As a seasoned professional with 8 years of dedicated experience in the UK's facade industry, Aaron brings a wealth of expertise to his role as a National Facades Sales Manager for Cosentino.

Working closely with accounts across the nation, Aaron has established himself as a trusted advisor and partner in delivering top-tier building solutions.

His tenure with global leaders in building products has honed his abilities to navigate the complexities of the industry while staying at the forefront of innovative technologies and trends.

With a passion for excellence and a commitment to driving success, Aaron thrives in dynamic environment where he can leverage his strategic insights and industry knowledge to exceed expectations.

Whether fostering client relationships, leading sales initiatives, or spearheading market expansion efforts, hes dedicated to delivering unparalleled value and driving forward the future of facades in the UK and beyond.

Alison Brooks is one of the UK’s most highly awarded and internationally acclaimed architects. A native of Guelph, she studied architecture at the University of Waterloo before moving to the UK in 1988. Since founding her practice in 1996 she has emerged as one of the UK’s most inventive architects with works encompassing urban design and housing, higher education buildings, private houses, and public buildings for the arts. In addition to receiving over 80 awards for design achievement she is the only UK architect to have received all three of the profession’s most prestigious architectural awards: the RIBA Stirling Prize, the Manser Medal (twice), and the Stephen Lawrence Prize.

Alison Brooks’ unique architectural approach springs from invested research into specific geographies, climate and cultures of each project so that her design solutions to emerge as both unique and relevant to the constituencies they serve. This is beautifully exemplified by her recently completed Cohen Quadrangle at Exeter College, Oxford. The first Oxford College to be designed by a female architect, this building demonstrates the conceptual rigour, sculptural quality and ingenious detailing that is her practice trademark.

Allan Gibson is based in Oxford and for the past 18 years, Allan has managed the supply and specification of specialist materials used in the construction industry in the UK and Middle East. Now responsible for the Trosifol PVB and Ionoplast interlayers for laminated architectural glass in the UK and Ireland with a strong focus on new technologies and innovations underlining the Kuraray commitment towards serving the ever changing demands of the global glass industry through innovation leadership.

A natural leader with extensive experience, Andrew has a substantial portfolio of satisfied clients and exemplar buildings spanning multiple sectors, design stages and project scales.

As a Director at Rio, Andrew is known for his work on education-based projects across primary, secondary, higher and further education, SEN and PMLD. His ethos is that good design can profoundly benefit the well-being of building users and enhance their educational experience.

Andrew actively champions Rio staff being office-based, fostering an environment that prioritises communication and collaboration and maximises the quality and efficiency of our service. This approach bolsters the friendly and inclusive nature of the practice.

Sitting on many of our internal project design review panels, he actively encourages junior team members to engage in discussions on design and delivery, firmly believing that a team approach is the cornerstone of our success.

Andy Young joined BIG in 2016 as Technical Director of the London office, in 2021 he became Partner. He has over 25 years experience in the design and construction of large-scale projects in the UK and the Middle East. In addition to the UK role, he provides technical assistance to the Copenhagen and New York offices. Since 2016 Andy has led some of BIG’s most prominent projects including East Side Tower, an 80,000 M2 mixed-use tower in Berlin. Andy has also led the technical design of Google’s new King’s Cross headquarters and Citylife Milan plus worked on several large scale projects in the Middle East. Prior to joining BIG, Andy was an Associate Partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners. He was the Architect-in-charge of The Leadenhall Building, a landmark commercial tower in the City of London financial district, seeing the project from planning to completion in 2014. Andy is a UK Registered Architect and a Member of the RIBA. He received his Diploma in Architecture from The University of Westminster in 1993 whilst working at Michael Hopkins & Partners.

A Design Director at KPF, Brian brings a deep respect for place to each of his projects, with designs informed by their specific contexts through the exploration of detail, materiality and neighbourhood character. With more than 15 years’ experience, his portfolio covers multiple scales, from large-scale masterplans to crafted details. Current projects include One North Quay, Europe’s largest commercial lab building in Canary Wharf and 176-178 York Way, a commercial building with capability for laboratory, research, office space adjacent to the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter.

