Antonio Cárdenas is the Director of CWSYSTEMS, with extensive experience in the development and consulting of architectural façade systems for high-profile projects. He has participated in major office and high-rise residential developments, contributing to the engineering and executive design of façade systems.

His professional focus is on the technical, constructability, and architectural optimization of façade systems, integrating aluminum and glass solutions that meet high standards of performance, aesthetics, and buildability. Through CWSYSTEMS, he promotes a vision driven by technical precision, innovation, and quality in building envelopes.

Adrian is a Materials lover born in Mexico.  He is married, has two kids and a dog. 

In his free time, he is a Principal at VIA, a facade consulting firm with projects all over the world. He’s spent the last decade working for Apple Inc in their Sourcing and Innovation teams, pushing the envelope on facade design in the retail team.  He has also worked at Vitro in Mexico, Permasteelisa North America and Front Inc, New York.

Adrian holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana, a European Business diploma from Vaxjo Universitet in Sweden and a master of engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

He’s been a keynote speaker worldwide and has been an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at City University of New York, NYU, Columbia University, Syracuse University, UC Berkeley, California College of the Arts and TU Delft.

Alejandra Menchaca, PhD, LEED AP, WELL AP

Alejandra is a Principal at AIRLIT studio, an environmental consultancy with a design-centric approach rooted in technical excellence. Alejandra combines expertise in mechanical engineering and building science to give clients a clear understanding of the impact design strategies and innovative solutions have on long-term building performance. Alejandra’s expertise includes passive design, visual and thermal comfort assessment, and indoor air quality. She also has extensive experience in policy development, having contributed in updating ASHRAE standards, developing zero net carbon policies with the city of Boston, and developing compliance workflows for the MA stretch code. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and has lectured at MIT and the Harvard GSD.

O’Hara is facade director for the Skins Group, a division of Studio NYL, established to provide full service facade design specializing in thermal modeling, moisture/condensation analysis, and in-depth detailing. Although Studio NYL is recognized for its skins work with cutting-edge glass and glazing, their team also specializes in digitally fabricated metal skins, GFRC, reinforced polymers, stone, ultra high performance concrete, terra cotta, and traditional precast. O’Hara is currently working on multiple projects in the Boston area.

Mauricio Mireles Montaño is Co-Founder and Director of Operations at CONVIRTUS, a multidisciplinary building engineering firm based in Monterrey, Mexico, specializing in architecture, structural and MEP integration through BIM-driven and IPD-aligned workflows.

With over 15 years of experience, Mauricio has led complex residential, mixed-use, industrial, and high-rise projects, focusing on constructability, facade performance, and the coordination between design intent and execution. His work emphasizes early technical decision-making, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the use of digital tools to reduce risk and uncertainty before construction.

Mauricio is an International Associate of the AIA and a strong advocate for Building Engineering as a holistic approach that bridges architecture, engineering, and construction.

Bujar’s deep expertise and vast experience in applied structural dynamics are invaluable to clients who face tough wind engineering and structural response challenges. Through three decades of professional experience, research, and consulting, he has earned a reputation for delivering outstanding results in the structural optimization of tall buildings and other dynamically sensitive structures. In addition to managing highly complex and very demanding projects around the globe, Bujar leads quality assurance and technical development for our structural, wind engineering, and damping system implementation consulting services.

Darling is CEO, creative director, and co-founder of The Architect’s Newspaper, celebrating its 20th year. The A|N media company consists of print and digital publications covering architecture and design news, as well as the Facades+ and TECH+ conferences. As A|N’s publisher, Darling won the AIA National Collaboration Award, Grassroots Preservation Award, and ASLA NY’s President’s Award. She began her publishing career as director of print production for The Gap’s European markets. She holds a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

Dionne Darling has been with The A|N Media Group for over six years. As VP of Brand Partnerships and Associate Publisher, she manages A|N’s Texas headquarters and handles accounts in the West, Southwest and Europe territories. Dionne has over 28 years of direct B2B sales, management and business development experience.

Gabriel Morales Sada is a global architectural coatings professional focused on the synergies between powder-coated architectural aluminum extrusion and façade system performance, including windows and aluminum railing systems, in collaboration with global architectural components OEMs.

With a consultative, OEM-driven approach, he works alongside architects, façade consultants, extruders, and applicators to align extrusion design, surface preparation, and coating technology with AAMA/FGIA-compliant, durable, and scalable solutions.

At Façades +, Gabriel shares a practical, systems-level perspective on translating architectural intent into long-term façade performance and value.

Hernán R. Chebar, RA, NCARB

Hernán Chebar, Associate Partner, has been with Robert A.M. Stern Architects since 1996 and has been responsible for the design and project management of many of the firm’s commercial, institutional, and resort projects. He was project architect for 50 Connaught Road Central, a 27-story, stone-clad office building in Hong Kong that sold recently for a record-breaking price. Mr. Chebar’s projects also include three apartment towers in New York City; a 360-bed residence hall for the Brooklyn Law School in Brooklyn, New York; a master plan and an apartment building for a residential development in Arlington, Virginia; a 30-story hotel and apartment building in Toronto, Canada; the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, a hotel, apartment tower, and townhouses in Dallas, Texas; an apartment tower in Stamford, Connecticut; a retail center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; senior communities in Roslyn, New York, and Denver, Colorado; the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas; and the Disney Ambassador Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. He is currently at work on the adaptive re-use of One Wall Street, a mixed-use project in Lower Manhattan, and residential developments in Hong Kong and New York City.

Prior to joining Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Mr. Chebar had his own architectural practice in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Mr. Chebar received his Architect Diploma from the University of Belgrano in Argentina. Mr. Chebar is a registered architect in the State of New York.