Facades+ Chicago 2026

Presented by

CHICAGO Platinum Sponsors

SEPT 17 Earn up to 6 AIA HSW CEUs

WELCOME WELCOME TO FACADES+ CHICAGO! The Architect’s Newspaper is celebrating 14 Years of Facades+ Conferences. We are thrilled to welcome both new attendees and longtime facades fanatics to today’s event. We bring fresh and relevant programming to each and every city and have an exceptional group of projects, people, and expertise lined up for you today.

Facades+ Chicago gathers top professionals from the worlds of design, engineering, fabrication, and construction to consider how high-performance envelopes are transforming the built environment across North America, and are responding to changing codes, climates, technologies, and client expectations.

I’d like to thank our amazing conference co-chairs, Carl D’Silva and Marius Ronnett of Perkins&Will, who have assembled today’s program of design leaders. We invite you to connect with the presenters and your peers during networking breaks in the Methods+Materials Gallery and throughout today’s event.

Please get to know our sponsors exhibiting in the Methods+Materials Gallery today and learn how they will help you shape the future of facade design and technology.

Has Facades+ struck a chord with you? Have a look at our upcoming events held across North America. Visit our website to learn more about our other events and additional opportunities to earn your CEUs. We are eager to hear from you about how we might improve the Facades+ experience. Talk to us. And please spread the word—help us to continue to grow the Facades+ dialogue and community.

All the best,

Diana Darling CEO & Creative Director, AN Media Group

CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS

DIANA DARLING

DIONNE DARLING

MARTY WOOD

CEO / Creative Director, AN Media Group

VP of Brand Partnerships, AN Media Group

VP of Events, AN Media Group

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AGENDA 8:00 AM

CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST | Methods + Materials Gallery

9:00 AM

WELCOME: Dionne Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper

9:10 AM

Platinum Partner Welcome: Bob Zhang | North Glass

9:20 AM

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION: Carl D’Silva | Perkins&Will Marius Ronnett | Perkins&Will

9:25 AM

PANEL Organic Forms for International Facades: The Cairo Iconic Tower and the Suzhou Science and Technology Museum Presenters: Andrew Kroll | Perkins&Will Aashit Shah | Perkins&Will Marius Ronnett | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

10:15 AM

PANEL New Advances in Materials for Building Envelope Excellence Presenters: Brice Aarrestad | H Window Kelly Henry | Wells Carl D’Silva | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

10:45 AM

METHODS + MATERIALS GALLERY BREAK

11:30 AM

ROUNDTABLE Optimizing Facades for Illinois Stretch Code Presenters: Sara Beardsley | SCB Allison McSherry | Klein & Hoffman Katie Kaluzny | Illinois Green Alliance Chris Dillion | Campbell Coyle Marius Ronnett | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

12:15 PM

PANEL Enhancing Building Skins: Innovations for Better Performance and Design Presenters: Aaron Alterman | Specified Technologies Inc. Linda Zigman | C.R. Lawrence Carl D’Silva | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

12:45 PM

NETWORKING LUNCH

1:45 PM

AFTERNOON REMARKS: Dionne Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper

1:50 PM

PARTNER REMARKS: Cory Fry | Mitrex

2:00 PM

ROUNDTABLE Finding the Right Fit: DBB, Delegated Design vs. Design-Assist for Facades Presenters: Montgomery Forman | Island Facades Terrence R. McDonnell | CTL Group Matt Kuba | Thornton Tomasetti Carl D’Silva | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

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AGENDA 2:45 PM

SPOTLIGHT Facades for Transformation: The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation Presenters: Max Komnenich | LJC Alyssa Krause | Project Management Advisors, Inc Darnell Shields | ACT – Proactive Community Building Marius Ronnett | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

3:30 PM

METHODS + MATERIALS GALLERY BREAK

4:15 PM

PANEL Redesigning an Icon: The James R. Thompson Center Presenters: Philip Castillo | Jahn/ Lynda Dossey | Jahn/ Carl D’Silva | Perkins&Will MODERATOR

5:00 PM

CLOSING REMARKS Carl D’Silva | Perkins&Will Marius Ronnett | Perkins&Will Dionne Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper

5:05 PM

NETWORKING HAPPY HOUR

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CO-CHAIRS CARL D’SILVA

Principal / Perkins&Will Carl’s belief that world-class modern architecture is feasible only through intricate understanding and integration of the design and technical sides, has driven his growth as an architect throughout his career.

His development of complex designs and systems in mega-projects was instrumental in the successful delivery of signature buildings.

At our firm, Carl has found a forward-thinking firm with enough structural flexibility to continue on his integrated path.

While Carl has been proud to call Chicago home since 1994, he enjoys travelling to all corners of the globe, and is always looking to add to his running total of 40+ countries visited.

