/// Facade Tectonics
Façade Tectonics started as a series of invited roundtable discussions at the University of Southern California School of Architecture in 2007; a strategic response to the escalating importance and complexity of building facade technology. The roundtables grew into a series of conference events that drew hundreds of participants with a broad range of interests in the building skin. The accelerating change of facade technology and the growing awareness of the facade as not only integral to, but the very fulcrum of holistic building design, has propelled Facade Tectonics to the forefront of the emerging dialogue of building skin. The facade system uniquely combines considerations of performance and appearance; it is, quite simply, the most interesting and vital aspect of architecture and urban habitat today.
The current milestone in the evolution of Facade Tectonics is the formation of the Facade Tectonics Institute, with the mission of carrying out progressive and broad-based research in building facade technology. The intent is to catalyze and foster a deep dialogue of collaborative research activity that bridges the fragmented market segments of the building industry, pairing industry, government, academia, the profession, and ownership. Integral to this mission is the dissemination of historical, theoretical and practical information derived from this research to the building marketplace, thereby acting as a conduit and facilitator for both learning and further collaborative research pursuits.
The Institute is an international member organization based at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. In addition to its research activities, the Institute conducts an annual conference, a series of half-day Forums, and similar events at venues local and regional. It publishes the Facade Tectonics Journal and produces various publications ranging from conference proceedings to technical guides, research reports, and books addressing diverse areas of building facade technology. The Institute also makes available to the public ever deepening technical resources online at FacadeTectonics.org, and the retrofit database FacadeRetrofit.org.
Visit FacadeTectonics.org to learn more about the Institute, to better understand its mission and activities, and to learn how you and your organization can participate in this dynamic enterprise
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