39th Edition – Zak World of Façades UAE

This was the 39th edition globally and 8th edition in the GCC and the 4th edition in UAE. It showcased the latest innovations and challenges in the construction industry pertaining to building envelopes and the latest technological solutions.

Speakers and Panelists

Armin Buchbinder

Head of Design, BSBG

Armin joined BSBG in 2015, bringing with him 14 years of in depth skills & experience within architectural design in a variety of all sectors and scales, ranging from small residential buildings to master planning. He studied Architecture and Urban...

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...

Jan Scheers

Sales Consultant - Middle East and South Africa, Kuraray

Jan Scheers is a Belgium born glass professional working as a consultant for Kuraray GmbH. He was born in Belgium (°1964) and started working for the US chemical giant DuPont after finishing his Bachelor in Marketing. He worked for 14...

Douglas Sum

Associate - Buildings, Aurecon

Douglas has reached 20 years of global façade engineering consultant and contractor experience. His specialist experience in façade engineering is strengthened by previous roles including main contractor, infrastructure project management and technical, cost and contractual consultation. Douglas has undertaken various...

Mathieu Meur

Director, DP Façade

Mathieu Meur provides strategic and technical leadership as the director of DP Façade. Through his training as a multi-disciplinary engineer, and subsequent years of experience heading the largest façade consultancy practise in the world, he has developed extensive knowledge of...

Micha Pawelka

Chief Operating Officer, Priedemann Façade Experts

Micha Pawelka, who has an academic qualification in Wholesale Management and Foreign Trade, gained over 20 years of experience in the Glass and Facade Industry in Europe. He was a Sales Director in the Schollglas Group in Germany before relocating...

Benjamin Beer

Managing Director, Werner Sobek Dubai

Benjamin has been working as a façade professional for 20 years with projects around the world and long-term positions in Stuttgart, London, New York and Dubai. After building up and heading the Dubai office of Werner Sobek in the position...

Sarah Coogan

Associate, Inhabit Group

Sarah Coogan is an Associate at Inhabit Group, and works as specialist façade consultant to local and overseas projects. With over a decade of experience, she has worked on the façades of landmark projects across London, Melbourne and Dubai and...

Nigel Eckersall

Director Design & Development, VX Studio

Nigel is Design Director and Development Director at the Visionary Multidisciplinary Design Studio VX Studio, based in Dubai. Nigel has been working in the Middle East for over 15 years where his approach to Master Planning and Tall Urban Planning...

Christopher Owen

Associate Principal, AECOM

Christopher Owen is currently serving as the Associate Principal Design Manager at Aecom Middle East. Abu Dhabi [HQ] / Dubai. He has experience across multi discipline large complex Commercial, Large retail and mix use Projects in the UAE and across...

Stacy Eisenberg

Project Manager, Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Stacy began her career in Los Angeles working with Dworsky and Associates, and Casasco Studios before moving to Paris. She worked with Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris for 2 years on the Jean-Marie Tjbaou Cultural Center, and the Cité...

Meinolf Wortmann

Head of Research & Development, Hoesch Schwerter Extruded Profiles

Meinolf Wortmann is responsible for the design and technology department of the hot extrusion division of the Calvi holding group. He is German. In 1988 he finished his education as a degreed engineer at the university of applied science in...

Uygar Arica

Sales & Business Development Manager - MENA, Calvi Network Extrusion Business Unit

Uygar Arica was born in Turkey and she has more than 15 years of proven experience of business development within group companies and Italian regional institutions. She is a French national, has got a MBA degree from HEC. She lives...

Lindsay Mellum

Associate- Façades, WSP

Lindsay has been a Façade Consultant in the Middle East for 10 years, and leads the façade design team at WSP. With a background in design and construction, and 12 years’ experience in the facades industry, Lindsay has developed the...

Jason Pardesi

General Manager, Wintech Middle East

Jason is General Manager of Wintech’s Dubai Office. As well as the day to day running of the Middle Eastern business, he is involved in the strategic development phase of projects, the coordination of systems engineering and specification writing for...

Naoki Woodward

Director - Head of Façade Engineering, BB7

Naoki heads up the façade engineering capability and is part of the senior leadership team at BB7. He comes from a multi-disciplinary background, having led and developed the façade and façade access discipline at a leading multinational consultancy. He...

Eugene Korch

Technical Director, FAT Façades

With more than 100 facade design projects delivered from concept to construction Eugene is one of the most experienced facade experts in the industry. In 2012 he became the technical director of FAT Facades UK and in 2017 relocated to...

David Daniels

Director of Architecture, SSH

With more than 14 years of experience with leading international practices in the UK and the Middle East, he has a proven record of creating, presenting and developing an international level of design work. In these projects he has also...

Filippo Lodi

Head of Innovation and Knowledge Management, UNStudio

Filippo Lodi is the Head of Innovation and Knowledge Management at UNStudio. He earned a M.Sc Architecture and a M.Sc Civil Engineering degrees from the University of Bologna in 2006, a MA degree in Advanced Architectural Design from the Städelschule...

Richard Fenne

Principal, Woods Bagot

Richard is the Studio Chair and Principal of the Dubai Studio at Woods Bagot and is an experienced RIBA and ARB registered Architect and Principal with over 15 years of wide-ranging international experience. His experience ranges from inception to completion...

John Kim

Design Director, AE7

As a design principal and practice leader for mixed-use developments, master planning and hospitality projects, John delivers intensity and passion for the creative process. His ability to harness innovative and strategic thinking with the architectural design process transforms the built...

Alexander Wagner

Engineering Manager Façade, Meinhardt Façade Technology

Alexander has been working in the façade industry for since 13 years as an Engineer. During his professional career he has been able to design building skins of nearly all types, positions, sizes and materials. Since 2007 he is working...

Jason Pomeroy

Founding Principal, Pomeroy Studio

Jason Pomeroy is an award-winning architect, academic, author and TV presenter, regarded as one of the world’s thought leaders in sustainable design. He gained bachelor and master degrees from the Canterbury School of Architecture and the University of Cambridge; and...

Bettina-Gerharz-Kalte

Vice President Thermal Insulation, Evonik Resource Efficiency

Bettina Gerharz-Kalte is Vice President of the new growth business thermal insulation at Evonik and based in Hanau, Germany. Bettina has spent over 25 years within the chemical industry and a dominant share thereof in areas of the building and...

Dr. Werner Jager

Director Application Technology and Project Sales International, Hydro Building Systems

Werner Jager, Dr.-Ing., has over 20 years of international experience in the creation and management of multi-location teams as well as profound competence in the engineering and design of building envelopes. Since 2017, he is the Director of Technical Marketing...

Sanjoe Rodrigues

General Manager - MEA, Serge Ferrari

Sanjoe Rodrigues is the General Manager of Serge Ferrari ME. He’s a civil Engineer by profession and has been associated with the field of tensile membrane architecture for over 15 years. He has been in the building industry since 2000...

Efthimios Zizos

Projects Manager, Elval Colour

Efthimios Zizos is a Civil Engineer and he is for the last 7 years, Projects Manager of Elval Colour. He has more than 17 years’ experience in the field of building constructions and specifically in envelope façades/roofing. His current role...

Monesh Aidasani

Regional Specifications Manager - MEIA, Jotun Powder Coatings

Monesh Aidasani is currently the Regional Specifications Manager for the powder coating division in Jotun. Having graduated from Mumbai University as a Chemical Engineer in 1998, Monesh has 15 years of experience in the facade and aluminium finishing industry. He...

Conference Agenda

Photo Gallery