Facades+ Chicago Returns September 12: Innovations in Facade Design

This blog post previews the Facades+ conference taking place on September 12 at the voco Chicago Downtown. It summarizes the day’s programming curated by SmithGroup principals and highlights the sessions, projects, and technical discussions that will shape contemporary facade design.

Topics include material innovations, sustainability, fabrication, and urban impact.

Why Facades+ matters for architects and engineers

Facades+ is a focused industry gathering that brings design leaders, manufacturers, and contractors together to advance the practice of building envelope design. For design teams and technical professionals, the conference is an opportunity to learn about recent breakthroughs in materials, fabrication, performance criteria, and regulatory drivers affecting facades.

The agenda, curated by SmithGroup principals Matt Dumich, Coty Sandberg, and Jason Smith, balances storytelling and technical rigor. It showcases how design intent translates into constructible, high-performance envelopes.

Featured sessions and project narratives

The opening session uses a narrative approach, presenting four projects through the lens of structure, characters, conflict, and resolution. This method helps attendees connect design decisions to real-world constraints and inventive solutions.

Key project highlights include:

Technical exchange: materials, manufacturing, and performance

Facades+ emphasizes technical exchanges that move the industry forward. A Methods + Materials gallery will showcase 22 building product companies, providing hands-on access to emerging facade components and detailing approaches.

Roundtables on innovation and sustainability

The day includes roundtable discussions with manufacturers to examine advances in high-performance envelope materials and preview upcoming innovations.

These sessions will address evolving building codes and increasing sustainability demands that influence product development and specification.

Another discussion features Bill Zahner (Zahner) and Juanita Garcia (Pepper Construction) focusing on waste reduction and recyclability. They will share strategies to lower embodied carbon on large-scale projects—topics that are now essential for practice and procurement.

Takeaways for practice and urban development

Attendees can expect practical guidance on material selection and lessons in panelization and fabrication.

The conference also offers proven strategies to meet thermal, acoustic, and accessibility goals while reducing environmental impact.

Collaboration as the central driver

Throughout the conference, a recurring theme will be collaboration between designers, engineers, manufacturers, and builders. This teamwork aims to deliver facades that are beautiful, durable, and sustainable.

The program highlights that technical innovation, guided by cross-disciplinary teamwork, leads to resilient urban development.

For architects, engineers, and facade specialists, Facades+ on September 12 offers a focused, practice-oriented update on the future of facade design. The event will cover technical, aesthetic, and ethical aspects in the heart of Chicago.

 
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