Andrew Pries, Technical Sales Director at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, holds a BS in Architecture from the University at Buffalo and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. With a focus on design development and leveraging diverse fabrication methods to expand the applications of terra cotta, he has played a pivotal role in high profile projects such as the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) and 120 Stockton. As one of the coordinators of the Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop (ACAW), Pries spearheads design development with the workshop teams, as well as the fabrication and construction of successful mockup assemblies.

Dean has a 30-year history in the building materials and construction industry ranging from quality management to senior sales management focused on the building envelope. His approach is solution based and consultative. Dean provides practical knowledge to help with design assist and material selections for projects. He has a keen interest in innovative materials and application methods for use on commercial façade projects.

Eric Claeys holds a degree as Civil Engineer in Construction from KU Leuven, Belgium, a degree in Industrial Engineering in Public Works from KU Leuven, Belgium, and graduated with a Master in Business Administration from the Vlerick Business School, Belgium. Eric has 40 years of experience in façade technologies and consulting and was involved in hundreds of prestigious projects by the most famous architects in more than 30 countries worldwide. Since the very beginning, value engineering has been his driving force, along with the belief that “ It always seems impossible until it’s done”. Out-of-the-box thinking is not just in his DNA; it is his DNA.

Eric is the inventor of “hybrid” curtain wall systems, an innovative combination of stick and unitized CW systems. The technologies are covered by an extensive patent portfolio in more than 70 countries worldwide.

“Innovating is critical, but it is not enough. The Fassada steel curtain wall technologies are carefully engineered to revolutionize the market, setting a new standard to eliminate problems and enable the impossible.”

Eric is co-founder of Fassada Steel SA, which is a Switzerland-based joint venture between the Swiss Montanstahl AG and the Belgian Fassada Group, the parent company of Fassada Technologies.

Graham Banks transforms complex design challenges into elegant solutions, with his expertise spanning boutique residential, placemaking mixed-use, human-scaled office space, and research and healthcare projects. He has been a partner-in-charge for the South Station multi-phase air rights development in Boston; Texas Tower, a 1.2 million-square-foot office building in Houston and the new global headquarters for Hines; and Atrium Place in Gurgaon, India, a 3 million square foot corporate campus for Hines and DLF.

He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois and Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Markus Schulte is a Principal with over 28 years of experience in Arup’s New York Office and leads their Façade Engineering and Building Physics group. Markus pioneers the design and construction of sophisticated buildings in NYC and around the world. His goal is to arrive at high-quality and efficient buildings, which meet vision, program, budget and schedule constraints of his clients. His team’s projects include Northeastern University’s Interdisciplinary Science Buildings with Payette, Columbia University’s new Business School with Diller Scofidio+Renfro; the Re-clad of 1271 Avenue of the Americas for the Rockefeller Group with Pei Cobb Freed; the enhancement of the Frick Collection with Selldorf Architects and BBB; the expansion of the SF-MoMA with Snohetta; Cornell’s First Academic Net-Zero Energy Building on Roosevelt Island with Morphosis; and multiple renovation and upgrade projects at the Metropolitan Museum with BBB. Markus has been a visiting lecturer at Yale University and at Cooper Union.

Tansu Kumru has 30 years of experience in the glass sector and has been working for Şişecam which is currently one of the world's leading glass manufacturers with production operations located in 14 countries on four continents. She is currently responsible for Sales and Marketing Strategies and Performance Management of the company. Over her career, she has taken on many different roles in the Architectural Glass business of the company such as business development, product management, and marketing communication. She contributed to the development of energy-efficient architectural glass products and provided the right glass solutions for a wide variety of projects around the world. As the Vise President of the board of the Exporters’ Association, she is currently the representative of the Turkish Glass Sector. She continues to inform industry professionals about how Turkish glass products will enhance the capabilities of important construction projects all around the world. She graduated from the Department of Industrial Engineering and completed her master’s degree in the Faculty of Business Administration at Boğaziçi University.