Sept. 11 SEMINAR

Technology Meets Nature

The 3rd edition of the Performance-Based Façade Design (PBFD) initiative, titled Technology Meets Nature, will continue its mission to bring together global leaders and innovators in façade design. Building on the success of the previous years, the 2025 seminar will explore the intersection of advanced technologies and natural elements in the evolution of building envelopes.

The 2025 edition presents the Advisory Group, a multidisciplinary body of recognized experts guiding the long-term vision of the initiative.

Sept. 12 DEBATES

Façades as Drivers for Sustainable Developments

The day's debates on Façades as Drivers for Sustainable Developments will center on the transformative role façades play in promoting sustainability within the built environment. Experts will explore how innovative façade technologies and design strategies contribute to energy efficiency, resource conservation, and climate resilience. The debate will focus on key topics such as the integration of circular economy principles, the potential for material reuse, and how façades can increase their service life.

Sept. 13 OFF-SITE ACTIVITIES

Simeon Factory and De Stefani Winery Tours

A Journey Beyond Ideas and Into Taste

The technical visit begins with private transportation from Venice city center to Simeon’s production facility, where high-performance façade systems are manufactured. The tour includes a detailed examination of the latest mock-ups featuring crafted pressed terracotta, designed for installation in New York City.

The visit continues with a tour of Cantina De Stefani, where participants acquire in-depth knowledge of the historical and technical aspects of winemaking in the Veneto region. This includes a guided exploration of the vineyards and cellars, followed by a wine tasting session.

The Full Story

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2025 Keynote Speakers

Michele Pasca di Magliano | Director, Zaha Hadid Architects

Michele Pasca di Magliano is a Director at Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), specializing in high-rise developments and large-scale urban projects. Since joining ZHA in 2004, he has played a key role in delivering internationally recognized architectural and masterplanning designs, spanning urban regeneration, cultural institutions, and bespoke interiors.
Currently, Michele leads major projects, including the newly awarded Porta Est Masterplan in Naples, Italy, a transformative urban regeneration project featuring the new Campania region headquarters, along with residential, commercial, and public spaces designed for connectivity and sustainability.
He also directs the Singapore New Science Centre and the Sleuk Rith Memorial Institute in Phnom Penh. As Project Director, he contributed to the Morpheus Hotel & Resort in Macau, one of the region’s most iconic integrated resorts.

Agnes Koltay | Founder, Koltay Façades

Fascinated by high-rise buildings since childhood, Agnes Koltay pursued a career that blends architectural aesthetics, engineering precision, and performance-driven design. She is the founder and CEO of Koltay Façades, with offices in Dubai and Singapore. In 2025 she won of the UAE’s Excellence and Innovation in Engineering Award. Her firm has contributed to iconic skyscrapers, including The Opus (ZHA), Address Jumeirah Gate, Museum of the Future (both Killa Design), Sky View and Burj Vista (both SOM), and Fountain Views (DP Architects). Agnes specializes in innovative façade solutions, pushing technical boundaries. Koltay Façades also played a key role in the Misk Art Institute Museum (Studio Anne Holtrop) in Riyadh, overseeing its complex cast glass façade from the competition stage to handover. The project required advanced engineering coordination and material testing, particularly for the borosilicate glass elements, ensuring both performance and aesthetic integrity.

Thomas Winterstetter | Partner and Managing Director, Werner Sobek

Thomas Winterstetter has been Managing Director of the Werner Sobek Stuttgart main office since 2008 and is Partner since 2016. After having joined the company in 2001, he has spent most of his career focusing on the design and construction of complex building envelopes and structures, and he completed a wide range of projects across the globe, ranging from supertall high-rise buildings to cultural facilities. Thomas Winterstetter holds a PhD in Structural Engineering at the University of Essen/Germany and also graduated in Economics at the University of Hagen/Germany. Since 2018 he is honorary professor at the University of Stuttgart, where he has been a lecturer since 2004.

2025 Speakers

Joan Tarrús | Consultant, Sedak

Joan is a consultant at Sedak, providing guidance to architects and facade engineers on innovative and complex designs. With 26 years of experience in facades and custom glass solutions, he has contributed to projects across the globe. Joan holds a degree in industrial design engineering and a master's in marketing. He gained in-depth knowledge in curved glass and the design of glass configurations.

Ingo Stelzer | Senior Technical Program Manager, Kuraray Europe

Ingo Stelzer is Senior Technical Program Manager at Kuraray Europe GmbH. With more than 20 years of professional experience in the glass and façade industry he has been involved into the realization of many projects and R&D programs worldwide. He is also an active member of DIN & EN Code Work groups in Europe. In year 2000 he received his engineering degree at the University of Hanover.
Positions before joining Kuraray have been at DuPont / GLS as a Senior Consultant and at the Seele-Group as a Technical Director.

