International Façade Congress will show demands on contemporary building shells

During the planners’ forum “The Art of Planning,” Feb. 26, world-renowned architects, engineers and researchers will present the latest developments, pioneering projects and experiments relating to current and future façades.

Featuring architects Kim Herforth Nielsen (3XN), Volker Staab (Staab Architekten), Matthias Schuler (Transsolar), Manuelle Gautrand (Manuelle Gautrand Architecture), Oliver Thill (Atelier Kempe Thill), Martin Rauch (Lehm Ton Erde), Daniel Pfanner (Bollinger+Grohmann) and Henk Jonkers (Delft Technical University), the International Congress FAÇADES 2015 of Messe Stuttgart will examine façades from different perspectives.

As the front of a building, a façade should set standards, attract attention and be successfully integrated into the building. There are many different expectations regarding the external effect of new façades. How do architects and planners tackle the challenge of giving innovations a face? As a building shell, façades should provide protection against solar radiation without becoming dark and should also ideally distribute sunlight without generating heat.

The conditions in new climate certificates and growing environmental awareness are turning the development of building shells into a science. Evolutionary materials and designs form the framework for highly developed building technology. Research in these areas is constantly bringing developers to their limits—and beyond.

The introductory talk by Schuler will look at the most important developments and trends in the area of façades. Herforth Nielsen will provide insights into his design world while Staab will talk about his requirements relating to contemporary building shells.

Other talks will focus on exemplary designs and implementations of innovative façade architecture. The talks will present the latest research results in the areas of technology and materials, which are continuously extending the scope of façade design. It will be redefined here how and what façades can now do: futuristic and expressive, smart and efficient, bionic and close to nature.

The FAÇADES 2015 Congress and the subsequent visit to R+T will be free of charge for participants. Online registration is requested. The Congress will be recognized and certified accordingly by the chambers as an advanced training course.

Date: Thurs., Feb. 26, 2015, 10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Venue: ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart, Messe Stuttgart