Birth of a new material: three case studies
Each new building material has a unique development trajectory dictated by market forces, scientific and creative breakthroughs. This panel of experts will reveal the secrets of how innovation is achieved through the various cycles of material development.

Moderator: Blaine Brownell, NBBJ Architects, author of Transmaterial

Big picture thinking and global material trends/trajectories:
Blaine Brownell, NBBJ Architects,

Material development driven by design needs
Gregg Brodarick, B.lab Italia, Gallarate, Italy
Living Surfaces used to make interactive liquid-infused surfacing

Marrying lab-created new materials with creative uses
Abhinand Lath, SensiTile Systems
SensiTile is a surfacing that reacts to light

Materials driven to market by a manufacturer who innovates
Edward Peck, Foiltec NA
Foiltec makes pressure-inflated ETFE foil systems

Fresh from the lab: Innovative materials for building construction
From new kinds of flooring, wall finishes and textiles to phase-change plastic laminates, designers and builders now have access to a plethora of finish and structural materials that were never available before. Attendees will not only see and touch them in the new materials and projects exhibition, but they will be able to take them home samples.

Materialist Robin Reigi, of Robin Reigi Inc. , and Architectural Record's New Products Editor, Rita Catinella, will guide the audience through what's new, what's hot and what is not quite ready yet.

Can you see it now? Bridging the gap between materials and digital fabrication
Sophisticated building information modeling tools bridge the gap between materials innovation and the way we fabricate and build. Samir Emdanat, Manager of Advanced Technology, GHAFARI Associates will show how. GHAFARI is implementing BIM to accelerate design and construction schedules of  automotive facilities.

Reception in Materials Exhibit Hall

Digitally-enabled fabrication
This session will explore some of the most sophisticated new tools for taking a design and quickly creating it in three dimensions. Large and small firms are using 3D printers, water-jet cutters, and CNC machines to turn their studios into machine shops, while factories are using robotics to turn out modular building components and even full-size housing.

Moderator: George Petrides, President, Petrides Homes LLC

An overview of digital fabrication techniques, and their implications on building information modeling.
Branko Kolarevic, Irving Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ball State University.

Digital fabrication from a manufacturer's point of view: a case study of how a one manufacturer is working with an architect to create a sophisticated interior.
Ruben Suare, Vice President Architectural Division, 3form, Inc.

Innovations in automated housing prefabrication
George Petrides, President, Petrides Homes LLC

Digital fabrication from the small firm's point of view: how one architect is incorporating these new techniques and processes into the architectural practice.
Corie Sharples, Partner, SHoP Architects

Innovation Case Study:   The Hearst Tower

Case Study: The Hearst Building, New York City
Representatives from the architect, owners, engineers, and builders show how high-technology fulfills principles of sustainability in this new, LEED-registered office tower.

Participants:
Alexander C. Richter, Associate, Adamson Associates, Moderator
Bruce Phillips, Managing Director, Design & Construction, Tishman Speyer
Gary Pomerantz, PE, Senior Vice President, Flack and Kurtz
Mark Pulsfort, Vice President & Operations Manager, NY Business Unit, Turner Construction Company
Ahmad Rahimian, PE, President, Cantor Seinuk
Brian Schwagerl, Director of Real Estate and Facilities Planning, Hearst Corporation
Michael Wurzel, Partner, Foster and Partners

Awarding of the first McGraw-Hill Construction "Patron of Innovation" and "Innovation" Prizes