Laura Craft | Head of Sustainability, Staticus

As Head of Sustainability at Staticus, Laura Craft is dedicated to embedding lifecycle sustainability into façade construction processes, addressing the climate crisis and supporting the transition to a circular industry. With over 10 years of international consulting experience and technical training in architecture, façade engineering, and sustainability, she brings a holistic approach to sustainable construction practices.
Laura delivered numerous high-profile projects across Australasia, East Asia, Europe, and Scandinavia. She leads the implementation of Staticus' sustainability strategy across product development, project delivery, and business operations. Laura is known for her close collaboration with supply chain and research partners to implement low-carbon design and circular construction strategies into façade construction, including most recently on Pilefaçade, Denmark and One Exchange Square, UK.

Massimo Colombari | Technical Director, Simeon

With a degree in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Technical Physics, Massimo started his career in 2000, in a leading multinational company in the skyscraper construction sector, dealing with Research and Engineering for large architectural projects. Since 2007, he has held the position of Technical Director in a major international company in the façade and carpentry sector. Since 2015, he has held the role of Technical Director at Simeon, leading all the company’s technical activities, from design to engineering, from quality to R&D, with the aim of innovating the design approach and creating outstanding works.

Stephen Katz | Technical Director, Principal, Gensler

Stephen is a Technical Director in Gensler’s Chicago office. He has worked and lectured in the United States, Asia, and Europe. As a recognized thought leader, Stephen has been featured in foremost design publications and journals, authoring works on façade design, intelligent building technology, and sustainability. He has played strategic positions on award winning projects including the Johnson Controls Asia-Pacific Headquarters, the Willis Tower Repositioning Project, and the Kohler Global Communications Headquarters. He favors an inclusive design process which recognizes the importance of teamwork, listening, and the power of imagination.
Stephen is a licensed Architect, a LEED Accredited Professional, and a member of the American Institute of Architects. Stephen was a Lieutenant in the US Naval Reserves serving as an officer in the Civil Engineer Corps.

Caroline Kruit | International Business Developer, Metadecor

Caroline Kruit works as International Business Developer for Metadecor and teaches at the Academy of Architecture in Arnhem and lectures about sustainable architecture and façade engineering at international events. She studied structural engineering at Delft University of Technology (faculty of Civil Engineering, MSc CEng 1994) and Journalism (HvU, Utrecht, 1997). For over two decades Caroline has been writing (researching, talking and teaching) about architecture, building technology, sustainability and circular design. In 2023, Caroline collaborated on the Masdar City Airshade Prototype in Abu Dhabi. In 2024 she co-initiated the development of SOMBRA.

Peter Dushenski | Managing Director, GlasCurtain

Peter Dushenski is the Managing Director of Canada-based GlasCurtain inc. Since 2013, he's lead the manufacturer to several industry firsts including the world's highest thermally-performing glazed curtain wall based on Passive House (PHI) certification - rated to 0.60 W/m2K - while growing the company's installer network to over 35 partners across North America.
Peter has previously been invited to speak at the Canada-EU Green Building Forum in Brussels, Belgium, at Ecobuild in London, UK, at Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) National Conference, and at Passive House Canada National Conference.
In addition to curtain wall, Peter's passions include golf, auto racing, art collecting, and spending time with his wife and two young sons.

Lars Anders | CEO, Priedemann

Lars Anders is the CEO of Priedemann and Facade-Lab Research & Development Center, which accomplishes tasks related to the facade or building envelope. In this role, he manages and leads, along with his managing partners, a team providing all services in facade planning, consulting, engineering, and other project-related assignments like product research and functional development. Lars has a degree in Civil Engineering (University of Applied Sciences, Berlin 1985). Inspired by building skins and their limitless possibilities, Priedemann provides interdisciplinary services to investors, developers, architects, consultants, main contractors, and fabricators, which have enabled them to achieve higher levels of efficiency, quality, and cost certainty in the development and execution of their façade projects.

2025 Moderators

Mikkel K. Kragh | Head of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University

Professor Mikkel K. Kragh is Head of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Aarhus University, Denmark. Appointed Professor in 2017, he previously led programs at the Danish Architecture Centre and worked internationally as a façade specialist with Arup, Permasteelisa Group, and Dow, advancing high-performance façade solutions.
He holds a PhD in Building Physics from the Technical University of Denmark, is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Society of Façade Engineering (FSFE), a Board Member of CTBUH Scandinavia, among other affiliations. He received the CIBSE Silver Medal (2014) and became a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV) in 2017. In 2023, he co-founded the Aarhus Centre for Regenerative Building.

