Facades+ at Ten

Celebrating a decade of presenting the AEC industry’s leading conference on building enclosure design and fabrication

In 2012, AN launched the first Facades+ event based upon a simple but incontrovertible observation: Buildings account for 40 percent of global carbon emissions, and one of the best ways to mitigate that impact is through boosting the energy performance of facades. We surveyed the field only to find that there were no conferences focused on improving facade performance with the aid of emerging parametric software or computer-assisted fabrication techniques. And so we created Facades+ (the plus signaling the tie to technological innovation), with the mission of bringing together leading architects, engineers, facade consultants, contractors, and manufacturers—the whole circle of the world of facades— to share information and forge connections leading to the next generation of high-performance building enclosures.

From our first event in New York City, Facades+ has grown to host conferences in nearly 20 cities across the country. Architectural solutions, especially those related to energy performance, are regional by necessity. In extending Facades+ to include more cities, we always partner with local practices to discuss significant local projects in ways that are meaningful for that location. Each event includes a symposium with keynote speakers and panels, in which projects are shared; an exposition, in which manufacturers exhibit their products and systems; and a series of workshops in which designers learn about the latest tools and strategies for improving performance and design quality. Facades+ is also committed to providing continuing education to architects and offers AIA credits to attendees.

Of course, we haven’t done it all on our own. In addition to our local partners, throughout the history of Facades+ we’ve teamed up with industry stakeholders and innovators leading the development of ever-more-efficient facade design and fabrication processes. We’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge them and express our deep gratitude: Mic Patterson of Facade Tectonics and facade contractor Enclos were an integral part in the early days of getting the conference up and running on the right track. Gary Higbee of the Steel Institute of New York was our first sponsor and really got the ball rolling. Edward Peck has been a supporter for the past ten years and hasn’t missed an event. Heath May of HKS has offered consistent support. Jason Kelly Johnson helped us kick off our West Coast events. Our friends at TEX-FAB— Andrew Vrana, Kevin McClellan, Kory Bieg, and Brad Bell—have kept us in the know about the latest in digital fabrication. Jeff Haber of W&W Glass has always lent us his ear and his advice. William Kreysler of Kreysler & Associates has taught us all about composites. Erik Verboon of Walter P Moore and Ronnie Parsons of Mode Lab have helped keep us on the 10 cutting edge of developments in engineering and computational design and manufacturing (also, thanks, Erik, for all the great cocktail parties). And certainly we have to thank our premium sponsors, YKK AP and Vitro, which have bestowed their support and contributed know-how to our learning environment.

There are many more! To all of the facades tribe—all the sponsors and attendees who have joined us throughout the years—thank you. We hope Facades+ has elevated your knowledge as the industry continues to evolve.

As we celebrate this ten-year anniversary, it’s clear that Facades+ is as relevant as ever. Over the past decade, the reality and severity of climate change have only become more and more apparent and the need to leverage technology to safeguard against further destruction has become all the more urgent. For architects and other building designers wishing to move the needle of the built environment in the direction of ecological responsibility, there’s no better way to be fueled with inspiration and armed with the latest advances in design and technology than by attending Facades+. Chances are, we’ll be appearing in your city soon.