222nd Edition – Zak World of Façades UAE

Main Events 222nd Edition – Zak World of Façades UAE

222nd Edition – Zak World of Façades UAE

edition

222

Date

25 June 2026

Venue

The Ritz-Carlton DIFC

City

Dubai

Official page Watch the Event

About this edition

This will be the 222nd edition globally and the 11th edition in UAE 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

09:00 — 10:00

Topic

Delegate Registration & Networking

Rania AlBanna

Senior Façade Consultant

Meinhardt Façade Technology

Topic

Event Convenor & Host

10:00 — 10:05

Topic

Welcome Address

10:05 — 10:30

Alejandro Garcia Gadea

Lead Principal Architect

Atkins Réalis

Edward McIntosh

Regional Design Director (Middle East + Africa)

Atkins Réalis

Topic

The Mukaab's Façade: From Storytelling to Advanced AI Processes for Rationalization and Construction

Talk points

More than shelter: The historical importance of building façades as a cultural mediator between public and private space

Crafting narratives through the conception of the building envelope

Bringing vision’s to life, how the human sketch becomes standardized and detailed for construction through the use of parametric and AI Tools

10:30 — 10:50

Marina Kindelan Calvo

Director of Façades ME / APAC

AESG

Oana Fayyad

Senior Architect

Killa Design

Topic

The Architecture of Inevitable Design; The Discipline of Clarity

Talk points

Challenging the norm

Ideas that defend themselves

Design that becomes inevitable

10:50 — 11:00

Ralph Damkoehler

Managing Director

seele Middle East

Topic

KinetIQ – Moving Architecture Forward

Talk points

Specialized entry solutions

High-performance façade elements

Advanced building envelopes

11:00 — 11:10

Ahmed Abuhashem

International Projects Manager – AME (Africa and Middle East)

Guardian Glass

Topic

Designing High-Performance Glass Façades

Talk points

Introduction to Bird1st™ glass and its role in bird-friendly design

Facilitating architectural ambitions: Balancing energy performance and design vision at Serenia Living Project

Overview of digital tools that support architects and designers

11:10 — 11:30

Elia Galatolo

Senior Façade Engineer

Arup

Jincy Mariam Rinu

Middle East Façade Leader

Arup

Topic

Parametric Modelling for Holistic Façade Design: From Geometry to Energy, Sustainability and Cost

Talk points

Using parametric models to directly link key façade drivers (WWR, shading, glazing) to energy, daylight and comfort outcomes

Rapidly testing large sets of façade options to understand the impact of design decisions

Enabling early collaboration through a shared model to visualize complex relationships that guide balanced design choices

11:30 — 12:00

Topic

Networking Tea / Coffee Break

12:00 — 12:20

Celeste Gariando

Technical Director

Meinhardt Façade Technology

Topic

Same Material, Different Physics: Structural Behavior Across Extreme Scales, from SuperTall tower to Low Rise Architecture

Talk points

Wind, drift and accumulated movement: Façade behavior in a 750m tower (Burj Azzizi, Dubai)

Thermal expansion, geometry & interface movement: Façade engineering in a waterfront pavillion (AMAALA Triple Bay Yacht Club, Yanbu)

Designing for movement, not against it: Lessons from the tallest and the lowest

12:20 — 12:30

Fan Lee

Founder

Anometal Aluminum

Topic

Solar-Powered, Long-Lasting Active Self-Cleaning Technology for Anodized Aluminium

Talk points

Unveiling a new, next-generation anodized aluminium cladding with an anodic oxide layer that harnesses sunlight to continuously break down pollutants, keeping façades cleaner for over 25 years with minimal maintenance

How its ultra-hydrophilic surface (WCA = 8.9°) helps with any remaining particles to effortlessly wash away with rain or wind, ensuring the façade stays brighter, fresher, and visually pristine year-round

