All Things Facades

In this episode of All Things Facades Podcast, Matt Verderamo joins us for a candid conversation on the evolving role of estimators, sales, and leadership in today’s construction industry. From the impact of “document over create” to negotiating work without racing to the bottom, they challenge traditional thinking around bidding, margins, and value.

Using real-world subcontractor and GC examples, the discussion explores how estimators can move beyond number crunching—leveraging discovery meetings, key moments of leverage, and direct questioning to qualify fit, protect pricing, and build ethical working relationships.

We’ll also dive into culture, ownership, escalation risk, and executive decision-making, offering practical frameworks for clarity, accountability, and healthier construction businesses.

#AllThingsFacades #WellBuiltConsulting #ConstructionEstimating #SalesForEstimators #SubcontractorLife #NegotiatedWork #ConstructionLeadership #EthicalBidding #Preconstruction #ConstructionCulture #MaterialEscalation #BusinessDevelopment #EstimatingExcellence

Recorded live during the Facades+ Conference in Los Angeles, this episode of All Things Facades Podcast brings together a cross-section of industry leaders to explore how façade performance is defined, delivered, and verified in today’s built environment.

Featuring insights from Stanley Yee, Michael Steinhuelb, Stephen Selkowitz, David Goldenberg, Drew Forester, Wei Lam, Gijsbert Libourel, Alejandro Ballester, and Alexander Itsekson, the conversation spans material innovation, structural and architectural glass, high-performance window systems, retrofit strategies, quality control, and end-of-life sustainability.

From hands-on testing and construction administration to thin-glass technology, bespoke façade engineering, and glass recycling, this episode highlights why early collaboration, field verification, and lifecycle thinking are essential to delivering durable, resilient, and future-ready façades.

In partnership with The Architect’s Newspaper

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In this new episode of All Things Facades Podcast, we dive into what it actually takes to decarbonize buildings at scale, starting with the building envelope.

Featuring Andrew Zech, CEO of Alpen, the conversation traces his path from financing billions of dollars in commercial energy retrofits to leading a high-performance glazing manufacturer.

We unpack why retrofits—not just new construction—are critical to reducing emissions, how secondary glazing and thin-glass IGUs can deliver real payback and comfort gains, and why tenant experience often drives decisions more than regulations alone.

We also discuss how manufacturing automation, third-party validation, and a flexible “toolkit” approach are helping bring high-performance glazing into the commercial mainstream.

This episode is for anyone focused on envelope performance, retrofit strategy, and making decarbonization work in the real world.

#AllThingsFacades #Alpen #BuildingEnvelope #FacadeEngineering #BuildingScience #Decarbonization #EnergyRetrofits #HighPerformanceWindows #SecondaryGlazing #ThinGlass #IGU #CommercialBuildings #EnvelopePerformance #SustainableDesign #Fenestration

In this new episode of All Things Facades Podcast, we sit down with Ed Madocks for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on what really drives building envelope success and failure.

Drawing from decades of experience across roofing, facades, and envelope consulting, Ed explains why most leaks and performance issues don’t come from the products themselves, but from human error at interfaces, transitions, and overlooked field conditions.

We dig into the gap between idealized details and jobsite reality, the trade-offs between energy upgrades and long-term maintainability, and why QA/QC, access, and experienced oversight matter more than over-specifying systems.

This episode is for anyone who wants to design and build envelopes that actually perform in the real world — and last.

#AllThingsFacades #MadocksArchitecture #FacadeDesign #FacadeEngineering #BuildingEnvelope #BuildingScience #HighPerformanceBuildings #EnvelopePerformance #ConstructionQuality #Fenestration #CurtainWall #ArchitectureDesign #BuildingPerformance #ConstructionInsights

In this new episode of All Things Facades Podcast, we break down what Passive House actually is — and what it isn’t.

Featuring Enrico Bonilauri, co-founder of EmuPassive, the conversation cuts through common myths around cost, materials, and prescriptive checklists, and reframes Passive House as a performance-based approach grounded in building physics.

We talk about applying Passive House principles to commercial buildings and retrofits, why whole-window performance and airtightness matter more than individual products, and how phased upgrades can deliver real energy and comfort gains over time.

This episode is for architects, engineers, and builders who want to understand Passive House in practical, real-world terms.

#AllThingsFacades #EmuPassive #PassiveHouse #BuildingEnvelope #FacadeEngineering #BuildingScience #HighPerformanceBuildings #EnergyEfficiency #Airtightness #WholeBuildingDesign #Fenestration #WindowPerformance #SustainableDesign #EnvelopePerformance

