WELCOME TO FACADES+ TORONTO!
The Architect’s Newspaper is celebrating 13 Years of Facades+ Conferences. We are thrilled to welcome both new attendees and longtime facades fanatics to today’s dynamic event. We bring fresh and relevant programming to each city, and have an exceptional group of projects, people, and expertise for you to learn about today.
Facades+ Toronto brings together top professionals from the worlds of design, engineering, fabrication, and construction to consider how high-performance envelopes are evolving and transforming the built environment across Canada, and are responding to changing codes, climates, technologies, and client needs.
I’d like to thank our amazing conference co-chairs, Michael Leckman, Dieter Janssen, & Alison Modl and their team at Diamond Schmitt Architects who have brought together 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 the 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 in 15 cities across the U.S. & Canada. Visit our website to learn more about our other events and additional opportunities to earn your CEU's.
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 CEO / Creative Director, AN Media Group
MARTY WOOD VP of Events, AN Media Group
DIONNE DARLING VP of Brand Partnerships, AN Media Group
Timbre & Harmony in Vancouver, BC
Passive House A ordable Housing
Ryder Architecture & Etro Construction
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AGENDA
(TIMES IN EST)
8:30 AM CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST | Methods + Materials Gallery
9:30 AM WELCOME: Diana Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper
9:35 AM PARTNER WELCOME: Cory Fry | Mitrex
PROGRAM INTRODUCTION:
Michael Leckman | Diamond Schmitt
9:40 AM
9:45 AM
10:15 AM
Dieter Janssen | Diamond Schmitt
Alison Modl | Diamond Schmitt
SPOTLIGHT Parametric Design & Natural Stone: Rolex Boutique Presenters:
Alex Josephson | PARTISANS
Alison Modl | Diamond Schmitt
PANEL Evolution of BIPV: Building as Micro Power Plant
Presenters:
Michael Leckman | Diamond Schmitt
Dieter Janssen | Diamond Schmitt
Alison Modl | Diamond Schmitt
11:00 AM METHODS + MATERIALS BREAK
SPOTLIGHT Dawes Road Library: Folded Facades & Indigenous Forms
Presenters:
Eladia Smoke | Smoke Architecture
11:30 AM
12:15 PM
Michael Blois | Perkins&Will
Susan Martin | Toronto Public Library
Dieter Janssen | Diamond Schmitt
PANEL Fabrication Futures: Advances in Materials for Building Envelope Excellence
Presenters:
Mike Augustine | SAFTIFIRST
Luc Pacquet | Unicel Architectural
Dieter Janssen | Diamond Schmitt
12:45 PM NETWORKING LUNCH
1:45 PM TABLE TALKS: PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING SESSION
PANEL Build Better: Improving Building Skins
Presenters:
2:15 PM
Michael Steinhuelb | seele
Mike Cairns | Innotech Windows & Doors
Michael Leckman | Diamond Schmitt
2:45 PM
AGENDA
CIVIC PERSPECTIVE TransformTO Net Zero Strategy: What Architects Need to Know Presenters:
Sarah Rodrigues | City of Toronto
3:00 PM METHODS + MATERIALS BREAK
PANEL SkyTower at One Yonge: Designing Canada’s Tallest Building Presenters:
3:30 PM
Jodi Buck | Hariri Pontarini Architects
Nadine El-Gazzar | Hariri Pontarini Architects
Alison Modl | Diamond Schmitt
ROUNDTABLE High Performance, Low Carbon: Innovations in Prefabricated and Modular Facade Design Presenters:
4:15 PM
David Bowick | Blackwell Structural Engineers
Judith Martin | City of Toronto | Environment and Climate
Kevin Rocchi | Element5
Dieter Janssen | Diamond Schmitt
CLOSING REMARKS
5:00 PM
Diana Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper
Michael Leckman | Diamond Schmitt
5:05 PM HAPPY HOUR
WI-FI
NETWORK: @hyatt_meeting CODE: no password needed
SPEAKERS
CO-CHAIRS
MICHAEL LECKMAN
Principal / Diamond Schmitt
Michael Leckman demonstrates strong leadership and consensus building both within the firm and in the field. His design of college and university buildings has transformed academic life across Canada. He champions sustainable innovation, which has enabled new approaches to green building design. As Principal at Diamond Schmitt, Michael pioneered two important initiatives of knowledge exchange: DSX, a digital platform for information sharing; and DSU, the office’s unique approach to continuing education. As founding member and Vice Chair of Toronto’s Design Review Panel, he has shaped a critical debate on city planning. He has also contributed to the profession as guest critic and lecturer at schools of architecture across Canada, and speaker at industry conferences, including CaGBC and the OAA.