Claudia Farabegoli has more than 20 years of international façade design and consulting experience. Her design credits encompass a wide range of project types, including transportation and aviation, residential and commercial, retail, mixed-use, and sports and cultural facilities. She has worked alongside such architects as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Foster + Partners, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Make Architects, CallisonRTKL, and Squire and Partners

Dami Babalola currently serves as the UK Architectural Specifications Lead at Axalta, a global leader in the coatings industry. With a background in architecture and a keen eye for design, Dami has seamlessly transitioned into the world of specifications, where she works to establish and promote Axalta's Powder Coatings brand within the architecture and design community. Based in the vibrant city of London, Dami's role at Axalta allows her to combine her architectural expertise with her business development knowledge, creating a unique and compelling narrative around the company's innovative products. Her deep understanding of colour theory and its impact on the built environment enables her to effectively communicate the value and versatility of Axalta's powder coatings to architects, designers, and industry professionals. Her aspirations include bridging the gap between technical specifications and aesthetic appeal in the ever-evolving world of architectural design, and exploring sustainable facade design solutions, ensuring that Axalta's products not only enhance the visual appeal of buildings but also contribute to a more environmentally conscious future.

Damian established Eckersley O’Callaghan’s facade engineering group in 2012 and today leads a team of 30 engineers in London while supporting offices in the US, Hong Kong and Sydney. EOC has built a reputation for design and innovation across structures and facades and is engaged on eye-catching projects around the world. Damian is heavily involved in the practice’s R&D and low-carbon design initiatives and is a member of the CWCT sustainability committee.

With over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Dan brings a wealth of expertise to the table. As a specialist façade engineer with a Master’s degree in this field, Dan has a deep understanding of the technical performance of all types of façade system, not only from a system supplier perspective, but also with regard to supply chain, design, manufacture and installation. He is also well-versed in software applications, bomb blast requirements and photovoltaics, giving him a keen awareness of the end-to-end process for façade construction. Currently, Dan is Sales Director for Schüco UK and Ireland, working across the business to deliver projects of the highest quality. His presentation will cover the holistic approach to sustainable design, construction and recycling that is being pioneered by Schüco.

As a prominent figure in the London façade community, David brings over 28 years of experience to his role as Director of Major Projects at Saint-Gobain Glass. Having developed his expertise with specialist façade contractors and as a consultant for Saint-Gobain Glass, David possesses a wealth of knowledge in glass consultancy and façade engineering.

David’s recent MSc in Façade Engineering provided an opportunity to explore and develop circular economy principles within the construction sector. His interest in sustainable practices has led to advocacy and education for recovering and re-manufacturing end-of-life glass into new glazing solutions, contributing to environmental stewardship and innovation.

David is a regular speaker at glass industry events and contributes to technical papers on end of life glass recovery.

David Metcalfe is a physics graduate with a Master’s degree in Façade Engineering. As Director of CWCT he is responsible for all of the Centre’s technical and training output. He lectures extensively on the subject of building physics, glass and fire. His recent work includes guidance on fire and facades, the writing of a comprehensive guidance document on the use of built-up walls in modern construction, and establishing a new Master’s course in Façade Engineering at the University of the West of England.

David is a part of the Construction Products Association technical expert panel following the fire at Grenfell Tower. He is a board member of the Society of Façade Engineering and is currently chairing the Society’s fire committee.

David is the Façade Engineering lead at WSP for HS2 Curzon Street station. He has been working closely with Grimshaw Architects and other disciplines since 2018 to develop the building envelope and other façade related items for the project. His rail infrastructure experience extends to other projects including HS2 Old Oak Common and HS2 Euston and Paddington Crossrail.

Duncan Richards is a founding Director of FMDC, after working for Arup for 25 years, leaving as Leader of their Façade Engineering group.  He has extensive experience in many sectors, such as commercial, residential, arts, transport, retail and public buildings.  Duncan has been involved in a number of challenging developments, designed by signature Architects, in the UK and abroad, including Portcullis House, The Scottish Parliament Building and the new HQ for Bloomberg in London.  His client base includes Developers and Architects, who seek a balanced blend of creativity, experience and pragmatism that is key to the successful delivery and realisation of his projects.

Eric Claeys holds a degree as Civil Engineer in Construction from KU Leuven, Belgium, a degree in Industrial Engineering in Public Works from KU Leuven, Belgium, and graduated with a Master in Business Administration from the Vlerick Business School, Belgium. Eric has 40 years of experience in façade technologies and consulting and was involved in hundreds of prestigious projects by the most famous architects in more than 30 countries worldwide. Since the very beginning, value engineering has been his driving force, along with the belief that “ It always seems impossible until it’s done”. Out-of-the-box thinking is not just in his DNA; it is his DNA.

Eric is the inventor of “hybrid” curtain wall systems, an innovative combination of stick and unitized CW systems. The technologies are covered by an extensive patent portfolio in more than 70 countries worldwide.

