John Krouse Presents 'Terra Cotta: The Age-Old Material for 21st Century Architecture’ at Seattle Conference

Boston Valley’s CEO John Krouse is scheduled to present at the Zak World of Façades conference in Seattle, WA on March 31st, 2022. The event will showcase innovative solutions to the construction challenges raised by sustainable building envelopes.

Progress on the 120 Stockton building in San Francisco, CA, designed by Gensler.

Angled tile detail on the 120 Stockton building

Tile detail on 120 Stockton – groupings of angled tiles subtly change the geometric profile of the wall face.

The Zak conference provides a platform for architects, engineers, manufacturers, and other industry experts from around the globe to network with each other, and features presentations from keynote speakers that address the latest technology in façade design and engineering.

John Krouse will be discussing how architectural terra cotta can be manipulated to meet the demands of complex buildings due to its flexibility and eco-friendly nature. Attendees will learn why terra cotta is a great solution for high-performance façades as John takes an in-depth look at three Boston Valley projects: 120 Stockton, Nordstrom’s Seattle Flagship, and the Orange County Museum of Art (currently under construction).

Masonry restoration on the Nordstrom flagship store in Seattle

Restoration of the 100-year old terra cotta masonry on the Nordstrom flagship store in Seattle, WA brings the facade up to modern efficiency standards.

A geologically-derived building material, terra cotta’s low embodied energy and long-lasting durability make it as well-suited for 21st century design ideologies and construction methods as it was an era ago. From processing curved panels for the exterior of the OCMA, to glaze matching Nordstrom’s 100-year old masonry units, Boston Valley is changing the face of terra cotta.

Curved facade of the new Orange County Museum of Art

Undulating bands of terra cotta wrap the exterior of the new Orange County Museum of Art facade.

Attendees of the conference on 3/31 will have the opportunity to earn 8 AIA LU/HSW credits, and to learn about the future of terra cotta as a modern building material.

Click here to register for the Seattle conference >