DIETER JANSSEN
Senior Associate / Diamond Schmitt
With over twenty years of experience as a practicing architect, Dieter’s work and curiosity have led to a broad range of collaborations with media & textile artists, photographers, dance and theatre groups, structural engineers, landscape architects, furniture designers, and graphic designers. These relationships have contributed to a unique expertise in a range of building types and spaces, from cultural and institutional, to transit infrastructure, urban, residential, and exhibition-based spaces. Dieter joined Diamond Schmitt in 2015 and has been part of the team responsible for the award-winning design for the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa, as well as the University of Guelph’s MacKinnon Building renovation for their College of Arts and IICSI programme.
ALISON MODL
Associate / Diamond Schmitt
Alison Modl earned both a Bachelor and Master of Architecture from Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture, with a focus on the environment. During her studies, she worked directly with Indigenous groups in Northern Ontario which fostered her interest in architectural design for the health and wellbeing of communities. Since joining Diamond Schmitt in 2020, she has been involved in the design of thoughtful residential projects that will be applying for various levels of funding to help address Ontario’s housing crisis. Her portfolio work includes projects with Toronto’s Yonge Street Mission and Ottawa Community Housing.
SPEAKERS
MIKE AUGUSTINE
Director of Architectural Promotion / SAFTIFIRST®
Mike Augustine has over 20 years of experience in the architectural glazing industry. As the Director of Architectural Promotion at SAFTIFIRST®, he brings his extensive knowledge and expertise of fire rated glazing systems and fenestration in general when working closely with architects, specifiers, glazing contractors and code officials. Mike is a dynamic presenter and speaker who has been delivering the company’s AIA-registered presentation to various architecture firms, AIA local chapters, CSI local chapters, and at other architectural and glazing industry events.
MICHAEL BLOIS
Senior Associate / Perkins&Will
Michael is an architect and senior associate at Perkins&Will Toronto, with 15 years of experience across various practice areas in Ontario and beyond. He focuses on crafted details, playful and practical architectural solutions built to stand the test of time. As a project architect, he is involved in all phases and takes a hands-on approach to developing design ideas and problem-solving in the studio and the field. His current professional work includes notable projects such as the Dawes Road Library, the Cape Breton Medical Sciences Building, and the Whitby Sports Complex.
DAVID BOWICK
Principal / Blackwell Structural Engineers
Dave Bowick is a Senior Principal at Blackwell with 34 years of experience as a structural engineer. His inventive approach to design has made him sought-after, particularly when a project calls for innovative solutions. He is a three-time recipient of the WoodWorks Building the Future engineer award, and has received awards for his work in wood, concrete and architectural steel. Dozens of projects he has worked on have been granted awards in the field of architecture, and many of his projects have been the recipient of the Governors General award in Architecture.
JODI BUCK
Associate Partner / Hariri Pontarini Architects
Jodi Buck is an Associate Partner at ariri Pontarini Architects (HPA) with over 20 years of experience shaping some of Toronto’s most significant architectural projects. A registered architect and RAIC member, Jodi has been a core part of HPA since 2005, where she leads major mixed-use and high-rise developments from concept to construction. She is recognized for her ability to translate complex design visions into detailed, buildable solutions.
MIKE CAIRNS
Business Development Manager / Innotech Windows & Doors
Mike has over three decades of experience in the construction industry with a focus on high-performance fenestration supply and installation for highly sustainable homes and large-scale developments. He is also a Certified Passive House Tradesperson, the Chair of two committees for the Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, and an instructor of fenestration at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and for Passive House Canada.
NADINE EL-GAZZAR
Associate / Hariri Pontarini
Architects Nadine
Nadine is an accomplished architect and Associate at HPA, bringing over 20 years of experience in mixed-use and multi-unit residential developments, with a growing specialization in supertall buildings. Renowned for her technical expertise, Nadine excels at transforming complex architectural concepts into fully realized, functional structures through precise technical drawings. She plays a key role in every phase of a project—from rezoning and site plan approval to contract administration during construction, ensuring continuity and quality at every step.