“Innovating is critical, but it is not enough. The Fassada steel curtain wall technologies are carefully engineered to revolutionize the market, setting a new standard to eliminate problems and enable the impossible.”

Eric is co-founder of Fassada Steel SA, which is a Switzerland-based joint venture between the Swiss Montanstahl AG and the Belgian Fassada Group, the parent company of Fassada Technologies.

Ffion joined Rio in 2014 as an Architect and eight years later became a member of the board of directors. She is an extremely effective interface between clients and design teams and can manage multiple stakeholder types. Ffion has broad cross-sector experience, having worked on a range of projects across the UK, with considerable expertise in successfully delivering complex projects.

Notably, Ffion led the architectural team that developed the successful Bridge Street Exchange, a 26-storey student accommodation project in Cardiff. The recognisable tall building utilises modern methods of construction and is significant for its pioneering use of unitised façades in Wales.

Beyond her roles as an Architect and a Director, Ffion promotes networking and collaboration within the property and construction industry as the former Chair of the Fbe Cambria Committee, allowing her to raise money for her chosen charity for the year – Kids Cancer.

Pilbrow & Partners is led by Fred Pilbrow, an architect with over 30 years’ experience designing award winning projects in the UK and abroad. His work is shaped by a passion for the craft of building and a belief that architecture should provide a humane and uplifting backdrop to the life of the city.

Fred Pilbrow has established a reputation for the design and delivery of complex mixed-use projects for leading private and public sector clients. Fred’s interest and experience encompasses architectural design across a range of sectors including office, retail, research, residential, hospital, hotel and cultural uses. In each case his design approach seeks a clear and rational response to the particular challenges of the site and brief. His work integrates considerations of long-term sustainability and wellbeing and to this end Fred has developed specialist in-house resources to support his design work.

An architect with 20 years of professional experience, Ingo has led the design and delivery of award-winning projects in the UK and internationally across a diverse range of sectors, including corporate/commercial, higher education, science, healthcare and hospitality. Grounding design in a client’s business and a project’s context, he conceives inspiring solutions that are location-and user-specific. His collaborative approach empowers stakeholders in the process while guiding a project’s design along the journey from conception to completion. Ingo was lead designer for the RIBA Award-winning Life Sciences Building at the University of Southampton, the RIBA Award-shortlisted Queen Mary Innovation Centre, and the Endeavour Oncology Centre at James Cook University Hospital, which was shortlisted for public project of the year at the Building Awards.

James Brackenreed-Johnston joined the A. Proctor Group in 2019 as Specification Manager for the London Area. James has many years of experience in the high rise sector, focusing on façade design, regulation compliance and innovation. By advocating a systems based approach to airtightness in façades we have simplified the build-up of through wall designs and pushed forward the specification and completion of safer and more robust solutions utilising technically advanced materials with proven performance. For over 80 years the A. Proctor Group have supplied technically advanced product solutions for all parts of the building envelope. In the façade and high rise sector, the ground breaking Wraptite self-adhesive and vapour permeable external air barrier membrane improves airtightness and simplifies design, installation and detailing, while lowering costs and ensuring compliance with technical standards. The A. Proctor Group’s experience of hygrothermal modelling and understanding of the balance of heat, air and moisture within the building envelope gives specifiers confidence in achieving a robust and effective envelope design.

James is an experienced designer with an excellent eye for detail who works to high standards. He enjoys early project stages and rigorously refining project ideas. When delivering projects, he grasps strategic sequencing and shows clarity of thought. As a responsible and conscientious team leader, James encourages team members through mentoring.

Joan has developed his career in facades and bespoke glass solutions, contributing to projects worldwide for the past 26 years. He is an engineer in industrial design and holds a master's degree in marketing. Joan gained expertise in glass, spider systems, cable trusses, and glass fin structures during his three-year tenure at Bellapart. He further honed his skills in curved glass and designed glass configurations during his 22 years as marketing director at Cricursa.

Joan has delivered notable speeches, including “Curved Glass – Pursuit of the Impossible” (2016) at SFE in London, and most recently at CGC9, focusing on the "new generation of bending tempering equipment." He has managed significant projects such as Herzog & de Meuron’s 40 Bond St (New York), La Samaritaine (Paris) designed by SANAA, and the outstanding 9-meter high K11 Musea (Hong Kong), along with the 2016 Glass Technology Live "Vidre Slide," both engineered by Eckersley O’Callaghan, to name but a few.

Currently, Joan is a consultant at sedak, advising architects and facade engineers on new and challenging designs.