MARIUS RONNETT

Senior Project Architect / Perkins&Will Marius is a Senior Project Architect at Perkins&Will in Chicago, with 35 years of professional experience, specializing in technical design, with emphasis on complex façade solutions. His projects range from Super-tall Skyscrapers to major Civic projects throughout the world, and include AIA awarded buildings like the Universidade Agostinho Neto in Angola, Shanghai Natural History Museum in Shanghai, Chervon R&D Center in Nanjing, Contemporaine residential midrise in Chicago, Eastside Regional Park Rec Center in El Paso, etc.

Marius graduated from the University of Illinois in Chicago, has worked as an architect both in the USA and Germany, and spent most of his career in the Perkins&Will Chicago office, while also mentoring their overseas offices in Shanghai and London.

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SPEAKERS BRICE AARRESTAD

Director of Design / H Window

As a licensed architect, Brice plays a crucial role in providing guidance on our large technical projects, strategizing new products, and elevating the H Window brand across our constellation of marketing platforms.

AARON ALTERMAN

Consultant Support Specialist – US & Canada / Specified Technologies Inc.

Aaron joined STI in 2015 as a Territory Manager in the Gulf South. In 2018, he was promoted to the Curtain and Facades Specialist role, working with glaziers, fabricators, curtain wall consultants and perimeter fire containments contractors in the Midwest, Gulf Coast, Texas and Central Canada. In 2024, Aaron became the Curtain Wall and Facades Consultant Support Specialist for North America, working with curtain wall consultants, architects, engineers and code officials.

SARA BEARDSLEY

Associate Principal / SCB

Sara Beardsley is an Associate Principal in SCB’s Chicago office and the Director of Technical Design. She works in partnership with SCB’s technical leaders to promote high performance design and quality across all SCB projects. Working domestically and internationally for over twenty years, Sara has extensive experience working with complex project requirements on challenging and unique sites. Her approach to design stems from a keen interest in livable urban environments, backed by a body of research on topics such as the decarbonization of cities, preservation and adaptive reuse of buildings, and high-performing building envelopes.

PHILIP CASTILLO

Managing Director / Jahn/

Philip Castillo, FAIA, brings over 40 years of distinguished experience spanning a broad spectrum of building types, including some of the most complex and high-profile projects undertaken by the firm.

As Managing Director, he engages in all phases of a project including overseeing planning, design, management, and systems integration, to ensure the design intent is meticulously preserved from inception through completion.

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CHRIS DILLION

President / Campbell Coyle

As President of Campbell Coyle, Chris Dillion creates and enhances inspired places, collaborating with community builders and city makers as a catalyst for sustainable change. At the connection of the natural and built environments, his work is inspired by the power of place. Projects are design forward, at a variety of scales (from missing middle to campus/district scale), transit connected and deep green. His process is iterative, leading change and embracing continuous reinvention.

LYNDA DOSSEY

Director / Jahn/

Lynda Dossey, AIA, brings extensive experience managing the architectural complexities of large-scale projects.

With a strong commitment to effective problemsolving through design innovation and technical strategies, she ensures that original design visions are faithfully realized from concept through construction administration. Lynda’s collaborative approach with team members and consultants consistently delivers high-quality design outcomes. She advocates for the integration of pragmatic construction practices and sustainability principles to elevate exceptional design.

MONTGOMERY FORMAN

Chief Design Officer / Island Facades

Monty Forman is Chief Design Officer at Island Facades where he oversees all new project engagements through the Design Assist, Design-Build or Integrated Project Delivery processes. His leadership responsibilities expand to providing strategic planning and new product development input for Island’s complete portfolio of work. Monty holds a BA Yale University and an M.ARCH from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is currently a registered Architect in the State of Massachusetts and is NCARB Certified. Since establishing Island’s Boston office in 2013, Monty has most enjoyed the challenge of converting traditionally detailed projects into high-performance prefabricated megapanel or curtainwall systems.

CORY FRY

Sales Director / Mitrex

Cory Fry is the Sales Director at Mitrex, a leading manufacturer of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). With a background in sustainable construction, Cory and his team work closely with developers, architects, and contractors to integrate solar technology into building façades. Passionate about innovation and decarbonization, he helps clients unlock the aesthetic and energy-generating potential of solar cladding systems, contributing to a more sustainable built environment.

SPEAKERS KELLY HENRY

Director of Architectural Systems / Wells

Kelly leads the strategic growth and development of DEX, Wells’ national Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) building solution. With more than 16 years of experience in UHPC and precast facades, she brings expertise in research, design, and fabrication to deliver high-performance, memorable architectural solutions. Kelly is recognized for bridging design intent with manufacturable solutions and advancing sustainable, design-forward building systems across the United States.