2025 Panel Session

Mitsu Edwards | Director, EOC Paris

Mitsu has worked in Paris for over 20 years leading facade and structural engineering projects for International architects including MVDRV, Heatherwick, BIG and Morphosis. Her expertise focuses on highly technical structures and envelopes, often with complex geometries or new materials.Previously a director with RFR and HDA, she has been with Eckersley O'Callaghan since 2017, occupying a cross-functional role that facilitates the consolidation of technical knowledge between our London and Paris offices and the development of collaboration with clients and architects globally. Mitsu has also lectured regularly for many years at Architectural and Engineering schools in France.

Damian Rogan | Director of Facade Engineering, EOC London

Damian joined Eckersley O’Callaghan in 2012 to establish a Facade Engineering group in the London office. Under the success of his leadership, the group has grown into one of the largest facade engineering groups in the UK, engaged in the design of many innovative and sustainable building envelopes ranging from bespoke detailing of high-performance curtain wall systems, to refined interventions in historic buildings. With over 20 years of professional experience, Damian is a leading expert in his field and today sits on the Board of the Society of Facade Engineering and is a member of the CWCT sustainability steering committee.

Lisa Rammig | Director, EOC Los Angeles

Lisa is the Director of our West Coast offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She joined Eckersley O’Callaghan in 2013 to support the practice’s emerging facade engineering group in London and after playing a significant role in the group’s exceptional growth, Lisa has been responsible for the expansion of our West Coast presence. She leads our most high profile projects with Google campus’ in California and a number of Apple flagship retail stores. Lisa is leading EOC’s R&D efforts, focusing on innovative glass designs and technology. She is currently pursuing her doctoral research at TU Delft.

Alessandro Baldini | Director, EOC Milan

Since joining Eckersley O’Callaghan in 2014, Alessandro has been pivotal in the firm’s growth – helping set up the Milan office which he now leads. With a strong multidisciplinary background, he has amassed extensive experience in facade engineering with a portfolio of clients and projects across the world. His approach to design is underpinned by a passion for sustainability and attention to technical detail, allowing him to operate successfully across different markets and sectors. Chartered as an Architect and Engineer in the UK (MCIBSE), he is also member of the Order of Engineers in Italy.

2025 Event Venues: Auditorium, Grand Finale, Hotel

Auditorium Santa Margherita, Venice

The third edition of PBFD will take place in the prestigious Auditorium Santa Margherita, a venue that perfectly embodies the intersection of history, culture, and innovation. Located in the heart of Venice, this former 13th-century church has been transformed into a versatile cultural hub, renowned for hosting international conferences, artistic performances, and workshop events. The auditorium's unique blend of Gothic and Venetian architecture, coupled with its elegant vaulted ceilings and preserved fresco fragments, creates an inspiring atmosphere for creative and technical exchange.

The choice of Auditorium Santa Margherita underscores the initiative's commitment to connecting cutting-edge façade design with Venice’s rich architectural legacy, providing a fitting stage for advancing the future of performance-based façade innovation.

Grand Finale location: Palazzo Nani Bernardo

Located in the heart of Venice on the Grand Canal, between Ca’ Rezzonico and Ca’ Foscari, Palazzo Nani Bernardo is a 16th-century palace. The building features a typically Renaissance façade with remarkable compactness and regularity, divided into a ground floor, two noble floors, and an attic. Originally adorned with frescoes and decorative motifs, small fragments of these are still visible on the sides of the building. The façade, clad in white marble, is also distinguished by two 18th-century coats of arms positioned at the level of the second floor between the windows.

The Palazzo is accessed via a splendid entrance from the Grand Canal, leading to a grand main staircase that provides access to the two noble floors. Inside, it boasts a truly unique Italian-style garden, one of the largest private gardens in Venice.

Hotel Avani Rio Novo Venice, Venice

We recommend attendees take advantage of the special experience of staying at Avani Rio Novo Venice, the official PBFD 2025 conference hotel. Located in the heart of Dorsoduro—one of Venice’s most authentic and artistic neighborhoods, close to the Auditorium Santa Margherita and Palazzo Nani Bernardo venues—this contemporary hotel offers the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and design.

Special rates are available exclusively for PBFD participants for stays between 10–14 September 2025, making it an ideal base for engaging with the PBFD network throughout the event.

The hotel is within walking distance of the main conference venues and offers easy access to Venice’s cultural landmarks.

For details on how to book with the PBFD rate, please refer to our accommodations page or contact us directly.

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