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Sofia Gasviani (born June 7, 1981, in Tbilisi, Georgia) is an architect with 20 years of experience, primarily practicing in Tbilisi. She is one of the three dedicated partners at +A | The Architects, a firm known for its commitment to precision, strong client relationships, and a deep focus on using local context, materials, and scale in its designs.

Adapting to given challenges is crucial in her work. Her designs incorporate local history, reflected in details and materials, ensuring that each project remains connected to its surroundings. She also prioritizes sustainable solutions, achieving impactful results with minimal resources.

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Thomas Eschenbach, the Managing Director of Priedemann CIS, has an engineering background with more than 25 years of experience in the facade construction industry.

He gained much of his expertise working in the facade engineering field on the system provider’s side at Schüco. In 1998 he started there as a Product Manager International and few years later was promoted for the role of a Technical Director at Schüco Russia.

In 2017 Thomas joined Priedemann Facade Experts as Senior Project Manager & Business Development Director working on projects in Germany, Northern and Eastern Europe, the United States and CIS. Today, Thomas is responsible for the CIS and Baltic States; and together with the team of Priedemann independent facade consultants he implements his knowledge and expertise throughout the entire life cycle of building skins.

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Mustafa Alkan is general manager of Werner Sobek’s Istanbul office. Born in the south-west of Germany, he studied Structural Engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and Façade Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Augsburg. Having accomplished his diploma, Mustafa started working at Werner Sobek Frankfurt in 2007. In 2010 he was appointed general manager of a newly established branch office in Turkey. Mustafa Alkan is a specialist of façade and high-rise structures. He has extensive experience in major construction projects such as the Bomonti Tower in Istanbul, the Garanti Technology Campus in Istanbul, and the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku.

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Jan has over 20 years’ experience working across a range of large-scale, mixed-use projects in Spain, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

He joined Chapman Taylor in 2001 and became a Director of the Madrid studio in 2007, where he undertakes a key role in leading multidisciplinary design teams on international projects across the retail, hospitality, workplace and residential sectors.

In the last six years this includes several Masterplanning, Residential, Hospitality and retail projects in Georgia. He also takes responsibility for organisational support, resource and project planning in the studio. His areas of expertise are Masterplanning, Mixed-use, Urban Regeneration, Retail, Leisure, Hotel & Tourism, Health, Workplace and Transportation.

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Haldun Yilmaz earned his bachelor's degree from Bosphorus University in 1989 and holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, along with certifications in Facade Engineering from institutions like İTÜ and CWCT Bath University. He brings 37 years of extensive experience in the Facade Industry. In 2019, he became a member of CIBSE-SFE, received the FSFE title. After 27 years in leadership roles at prominent facade contracting firms in Turkey and internationally, he joined FMT Engineering Co. in 2014. Through this Turkey-based company, he provides International Facade Consulting and Engineering services across 16 countries in America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Yilmaz has served on boards and committees of organizations such as Tügiad and Talsad and has held volunteer positions with T.S.E., DEİK, and İBB. Since 1996, he has participated in academic events and lectures as a guest speaker at various universities, contributing articles to numerous publications. He currently serves as the General Manager of FMT Façade Consultants.

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Manuela, an Italian-born architect, earned her Master’s Degree with Honors at the Architectural Association’s Design Research Laboratory (AADRL).

She has taught at the University of Architecture in Venice and the AA in London, is a published author, and has lectured globally. Since joining Zaha Hadid Architects in 2002, she has become a Director, leading major projects across China and Europe. Her portfolio includes the BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Bridge Pavilion in Zaragoza, SKY SOHO in Shanghai, and Mercury Towers in Malta.

She also led the Leeza SOHO tower in Beijing, featuring the world’s tallest atrium, as well as infrastructure projects like the Dnipro Metro and Taipei’s Danjiang Bridge. Currently, she is leading projects such as the Genzon Headquarters in Wuhan, Tencent’s Yidan Foundation Headquarters in Shenzhen, the Wadi Al Fann Pavilion in Saudi Arabia, and CityZen mixed-use high-rise in Tbilisi.