KATIE KALUZNY

Deputy Director / Illinois Green Alliance

Katie directs and implements education programming, fosters organizational partnerships and collaborations, works with all staff on their program goals, and oversees day to day activities of the organization. Before Illinois Green, Katie worked for the Chicago Department of Environment leading volunteer, intern and education programs at the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT) for two years. And for four years, led the volunteer programs at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park. Outside of work, Katie serves on the Village of Brookfield’s Board of Trustees.

MAX KOMNENICH

Associate Principal / LJC

Max is attracted to complex problems and has sought them out in his architectural career since 2011.

A true believer in technology’s power for design and visualization, Max is continually pushing for more efficient design and documentation workflows.

Max worked on some of the most complicated healthcare projects in the region throughout his career, synthesizing many stakeholders’ needs into comprehensive designs, later working on equally complex manufacturing and laboratory buildings.

ALYSSA KRAUSE

Project Director / Project Management Advisors, Inc

Alyssa Krause is a Project Director at Project Management Advisors with more than a decade of experience leading complex real estate and capital improvement projects across education, civic, nonprofit, commercial, and mixed-use sectors. She provides expertise in planning, design, construction, budgeting, and schedule management, including specialized knowledge with multi-source funding strategies and compliance. Alyssa is known for her attention to detail, collaborative approach, and commitment to delivering impactful, community-focused projects.

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ANDREW KROLL

Project Architect / Perkins&Will

Andrew Kroll is an architect from Chicago, Illinois. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute’s GAUD [Graduate Architecture and Urban Design] in Brooklyn, New York. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has studied at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia [IaaC] in Barcelona, Spain.

MATT KUBA

Associate Principal / Thornton Tomasetti

Matt Kuba is the Midwest Region leader for our Façade Engineering practice. He specializes in structural analysis and design, finite element modeling and thermal performance analysis of high-performing building façades. Matt has considerable expertise in innovative structural glass systems and steel specialty structures. He is adept at managing teams of engineers and collaborating with owners, architects and other consultants to ensure that project objectives are successfully met. Matt’s portfolio includes new design and repositioning projects in the higher education, residential, retail, cultural, government and commercial market sectors. These include the repositioning of Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower, the University of Oregon’s Knight Campus in Eugene, The Couture, a 44-story glass residential high-rise in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and U.S. embassy projects around the world.

TERRENCE R. MCDONNELL Principal Engineer / CTL Group

Mr. McDonnell brings over 25 years of structural engineering expertise to CTLGroup as Associate Principal.

Recognized for his deep technical knowledge and innovative thinking, Terrence leads multidisciplinary teams through complex structural design, forensic analysis, and rehabilitation of significant buildings across the United States and Canada.

ALLISON MCSHERRY

Associate V. / Klein & Hoffman

Allison started her career as an energy modeler focusing on LEED projects and 179D Tax Deductions. She quickly realized the gap in industry education related to energy code compliance through energy modeling, i.e. performance path. This led her to develop and teach three different seminars around the state of Illinois through a DCEO BITE grant over multiple program years. Outside of work, Allison enjoys traveling abroad with an emphasis on art, culture, and cuisine.

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SPEAKERS AASHIT SHAH

BOB ZHANG

Associate Principal / Perkins&Will

Design was part of Aashit’s story from the very beginning. He was shaped by the legacy of nearby works by Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, and Balkrishna Doshi while growing up in Ahmedabad, India. That early exposure, combined with a lifelong appreciation for traditional Indian design and craft, shaped his belief that good architecture is always contextual, climateresponsive, and human-centered.

DARNELL SHIELDS

Executive Director / ACT – Proactive Community Building

Darnell Shields is a charismatic and impactful leader deeply rooted in Chicago’s West Side, particularly in the Austin neighborhood. He serves as the Executive Director of Austin Coming Together (ACT), a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life for Austin residents.Darnell graduated from the City Colleges of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurship. He has received many individual recognitions, most notably the Mayor’s Medal of Honor for his leadership in Racially Equitable & Rapid COVID Response during the pandemic. Darnell is also active on multiple boards, showing his continued commitment to his community and the city of Chicago.

Sales Director | North America / North Glass

Bob is the Sales Director of Tianjin Northglass for North America, the leading fabricator of specialty and oversized architectural glass for the global construction industry.

Bob has many years of experience working with Quality Control department. Bob was the project manager for Apple Park project in Cupertino, supporting the design team on the glass selection for Apple’s new headquarters. In 2015, Bob came to the US to make more connections with architects and support their designs of future projects with the innovation and capabilities that Northglass has to offer.

LINDA ZIGMAN

Architectural Design Manager, Midwest Region / CRL

Linda has spent more than three decades working alongside architects, owners, and engineers to bring complex building projects to life. As a seasoned architectural representative, her technical expertise spans multiple construction divisions—including low-voltage electrical, masonry, engineered cements, and glass and glazing hardware.

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December 3

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