About FTI

Facade 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, 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 major milestone in the evolution of Facade Tectonics was the formation of the Facade Tectonics Institute in 2015, 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 our 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.

We are an international member organization based at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. In addition to our research activities, the Institute conducts a biennial World Congress and an annual series of Regional Forums. We publish the Facade Tectonics Journal and produce various publications ranging from conference proceedings to technical guides, research reports, and books addressing diverse areas of building facade technology.