219th Edition – Zak World of Façades United Kingdom

Main Events 219th Edition – Zak World of Façades United Kingdom

219th Edition – Zak World of Façades United Kingdom

edition

219

Date

03 June 2026

Venue

The Manchester Deansgate Hotel

City

Manchester

Official page Watch the Event

About this edition

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

Conference Agenda

Every speaker for the day, grouped by session. Select a topic to see who is presenting, the session focus and the talk points.

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

08:30 — 09:20

Topic

Delegate Registration & Networking

Ian Emmerson

Director

Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher

Topic

Event Convenor & Host

09:20 — 09:30

Topic

Welcome Address

09:30 — 09:55

Robert Hopkins

Head of Sustainability and Director

AHR

Topic

Powers of Ten – Steps to Consider a More Sustainable Future for Façade Design in the North West of England

Talk points

Exploring 10 façade design considerations that can help create more sustainable and resilient buildings across the North West

Challenging current approaches to glazing, airtightness and operational energy through a practical, performance-led design lens

Connecting façade design to wider regional issues including renewable energy, fuel poverty, local heat sources and long-term urban stewardship

09:55 — 10:20

Elena Giraldi

Senior Façade Engineer

AKT II

Paul Crowther

Associate Director

Sheppard Robson

Topic

Heritage at Height: Façade Design and Manchester's Historic Context

Talk points

Terracotta and rhythm at tower scale

Performance in constraint - Acoustics, Part L, and tight-site delivery

Design intent realised through a unitised façade

10:20 — 10:35

Ian Wilson

Group Chairman

Benx

Topic

Beyond Performance: How We Respond to Façades

Talk points

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

10:35 — 10:45

Nick Backhouse

Business Development Manager

A. Proctor Group

Topic

Condensation and Airtight Solutions for Façades

Talk points

The problem

The theory

The solution

10:45 — 11:10

Daniel Onions

Senior Architectural Technologist

Studio Egret West

Lucy Head

Associate Director

Studio Egret West

Topic

Shaping Everyday Wonder

Talk points

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

11:10 — 11:50

Topic

Networking Tea / Coffee Break

11:50 — 12:15

Chiara Faliva

Associate Director

Buro Happold

John Ross

Director

6a architects

Topic

Tate Liverpool: Reworking Heritage — How Can Façades Balance Preservation, Performance & Public Engagement?

Talk points

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

12:15 — 12:25

Andrew Bird

UK Marketing Lead

Novastruct UK

Topic

The Future and Façades in the Heart of Manchester

Talk points

A common approach across Europe to façade design

Façades in the heart of Manchester shaping UK cities architectural vision

Façades in stadia design

12:25 — 12:50

James Hind

Partner

SimpsonHaugh

Topic

Form | Colour | Texture

Talk points

Explorations in high-rise residential façades

12:50 — 13:10

Amaldev Premkumar

Facade Design Engineer

Ramboll

Topic

A Data-Driven Framework for Sustainable Façade Design: Methodology and Case Study Validation

13:10 — 13:40

Fabio Moretti

Senior Facade Engineer

Arup

Nick Tyrer

Associate Director and Design Lead

BDP

Topic

Hill Dickinson Stadium: DfMA and Engineering on the Dock

Talk points

How Everton’s new waterfront home redefines engineering at scale

The hidden challenges behind its iconic look

Use of computation to realise off-site fabrication

13:40 — 14:35

Topic

Networking Lunch Break

14:35 — 15:00

Camille Destres

Director, Safer Building Design

BB7

Iain Gray

Director - Façades

BB7

Topic

Engineering Fire Safety in Complex Façades

Talk points

Case study on the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) for Northumbria University Project

15:00 — 15:20

Craig Renton

Associate Director and Building Regulations Technical Lead

Anstey Horne

Sean Robinson

Director & Head of Building Safety

Anstey Horne

Topic

Navigating Building Safety Regulator Gateways 2 & 3

Talk points

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

15:20 — 15:30

Andrew Pries

Director of Innovation & Technical Sales

Boston Valley Terra Cotta

Topic

Architectural Terra Cotta Industry for Sustainable, High-Performance Façades

Talk points

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

15:30 — 16:10

Moderator

Giovanni Gori

Regional Director UK and Senior Façade Engineer

Maffeis Engineering

Panelist

Aaron Dehara

Regional Director - UK

Staticus

Panelist

Adam Thornton

Founding Director

5plus Architects

Panelist

Damien Bourke

Project Director

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Panelist

Daniel Mossman-Clark

Associate

Ryder Architecture

Topic

Greater Manchester Rising: How Can Façades Shape the Next Era of Urban Density, Identity & Sustainability?

Talk points

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

Session summary

Giovanni Gori

16:10 — 16:15

Topic

Vote of Thanks & End of the Conference

16:15 — 17:00

Topic

Post Event Networking Reception