specific weather conditions
  • Developer–Architect Alignment: Balancing commercial viability, planning constraints, and design ambition in façade decisions
  • Retrofitting the Existing City: Upgrading ageing building stock to meet modern performance and carbon targets without losing heritage value

Giovanni Gori

Speakers:
Event Details
  • 220th Edition – Zak World of Façades United Kingdom, June 03, 2026
  • Start Date
    June 3, 2026 8:00 am
  • End Date
    June 3, 2026 5:00 pm
  • Status
    Upcoming
  • Location
  • Venue
  • Category
    • Sponsors

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