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.
ALEX JOSEPHSON
President / PARTISANS
Alex Josephson co-founded PARTISANS in 2012 after studying architecture at the University of Waterloo in Rome and the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA). Alex is a native of Toronto. Known for his rigorous commitment to PARTISANS’ design vision and his ingenuity in finding high-impact solutions, Alex brings a strong creative vision to the rapidly growing city of Toronto. In addition to his work with PARTISANS, Alex is a lecturer and core faculty member at the University of Toronto’s Daniels School of Architecture.
SPEAKERS
JUDITH MARTIN
Project Manager – Energy Efficiency / City of Toronto | Environment & Climate
Judith Martin is an architect, problem solver, and eternal optimist about how buildings can shape a better future. Equal parts Thanos and Pepper Potts, she executes design intent with ruthless efficiency, without ever compromising on utility or delight. A Licensed Architect in Ontario and Certified Passive House Designer, she brings over 13 years of experience leading complex, communityfocused projects across Canada, from zero-carbon youth hubs to community multiplexes. She’s also been a mentor, post-secondary instructor, and in-house sustainability ringleader.
SUSAN MARTIN
Manager, Capital Planning and Implementation / Toronto Public Library
Susan Martin is the Senior Manager of Capital Project Planning and Implementation in the Branch Operations Division at Toronto Public Library (TPL); she has been at TPL since 1990 working as a librarian, and as a public service manager – bridging into the construction work in 2008 where she was responsible for introducing RFID selfservice checkout. Since 2014 she has worked on all of the Major Capital Projects at TPL; representing and working with the front client groups, as well as consultant architects and the Facilities Department. Branch operations is heavily involved in staff and community consultation and design, as well as branch closing for construction and reopening post construction.
LUC PACQUET
Senior Architectural Representative / Unicel Architectural
Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and a business graduate of the Université de Sherbrooke, Luc Paquet oversees Canadian sales and supervises timber curtain wall sales in the U.S. for Unicel Architectural. Luc, a 10-plusyear veteran of the company, has held senior sales roles for Xerox, Johnson & Johnson, and Wajax.
KEVIN ROCCHI
Director of Engineering / Element5
A proven thought leader on architectural concept and implementation, Thompson is a frequent speaker at industry events, has participated in numerous award committee juries and has authored or participated in articles for The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune, among others. Thompson champions design excellence among a variety of stakeholders and prioritizes shared success in the built environment.
SARAH RODRIGUES
Senior Project Manager / City of Toronto
Sarah Rodrigues is a Senior Project Manager at the City of Toronto’s Environment, Climate and Forestry Division, specializing in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the existing buildings sector. With over nine years of experience in climate policy and program development, Sarah currently plays a pivotal role in the development of a critical policy action, building emissions performance standards (BEPS) for Toronto. Sarah leads the external engagement and consultation component of BEPS, chairing six advisory groups and an equity advisory committee, composed of multidisciplinary members representing diverse industries, businesses and communities.
ELADIA SMOKE
Principal Architect / Smoke Architecture
KaaSheGaaBaaWeak | Eladia Smoke is Anishinaabekwe from Obishikokaang | Lac Seul First Nation, with family roots in Alderville First Nation, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Eladia has worked in architecture since 2002, and founded Smoke Architecture as principal architect in 2014. She was a Master Lecturer at Laurentian’s McEwen School of Architecture from 2016 to 2022. Her career includes principal architect with Architecture 49 in Thunder Bay, and architect with Prairie Architects in Winnipeg. Eladia has served on the RAIC’s Indigenous Task Force since its inception, 2015, and is on the Unceded international team of Indigenous designers and architects; led by Douglas Cardinal, this team represented Canada at the 2018 Venice Biennale.
MICHAEL STEINHUELB
Vice President / seele, Inc.
Michael Steinhuelb is Vice President of seele, Inc. and seele Canada, responsible for directing and providing overall management of seele, Inc. He first joined seele group in 1999 as the first Project Manager for international projects, and re-joined the company in New York City with seele, Inc. in 2015. Michael is a licensed architect and holds all contractors‘ licenses for seele, Inc. and seele Canada in the United States and in Canada.
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THANK YOU SPONSORS
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