12:30 — 12:50

Tony Abi Gebrayel

Managing Partner

MZ Architects

Topic

From Nature to Immersive Architecture

Talk points

Immersive architecture through organic lines

Complexity of design & material selection

Future vision & solutions for immersive architecture

12:50 — 13:10

Osama Abbas

Chief Executive Officer

IBECE Group

Topic

The Façade Mindset

Talk points

How smart teams think before buildings fail

Some façades fail long before the first crack appears. Some succeed long before construction begins

What separates the two is not only engineering, architecture, or budget - but the way teams think

13:10 — 13:55

Alina Valcarce

Founder | Design Director

Valcarce Architects

Amir Shurafa

Head of Design, Ai certified expert

Danube Properties

Christine Espinosa-Erlanda

Associate Director

Godwin Austen Johnson

Drew Gilbert

Lead Design Architect & Global AI Lead

OBM International

Khaled Iskandar

AI Educator & Workflow Strategist

ZKANDAR

Maya Cochrane

RIBA Gulf Chapter Chair | Architect and Health-Centred Design & Ethical AI

RIBA Gulf

Nic Holmes

Lead AI Design Innovator

LW Design Group

Topic

Architect + AI: Designing the Next Generation of Façades

Talk points

AI as a creative partner

Accelerating design exploration

AI and communication with clients

Expanding architectural/façade creativity

Unlocking future possibilities with AI

Session summary

Drew Gilbert

13:55 — 14:55

Topic

Prayers & Lunch Break

14:55 — 15:15

Nandan Tavkar

Senior Associate Director, Climate Response + ESG Advisory | Strategic Consulting

Jacobs

Topic

The Criticality of Net Zero Carbon and Climate Change Resilience, Through Project Case Studies

Talk points

Climate Change Resilience, and implications on façades

Net Zero Carbon, and implications on façades

New wave of Sustainability Regulations and Certifications

15:15 — 15:25

Prathush Sreedharan

Specification Leader - Middle East

Axalta Coating Systems

Topic

Where Surfaces Shape Skylines!

Talk points

Challenges in coatings faced by modern design and architecture

Smart surface solutions supporting architectural vision

Next generation of architectural coatings - case study

15:25 — 15:45

Gizelle Javidan

Consultant - Building Enclosures

WSP

Shyam Chand

Associate Consultant - Building Access

WSP

Topic

Smart Façades, Smarter Access: Integrating Intelligent Skins & Access with Computational Design

Talk points

Data-Driven Façade Intelligence: How computational design, AI optimize façade performance

From Complex Geometry to Buildable Systems: Using parametric workflows and optimization to transform freeform façades into manufacturable, panelized, and maintainable intelligent skin systems

Computational Access & Maintenance Strategies: Integrating BMU systems, rope access simulation, safety offsets, cleaning paths, and maintenance logistics into early-stage façade design workflows

15:45 — 16:25

Arwa Alzaabi

Sustainability Consultant

Werner Sobek Dubai

Benjamin Beer

Managing Director

Werner Sobek Dubai

Jasmin Hodzic

Glass Specialist

Guardian Glass

Renato Cilento

Associate Façade Consultant

Turner & Townsend

Subraya Kalkura

Managing Director

John R Harris & Partners

Topic

The Effect of Modern Solar Control Coated Glass on our Human Wellbeing – Latest Research, Risks and Future Outlook

Talk points

Daylight, Human Health, and Wellbeing: Why humans need natural daylight and the physiological and psychological impacts of insufficient daylight exposure (circadian rhythm, sleep, mood, productivity, and overall health)

Modern Solar Control Glass: Benefits and Implications for Occupants: Why solar control coated glass is used in contemporary buildings, how selective spectral transmission reduces heat gain and energy consumption, and the potential effects of filtered daylight on human wellbeing

Balancing Sustainability and Human-Centric Design: The relationship between solar control glazing, Sick Building Syndrome, the question of whether transmitted light remains “natural daylight,” and whether conflicts may arise between Green Building objectives and Human-Centric Building Design

Session summary

Benjamin Beer

16:25 — 16:30

Topic

Vote of Thanks & End of the Conference

16:30 — 17:00

Topic

Post Event Networking

Watch

Chapters

Partners

Associate Partners