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Necdet Bahadır Buluk is the founder of Façade Design Factory (FDF), a leading firm specializing in facade consultancy and engineering services. With a robust background in civil engineering, Bahadir holds a barchelor degree in Civil Engineering from Yildiz Technical University Istanbul as honor student (2013). As master degree, he studied International Facade Design and Construction in HOWL (University of Applied Science Detmold) and qualified as MSc Facade Engineer by graduating in 2015. He has gained deep expertise in façade design, engineering solutions, and project management, with a strong focus on delivering high-quality, innovative solutions for complex architectural projects. Bahadir’s professional journey includes working on numerous high-profile projects, where his leadership and technical expertise have contributed to the successful execution of sophisticated building facades. Known for his strategic approach and problem-solving skills, he has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor in the field. Through FDF, Bahadir continues to drive advancements in facade engineering, offering valuable insights and sustainable solutions to clients worldwide.

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Karim Amrouche is a dynamic Sales Director with 18 years of international experience in the construction sector, leading both sales and marketing teams for several leading global brands of building materials. He is currently Sales Director at Saint-Gobain Glass International based Paris. In this role, he is responsible for the Building Glass business in Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, and Central Asia. He is also responsible for sales of automotive glass sales at a global level.

Leveraging his various experiences in Europe and in the Middle East, Karim has developed expertise in the dynamics of complex architectural projects along with understanding the needs of their various stakeholders. In business, he values above all the mutual loyalty that can emerge from strong customer/ manufacturer relationships that are based on trust and the constructive collaboration they can lead to. This has enabled him to formulate over the years value propositions that have resulted in improving his Customer’s Experiences and growing his businesses.

Karim is a graduate of IDRAC Lyon Business School, where he earned a Master's degree in Marketing and Sales. He also holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Aachen.

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Ahmet Mumcuoğlu is an experienced sales and specification manager specialized in architectural façade glass. With a background in Civil Engineering and Engineering and Technology Management, he has spent over a decade working with industry leaders such as Saint-Gobain and Şişecam Flat Glass. Currently serving as the Sales Manager for Saint-Gobain Glass International, he is well positioned to promote the Saint-Gobain Glass high performance and sustainable glass solutions.

Throughout his career, Ahmet has been deeply involved in technical project specifications, business development, and innovative glass solutions for architectural applications. His expertise extends from design-stage consultations to project delivery, ensuring optimal façade performance through quality control and accreditation of glass processors.

Ahmet will introduce GlassPro Live, Saint-Gobain Glass’ advanced digital tool for façade glass selection. He will demonstrate how this innovative solution allows users to simulate glass aesthetics, compare options, and visualize real-time results in different lighting conditions.

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Evgeniy Chernyshev is the head of NORDFOX company. In the field of façade construction since 2000. He worked in various companies importing façade materials and subsystems from Europe. Since 2008 he has been the head of NORDFOX. Today, NORDFOX is associated with cutting-edge technology and innovation in curtain wall systems. He was directly involved in the construction of large iconic objects in Moscow and other large and not very large cities of Russia. He was also directly involved in the development of the export of the NORDFOX system in the EU, the USA and Asian countries. In 2017, he became the founder and co-founder of the Façade Union of the Russian Federation.

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Alexey Shchavlev has more than 15 years of experience in the façade market, in particular in the field of glass and glass products. In ROTO FRANK since 2019, he has been the head of the “Aluminum window fittings in Russia and the CIS countries” direction and supervises the department for working with developers. Alexey is actively involved in the development of solutions in all landmark facilities of the Russian Federation and CIS countries. Graduated from Saratov State University named after N.G. Chernyshevsky with a degree in Law in 2003.

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Born and raised in Paris, France. Graduate of ENSA Paris Val de Seine and California Polytechnic State University. Started my carrer at KKAA - Kengo Kuma and Associates in Tokyo, contributing to a high-rise building project in Vancouver, Canada. Later joined the KKAA Paris office on the H.C. Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark, until its completion. Currently managing the Water Culture House project in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and overseeing various international projects and competitions.

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14 years of experience in developing glass technical solutions used in the construction markets of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the UK. Consulting on the application of laminated safety glass with Trosifol PVB and SentryGlas interlayers on facades and interior of buildings.