John Krouse, Chairman of the Board, Boston Valley Terra Cotta, Founder – Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop

John Krouse is the COB of Boston Valley Terra Cotta in Orchard Park, NY, as well as a Ceramic Engineer by trade. Boston Valley specializes in the manufacture of architectural terra cotta for both historic restoration and new construction, emerging as a global innovator in contemporary rainscreen design and production. Krouse holds a BS in Ceramic Engineering and a minor in Ceramic Sculpture from Alfred University and has over 39 years of experience in terra cotta manufacturing. During Krouse’s tenure as President, Boston Valley successfully completed well over 3,000 building projects ranging in size and scope from the preservation of historic landmarked buildings to the construction of supertall new-build structures.

Klaas De Rycke joined Bollinger+Grohmann Ingenieure in November 2003. From 2005 onwards, Klaas De Rycke relocated to Paris for Bollinger+Grohmann to assist Dominique Perrault Architects on the Mariinsky Theatre project in St. Petersburg. In 2007 he set up and established Bollinger+Grohmann Paris. The office has currently 30 permanent collaborators. Since 2015 he manages the Brussels office and he is actually partner of Bollinger+Grohmann Holding AG. Since 2008, De Rycke works as an assistant professor for the department of Architecture and Structural Development at the University of Ghent, Belgium. Since 2011, he was appointed as Guest Professor in the field of innovative engineering at the Architecture School of Versailles, France (ENSA-V). Since 2018 Klaas de Rycke is Senior Teaching Fellow at The Bartlett School of Architecture in London. As a project manager he is responsible for the structural and façade design of national and international projects in concrete, steel, wood and glass. He supervises design teams throughout all stages from competitions to construction administration. Besides his familiarity with local and international codes, he has an extensive knowledge in the design of geometrically complex free-form structures in combination with challenging façade systems. Klaas de Rycke regularly participates in international conferences and symposiums and he is the author and co-author of articles on engineering topics.

Lisa is a BSc qualified Chartered Geologist and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London.  She joined FMDC in 2021 and has 10 years of industry experience working as a geologist on a wide range of projects from stone interiors to external cladding and paving.  

She has built extensively on the experience of having previously worked for a highly regarded Independent Testing Authority and now has a broad knowledge of the performance and in-service use of natural stone in construction. Her wide professional experience has allowed her to be involved in the design, selection, quality assurance and construction aspects of projects using stone. As part of this work, she visits quarries and manufacturing plants both in the UK and internationally.

Lisa possesses a wide range of valuable project-related technical knowledge and is experienced in building strong relationships with project teams. Her involvement with FMDC includes high profile projects such as the Bloomberg HQ, Chelsea Barracks, and 30 Grosvenor Square projects and many others, including the Holborn Viaduct project, where reusing stone has become an important issue.

Lloyd Lee is the Managing Partner of YOO Capital, a London-based real estate investment firm. Born in New York, Lloyd holds a degree in Fine Arts: History of Architecture from Harvard University and a master’s in real estate and finance from Cornell University. He began his career at Starwood Capital Europe in the late nineties. With over 25 years of experience, Lloyd has been involved in £12 billion of real estate acquisitions and asset management across the UK, EU, US, and emerging markets. At YOO Capital, he sits on the Investment Committee and spearheads the redevelopment of London’s Olympia. Lloyd is a key value investor for major institutional investors, combining his extensive private equity expertise with a deep understanding of real estate assets.

DPLG architect based at the Paris agency, Lorenzo Piazza was born in Savona, Italy in 1981. He studied at the University of Genoa and at the Paris Belleville School of Architecture.

He joined the Paris agency in 2006, working on a number of projects including Central St Giles in London, the Fondatino Niarchos library in Athens, the Citadel of Amiens university hub and the Fubon Tower and Museum in Taipei. He led the CERN Science Portal project in Geneva.

He became associate in 2017.

Matteo Lazzarotto is an Engineer and Architect. Throughout his work experiences, he has been the façade project manager of ambitious projects with a proven track record of sustainable design focusing on circular economy, reduction of carbon emissions and high-performance buildings. He has worked on a wide mix of new builds and refurbishments ranging from commercial developments to high rise in United Kingdom, Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.

He is an Architect (ARB, UK) and Chartered Member of the Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE, UK), as well as Member of the Society of Façade Engineering (SFE, UK) and Institution of Civil and Environmental Engineers (CNI, Italy). As a specialist in his field, his work has been published in numerous articles on scientific publications and won multiple awards.