In this new episode of All Things Façades Podcast, we explore the real challenges of bringing new technology and innovation into the façade market. Featuring Robert Voigt, a façade industry expert with extensive experience in advanced glazing systems, the conversation uses electrochromic glass and vacuum insulated glass (VIG) as case studies to unpack the gap between innovation and adoption — from perceived risk and lack of standardized specs to integration challenges, cost, and unrealistic performance expectations. We discuss where these technologies truly add value, why whole-assembly thinking matters more than single-product solutions, and what it takes for new glazing technologies to move from niche applications into mainstream façade design. This episode is for anyone navigating emerging technologies in real-world projects, not just on paper.
#AllThingsFacades #FacadeDesign #FacadeEngineering #BuildingEnvelope #GlazingIndustry #ElectrochromicGlass #SmartGlass #VacuumInsulatedGlass #VIG #BuildingScience #HighPerformanceBuildings #ConstructionInnovation #EnvelopePerformance #SustainableDesign #Fenestration

In this special live episode of All Things Facades, recorded on-site at Facades+ Seattle on November 20, 2025, we bring together insights from Brian White, Spencer Culhane, Irene Martin, Brad Glauser, Richard Green, J-F Robert, Anthony Pydych, and Doug Bevier. As our second live-recorded episode—following Facades+ Boston—this conversation captures real-time perspectives on façade performance, materials, sustainability, glass, prefabrication, and the evolving challenges shaping the building envelope.A wide-ranging discussion reflecting the energy of the event and the voices driving where the industry is headed next.#AllThingsFacades #FacadesPlus #FacadesPlusSeattle #TheArchitectsNewspaper #FacadeDesign #FacadeEngineering #BuildingEnvelope #BuildingScience #GlazingIndustry #CurtainWall #Sustainability #Prefabrication #StructuralGlass #Fenestration #ConstructionInnovation #AECIndustry #LivePodcast #SeattleEvents

In this episode of All Things Facades Podcast featuring Eliot Benor (BET), we tackle one of the biggest issues in building science: how focusing too much on details can cause us to miss what truly matters in building performance.

Eliot unpacks the evolution of today’s energy codes, why real-world thermal testing is becoming essential, and the growing disconnect between modeling assumptions and actual field conditions.

We also dig into the realities of prefabrication, electrification, and what it really takes to maintain technical rigor in the industry.

A focused, candid conversation on why the future of façade engineering depends on balancing technology with experience—and seeing the whole system, not just the parts.

#AllThingsFacades #BuildingEnvelopeTesting #FacadeEngineering #BuildingScience #WindowSystems #ConstructionInnovation #GlazingIndustry #BuildingPerformance #ConstructionInsights

For the first time, All Things Façades Podcast goes on the road—recorded live at Facades+ Boston.

This special edition brings together seven industry voices, each offering a rapid-fire deep dive into the biggest trends shaping façades today.

In this in-person series of mini-interviews, we explore:

• BIPV & Building-Integrated Solar featuring Brian Vaz (Mitrex) — How architects are using photovoltaic façades to meet strict energy requirements without compromising design.
• Terracotta’s Modern Comeback featuring Jen Marchesani (Shildan Group) — Why this historic material is now leading sustainability and performance discussions.
• Global Fire-Stop Expertise featuring Brad Davis & Sreenivas Narayanan (Siderise) — What the U.S. façade market can learn from international best practices—and how early coordination prevents failures.
• Massachusetts Stretch Code featuring Alejandra Menchaca (AIRLIT Studio) — A technical yet practical breakdown of compliance, energy modeling, infiltration testing, and new workflows.
• Spandrel Thermal Performance featuring Shu Talun (RDH Building Science) — Why spandrel areas are proving to be one of the biggest gaps between design intent and actual energy performance.
• Thermal Bridging in New & Existing Buildings featuring Felipe Francisco (Studio NYL) — How modeling, prescriptive pathways, and real-world constraints shape envelope performance decisions.
• The Future of Building Enclosures featuring Marty Wood (The Architect's Newspaper) — Conference insights on collaboration, chaos, and the sustainability-driven evolution of facades+ events.

This episode captures the energy and expertise that make Facades+ one of the most influential gatherings in the industry.

#AllThingsFacades #TheArchitectsNewspaper #FacadesPlus #FacadeDesign #BuildingEnvelope #FacadeEngineering #BuildingScience #ConstructionInnovation #ArchitectureDesign #GlazingIndustry #ConstructionInsights #BuildingPerformance #FacadePodcast #BIPV #Terracotta #FireStopping #ThermalPerformance #StretchCode #HighPerformanceBuildings

In this episode of All Things Façades podcast, Jason and Spencer take a deep dive into one of the most debated topics in the industry — aluminum versus UPVC windows. From structural performance to installation challenges, they share first-hand insights from years in the field and explore how each material stacks up across different project types and regions.

They break down what installers really think about aluminum’s long-standing dominance, UPVC’s rapid rise in energy-efficient applications, and the practical realities that influence every window selection — from code requirements and hardware to cost, aesthetics, and field conditions.

Whether you’re a façade engineer, architect, or installer, this conversation sheds light on how material innovation, market trends, and real-world experience continue to shape the future of window systems.

#AllThingsFacades #FacadeDesign #AluminumWindows #UPVCWindows #BuildingEnvelope #FacadeEngineering #BuildingScience #WindowSystems #ConstructionInnovation #InstallerPerspective #ArchitectureDesign #GlazingIndustry #ConstructionInsights #BuildingPerformance