219th Edition – Zak World of Façades United Kingdom

This will be the 219h 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.

Speakers & Panelists
Associate, Ryder Architecture
Dan is an Associate at Ryder Architecture, based in Manchester. He has contributed to the design and delivery of major projects across the North of England, including the 64,000 sqm Pilgrim’s Quarter development for HMRC in Newcastle, the sensitive transformation...
Business Development Manager, A. Proctor Group
Nick Backhouse joined the Proctor Group in September 2025 bringing with him 8 years of construction industry understanding. Prior to joining the Proctor Group Nick spent 5 years within the structural steel sector and has been involved in a wide...
Senior Façade Engineer, AKT II
Elena is a Senior Façade Engineer at AKT II, with over seven years’ experience delivering complex envelope designs across the UK and internationally. Since joining the practice in 2019, she has worked on a range of commercial and residential projects,...
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...
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....
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...
Directors, 6a architects
Technical Director, Hansen Group
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.
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...
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...
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...
Commercial and Development Director, Kawneer
CEO, Kawneer
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...
Senior Architectural Technologist, Studio Egret West
Associate Director, Studio Egret West
Regional Director - UK, Staticus
Having worked in the UK façade industry for over 15 years, with a background in system design and engineering Aaron oversees the UK project portfolio for one of the largest specialist façade contractors in the UK and Europe. With a...
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...
Director of Innovation & Technical Sales, Boston Valley Terra Cotta
Andrew Pries, Director of Innovation + Technical Sales at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, holds a BS in Architecture from the University at Buffalo and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. With a focus on design development and...
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,...
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...
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
  • Why façades matter
  • The role of colour, form, and texture
  • What branding tells us about colour
  • Aligning aesthetics with design intent
  • How are we responding
  • 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
  • Terracotta and rhythm at tower scale
  • Performance in constraint - Acoustics, Part L, and tight-site delivery
  • Design intent realised through a unitised façade
  • 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

  • Case study on the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) for Northumbria University Project
  • 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
  • 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 a wind-driven, low-solar, high-moisture environment
  • Developer–Architect Alignment Under Regulation: How can commercial viability, planning constraints, and design ambition be balanced as the Building Safety Act 2022 introduces greater responsibility, liability, and stricter approval gateways from early design stages?
  • Retrofitting the Existing City: Upgrading ageing building stock to meet modern performance and carbon targets without losing heritage value

Giovanni Gori

Event Details
  • 219th 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
  • Category
  • Sponsors