With almost 10 years in the façade industry, Matteo earned a strong ability in designing complex and high performing façade systems.

In the last years he worked on many major projects across London, such as the Phase 2 of the Battersea Power Station refurbishment, the development of the new Paddington Square and most recently the Stonecutter Court project. All these being involved at every stage in design, fabrication and installation.

Thanks to this experience and his solid background in structural engineering, he developed and holistic approach to the façade design, with the focus on buildability and cost-effective solutions.

Neil has over 15 years’ experience in the façade industry including 13 years delivering major façade projects in London for main contractors. Neil studied construction management and subsequently an MSc in Façade Engineering and has worked on many iconic buildings in London including BBC Broadcasting House and the 50 storey Principal Tower. Neil leads a façade team at Multiplex who oversee a portfolio of UK projects providing innovation and ensuring best practice in design and delivery.

Paul is an Associate Partner at RSHP. He has worked on award-winning projects, including Mossbourne Community Academy and Maggie’s Centre West London, which won the Stirling Prize in 2009. Paul co-led RSHP’s Sydney office for five years, designing both the Barangaroo Masterplan and the International Towers, Sydney which were awarded the highest 6-star Green Star rating. He also led the competition team for Sydney Metro and North West Rail and was project architect for the Victoria Harbour Masterplan in Melbourne. He is currently leading the London team for the design of the five metro stations in Melbourne, each station drawing on local character in their design and transforming the city by improving connectivity and acting as a catalyst for urban renewal. Paul was the project lead for the recently opened Emory Hotel in London and the redevelopment of its neighbour, the Berkeley Hotel.

Stephen Tanno graduated from The University of Southampton in 1987 and worked as a Consulting Engineer for the next 16 years, including 5 years with Ove Arup in Sydney and 8 years as Group Director with Buro Happold, where he founded the Façade Engineering Group, in London. In 2003 he joined Schneider GB Ltd initially as UK Technical Director and later as UK Managing Director guiding the company to become a market leader. In 2011 He joined Seele GmbH as Projects Director, and in 2015 he joined Schueco International as Director of Pre-Constructions Services.

He is a chartered engineer in both the UK and Australia and has a consistent track record of leading and delivering complex and bespoke high quality projects. He is a lateral thinker and has an all-round appreciation for design, engineering, and build-ability. He has extensive knowledge of project delivery from initial planning and design stages right through construction and handover. In recent years Stephen has collaborated with numerous architects to develop sustainable and functional façade designs that went on to be implemented to a realistic budget through a reliable delivery mechanism by close collaboration with façade contractors.

Thomas has a high level of experience in structural and facade engineering across a wide range of buildings and infrastructure projects. Previous roles include Global Facade Leader at Mott MacDonald Ltd, Technical Director at Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG, Technical Director at Seele Austria GmbH and Technical Director at Kingspan Ltd. He was also a Project Manager for ÍAV hf., also known as IPC (Iceland Prime Contractors), and a Senior Structural Facade Engineer at Ove Arup Ltd.

He has also had design and build responsibility on elements of numerous major projects such as Crossrail’s new Paddington station in London, England; Kirk Kapital A/S' new headquarter "Fjordenhus" in Vejle, Denmark; Maersk Panum Tower in Copenhagen, Denmark; Etihad Museum in Dubai, UAE; Glazed Link Library Walk in Manchester, England; Sowwah Galleria in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Trinity Leeds in Leeds, England; Cutty Sark in London, England; the Shard London Bridge Station, England; ARoS “Your Rainbow Panorama” in Aarhus, Denmark; Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland; and Triangeln Station in Malmö, Sweden.

As a Principal, Valeria leverages her 19 years of experience to lead project teams to deliver design excellence for clients by adopting a forward-thinking and holistic approach to design. She is recognized as an outstanding architect with a diverse design background that includes mixed-use, commercial offices, hospitality, residential, and cultural projects. Valeria takes a passionate approach towards reinventing and repositioning existing structures with a sustainability and circularity lens to make them relevant again. Her portfolio includes many high-profile developments across the U.K. as well as a wealth of international experience.

An inspiring leader and mentor, she prides herself on being a strong advocate for equality, diversity, and innovation in the design industry and is a member of Gensler’s Global Race and Diversity Committee.

Valérie provides technical service to the construction design community, including façade system manufacturers, architects and engineers. She has developed a broad expertise in façade engineering, including structural performance, fire safety, thermal or acoustic insulation.  Valérie is active at standardization level and holds an MSc and a PhD in Applied Sciences (electronics and optics).