151st Edition – Zak World of Façades Switzerland

This will be the 151st edition globally and the 1st edition in Zurich which will showcase sustainable innovations and challenges in the construction industry pertaining to the building envelope and will also display latest technological solutions.

Official Page

Speakers & Panelists

Valentin Ott

Associate, Hosoya Schaefer Architects

Valentin Ott is Head of Design at Hosoya Scheafer Architects in Zurich and part of the management team. He studied architecture at the University of Stuttgart and has worked in various architectural offices, such as Herzog & de Meuron in...

Judith Opferkuch

PR & Communications, Itten+Brechbühl AG

Judith studied art history, focusing on contemporary art, architectural and design history. Following her master’s degree at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, she gained extensive experience in managing international art exhibitions and cultural journalism. From...

Miguel Torres

Associate, Fischer Architekten AG

Born in Portugal in 1986, Miguel Torres studied architecture at the Technical University of Lisbon. An exchange year took him to Brazil, where he attended the University of São Paulo and gained his first practical experience. After graduating in Lisbon,...

Basil Rudolf

ReUse Façade Expertise, Zirkular GmbH

Basil started out in the construction industry with his apprenticeship as a metal worker. After his years as a craftsman, he remained loyal to metal, but switched from the craft to the office with a degree in civil engineering, specialising...

Nicolas Sacha Guichard

Project Manager, Kengo Kuma and Associates

Born and raised in Paris, France. Graduate of ENSA Paris Val de Seine and California Polytechnic State University. Started my carrer at KKAA – Kengo Kuma and Associates in Tokyo, contributing to a high-rise building project in Vancouver, Canada. Later...

Andreas Komm

Business Development Manager, seele

As a project manager at seele GmbH, Andreas Komm spearheads the development of intelligent façades that are integrated into building automation systems. His expertise centers on driving digital transformation and enhancing energy efficiency within the realm of sustainable building operations....

Günter Übelacker

General Manager, Heavydrive GmbH

Günter Übelacker is the dynamic Managing Director of Heavydrive GmbH, a leading company in transportation and assembly of oversized glass panes based in Tapfheim. Under his leadership the company has developed into a global player in the industry, known for...

Carsten Kunert

Site Manager, Vandaglas GmbH Döring

Mr. Carsten Kunert has been working successfully for the vandaglas group ‘expert partners in curved glass’ Döring in Berlin since 2008. His affinity for sales and project development is based on his commercial training in the construction industry and the...

Georg Chatzoudis

Head of Project Sales, Project Management and Technics International, Jansen AG

Georg Chatzoudis is Head of Project Sales, Project Management and Technics International at Jansen AG. Together with his team, he develops project-specific solutions in which Jansen’s steel profile systems have to meet complex technical and architectural requirements. Georg studied civil...

Manuel Portmann

General Manager, Cosentino Switzerland

Graduated as a mechanical engineer and obtained an MBA. Has been serving as Managing Director at Cosentino Switzerland for 5 years. Prior to this role, held various specialist and management positions internationally and nationally across diverse sectors and industries.

Matthias Thommen

Associate Partner, Emmer Pfenninger Partner AG

After his studies (2002 – 2006) of mechanical engineering at the polytechnic in Muttenz (CH) he worked for 3 years as engineer for building maintenance units and project director at the manufacturer PK-Küpfer AG in Glattbrugg ZH (CH) before he...

Tal Friedman

CEO, Foldstruct

Tal Friedman is an architect and visionary leader at the intersection of architecture and cutting-edge technology. With a distinguished background in architecture and a masters in computational construction engineering, Tal’s expertise bridges the gap between digital design and advanced construction...

Stefano Rossi

Façade Consultant - Business Development, idpartners

Stefano Rossi is an architect (University of Innsbruck) and façade consultant at idpartners, a boutique facade consulting firm headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. His experience lies in finding creative solutions on high-end projects ranging from using hand sketches or going as...

Nils Heffungs

Senior Project Manager, EM2N Architekten

Nils Heffungs has been working at EM2N Architekten AG since 2007 as a team and project manager, with a focus on large projects. After working in the project management of the Toni-Areal as well as the overall project management of...

Manuel Boerwanger

Project Manager, BIFF (Bureau d'Ingénieurs Fenêtres et Façades)

After obtaining his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Manuel Boerwanger has worked a few years by Siemens Energy. He jumped in the façade world in 2016 joining Lindner group in the engineering and system design department as design manager and...

Lidor Gilad

Partner, Itten+Brechbühl AG

Lidor Gilad is a partner and head of design and development at Itten+Brechbühl AG in Switzerland. Lidor was previously an architect at Gilad + Steinfeld architects sagl from 2010 to 2015. Lidor has a degree in architecture from the USI...

Klaus Fenners

Team Leader - Façade, Implenia Schweiz AG

In 1992, Klaus graduated in mechanical engineering at the University of Duisburg. Following that, his career path led him through various management roles within metal construction companies across Switzerland, Germany, and Italy from 1992 to 2013. Transitioning to a team...

Ivo Angehrn

Head of Sustainability and Digitalization, Drees & Sommer

Bringing a wealth of expertise in Strategy and Technology Consulting, Ivo specializes in sustainability, energy efficiency, circular engineering, and digitalization consulting for processes and infrastructure. Notable projects include advising the Canton of Lucerne’s Real Estate Division, contributing to the sustainability...

Funda Kozanoglu

Partner | Board Member, CCHE La Vallée

French and of Turkish origin, Funda Kozanoglu was born and raised in Paris. After a spell at the Beaux-Arts, she found her way into architecture. Interested in diversity, she spent two years in Brazil to complete her thesis on the...

Maxim Tokar

Manager High Performance Products, Kuraray

Maxim has been working in the Glass processing and façade construction industry since 2006. During this time he has participated in various projects including the; Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, Lakhta Tower in St. Petersburg and many...

Gideon Maasland

Director, MVRDV

Director and Architect Gideon Maasland (NL) joined MVRDV in 2016. With extensive experience acquired over a 15-year career at several high profile Dutch offices, Maasland leads MVRDV’s Studio 8, which is responsible for large-scale, complex buildings. Renowned for his detailed...

Philippe Willareth

Member of the Board of Directors, Lüchinger+Meyer

Philippe Willareth is a partner at Lüchinger+Meyer Bauingenieure AG and heads the Façade Engineering division. After graduating as a façade engineer from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences in 2004, Philippe Willareth joined Whitbybird London as a façade design engineer and...

Enrico Cutri

Global Building Project Specification Manager - High Performance Building, Dow

Enrico Cutri is Global Building Projects Specification Manager and a member of the Building Science Team at Dow. Based in Switzerland, Enrico is directly responsible for the management of designated key accounts and for the introduction of product innovation, to...

Susanne Di Iulio

Regional Director of Sales, Staticus

Susanne Di iulio graduated 2003 from the Cooperative State University of Baden Wurttemberg as a Façade Engineer. Joining Tauber Eingineering GmbH in Frankfurt, she worked as an international project manager. She also worked as a guest lecturer in her former...

Steffi Neubert

Partner, Emmer Pfenninger Partner AG

1984 – 1990 architectural studies at the University of Stuttgart; 1991: collaboration at Santiago Calatrava Architects in Paris and Zurich and 1992 – 1998 at RFR Engineers in Paris. 1998 – 1999 postgraduate studies «Architecture and Sustainability». Specialisation in architectural...

Conference Agenda

Photo Gallery