215th Edition – Zak World of Façades Albania

Be part of history as we host Albania’s first-ever Zak World of Façades, bringing global expertise and sustainable innovation to Tirana.

This edition will connect international architectural & engineering leaders with the Albanian construction industry, creating dialogue on how global façade trends can be applied to local projects. Meet 200+ architects, developers, façade engineers, contractors, and solution providers, and build connections that matter in Southeast Europe’s fast-growing market. Gain first-hand insights from international experts and local pioneers tackling the façade industry’s most pressing challenges.

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Speakers & Panelists

Edlira Basha

Head - Design and Development, Orion, Founding Partner, Triark

Edlira brings over 15 years of experience in architectural design and construction management. With a strong track record in delivering complex residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects, she has contributed to several notable developments in Tirana including the VET Hospital in...

Akis Valalis

Owner and General Manager, i-BUiLD

Mr. Akis Valalis is the founder (in 2010) and General Manager of Ariston glass, with a significant presence both in Greece and internationally outside Greece, and i-BUiLD (in 2017), a consulting and contracting firm specializing in a building’s envelope, including...

Edlira Koleci

Director - Engineering, Gener 2

Michele Andaloro

Associate, Eckersley O'Callaghan

Michele a rejoint Eckersley O’Callaghan en janvier 2026 en tant qu’Associate, apportant son expertise en ingénierie des façades et des structures spéciales, en durabilité et en conception numérique. Il est titulaire d’une licence et d’un master en ingénierie du bâtiment...

Luis Garcia

Project Manager, OODA

Enea Bedo

Project Architect, ANA

Marco Casamonti

Founding Partner, Archea Associati

Architect Marco Casamonti, founding partner of Archea Associati, graduated with honors in 1990 and won the competition for the PhD program at the University of Genoa, completing his doctorate in 1994 with a dissertation on history and design in post-war...

Elvi Xhaxho

Technical Director, ALCA

Elvi Xhaxho is Technical Director at ALCA, a leading façade contractor based in Tirana and active in the Albanian market for over 25 years. He joined the company in 2019 and has since played a central role in the execution...

Raniel Sulaj

Project Manager, VIND

Raniel Sulaj is a civil engineer and has worked at different projects in Albania since 2011. The early projects from 2011 until 2018 have been mainly focused in Infrastructure (Water Supply, Sewage, Roads, Electrical Lines, Hydropower Plant, etc.). From 2018...

Stavros Gargaretas

Senior Associate, MVRDV

Stavros Gargaretas is an architect and Senior Associate at MVRDV, as well as a researcher at The Why Factory (T?F), a global think tank led by Winy Maas. Since joining MVRDV in 2015, he has been leading projects of various...

Carlo Zaka

Chief Operating Officer, ALCA

Carlo Zaka is Chief Operating Officer at ALCA, a leading façade contractor based in Tirana and active in the Albanian market for over 25 years. He holds degrees from Bocconi and IE University and joined the façade sector after earlier...

Alexander Riemer

Head of Product Management Aluminum Systems, Alukönigstahl

Alexander Riemer, Head of International Product Management for Schüco systems at ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, has been active in the building systems industry for more than three decades. Born in Vienna in 1971, he studied Mechanical Engineering and Welding Technology at TGM Vienna...

Catherine Huang

Partner, Bjarke Ingels Group

Catherine Huang joined BIG in 2007 and became partner in 2017. She has worked closely with Bjarke Ingels across a wide range of projects and typologies such as the Danish Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai Expo, an energy efficient skyscraper...

Enrique Mascort del Pozo

Chief Architect, Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Enrique leads projects in Spain, Eastern Europe, and increasingly Saudi Arabia. His approach priorities the cultural and environmental dimensions of architecture, seeking place-specific design over generic solutions. Enrique holds a master’s in housing and urbanism from London’s Architectural Association and...

Ana Vesho

Building Envelope Consultant, Rimkus

Born and raised in Albania, Ms. Ana Vesho holds a professional 5-year degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute. She has 6 years of experience in New York City (NYC), managing and providing field support for an array of restoration projects...

Pietro Pavesi

Associate | Façade Engineer, Faces Engineering

Andi Eftimi

Partner, Atelier 4

Andi Efthimi is an architect and urban planner with over two decades of experience shaping Albania’s contemporary architectural landscape. As a partner at Atelier 4, one of the country’s leading design studios, he has contributed to major residential, hospitality, administrative, and...

Beat Huesler

Managing Director, Oppenheim Architecture

Beat Huesler is a licensed architect with over 30 years professional experience from firms in New York, and Basel, Switzerland before founding Huesler Architekten in Muttenz, Switzerland in 1996. His collaboration with Chad Oppenheim extends back to their studies at...

Chiara Tosi

Associate, Eckersley O’Callaghan

As Senior Facade Engineer in our Milan office, Chiara brings a wealth of experience having worked in both the UK and Italy. Her background spans a wide variety of industries, project types and sizes across Europe, the Middle East, and...

Sofía Galán Rivera

Building Envelope Design Leader, Arup

Sofia is a specialist in the design of façades and roofs as well as in the as well as in the analysis of existing façade and cladding pathologies. With eighteen years of work experience, includingsixteen years in the façade industry...

Ferran Figuerola

General Manager, Cricursa

Ferran Figuerola serves as the General Manager of Cricursa, a renowned company specializing in innovative curved glass solutions and an integral part of the prestigious Tvitec Group. Under his leadership, Cricursa has solidified its position as a global leader in...

Silvia Ilardi

Senior Architect - Façade Access and Maintenance, Arup

Silvia Ilardi is a Senior Architect. She joined Arup in 2008 currently being part of the Building Envelope team in Milan office, is also part of the Facade Access & Maintenance UK team and Europe Region point of contact for...

Nikelina Bineri

Project Manager – Building Envelope, Arcora

Nikelina Bineri is a façade expert at Arcora, a façade engineering firm based in Paris. She is a graduate architect from the Polytechnic University of Tirana. After eight years of professional experience in architecture, she moved to France and Germany...

Pat Duffy

Associate - Façades, Arup

Pat is an Associate working in the Façade Engineering group within Arup. Since qualifying as a Structural Engineer in 1989, Pat has worked in consulting engineering initially as a Structural Engineer and for the last 14 years as a Façade...

Angelos Zografos

Technical Sales Engineer, Elval Colour

Angelos Zografos is a Technical Sales Engineer in Elval Colour and holds an MBA and a Diploma in Civil Engineering. He has more than 10 years of experience in civil and structural engineering, participating in the analysis and design of...

Sandro Casaccio

Senior Manager - High Performance Products, Kuraray Europe

I started in 1987 with DuPont have worked for more than 38 years in the industrial markets such as passive components, photopolymer for the printed circuits board market, PET for electrical insulation and packaging, automotive and architectural glass lamination. I...

Conference Agenda