On November 9 and 10, The Architect’s Newspaper will host the annual Facades+ Los Angeles conference. This year’s event will include an eight-session symposium on the first day followed by a day of workshops. For the first time since 2019, the workshop day will be held in person, a feature of the conference which was brought online following the COVID-19 pandemic. The schedule for the second day can be found here.
L.A.-based firm RIOS will co-chair the conference, which will be held at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Downtown L.A. You can find more information about the conference here. Register for both days to receive a total of 12 AIA HSW CEU credits.
Cross Platform Collaboration: Fabrication and Assembly from Digital Models
Presenters from Stantec, Martin Bros, and Skywalker Holdings will share insights and lessons learned from the design and construction of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, one of the most ambitious digitally aided construction projects in recent history. Topics to be discussed include the immense collaboration required to bring the digital design to life, as well as the project’s use of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP).
Living Walls: Biophilic Facade Design
This roundtable brings together partners from RIOS, including Katherine Harvey, Sebastian Salvadó, and Stan Su, to discuss the firm’s efforts to promote biophilia and sustainable living in the design of recent projects. In a broad presentation, the speakers will cover recent work on One Beverly Hills, a collaboration with Foster + Partners, the adaptive reuse of an office building for IAC, which includes a green wall on the facade, as well as the firm’s submission to Boston Valley Terra Cotta’s 2023 Architectural Ceramics Assemblies Workshop.
The Barker: Facade Preservation and Material Specification
Ted Grebelius of Sätila Studios will be joined by Katie Horak and John Bechtel of Architectural Resources Group (ARG) to share their work on the adaptive reuse of the historic Barkers Brothers Building. In addition to revising the building’s program to accommodate office and retail use, ARG worked to renovate and restore the facade’s original detailing.
Keynote: Kunstform
In a keynote presentation, Amin Taha, chairman of GROUPWORK, a London-based architectural firm, will engage the audience with a theoretical conversation investigating the presumed distinction between structure and facade which drives much of the architectural work produced in the 21st century. Taha advocates for new design principles which collapse this distinction, configuring the facade as a load-bearing superstructure affixed with self-supporting masonry or appropriately lightweight rainscreens.
1811 Sacramento: Passive Cooling and Strategic Shading
Presenters from Perkins&Will, Skanska, and DCI Engineers will share 1811 Sacramento, a new mixed-use development in Downtown Los Angeles. Designed to take full advantage of L.A.’s temperate climate, the building uses operable windows and terraces to enable passive cooling year round.
Circular Economies: Transforming the Supply Chain
This roundtable session convenes leaders in the facade manufacturing industry to chart the trajectory and future of the industry. Bill Zahner, CEO of Zahner, Heidi Creighton, Vice President of sustainability of Skanska’s U.S. development, Earl Patrick, Director of Design at Enclos, and Andrea Zani, Building Physics and Sustainability Leader at Permasteelisa North America will new trends in manufacturing and fabrication such as sustainability, circularity, and environmental product declarations (EPD).
