Glass: A Structural Engineering Material? Glass as a Primary Structural Component in Buildings?

President Frener and Reifer America Inc. 

Friday, April 18th | 11 a.m. | 140 Ketter Hall 

When we think of building materials, steel, concrete, and wood usually come to mind. But have you ever considered glass as a primary structural component in construction?

Marc Zimmer will explore the world of specialty facades, highlighting the innovative use of glass as a structural building material. In his presentation, he will showcase several case studies that address unique structural challenges, with a particular focus on incorporating glass as a vital element of the design.

The aim is to introduce you to the challenges in structural glass through the eyes of an internationally renowned specialty façade design build contractor.

Dipl.-Ing. Marc Zimmer, MS, MBA, is an alumnus of the University at Buffalo. He earned his Master of Science in Earthquake Engineering from SUNY Buffalo in 2000, followed by his German Dipl.-Ingenieur from the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. In 2012, he completed his MBA in Entrepreneurship and Global Management at Babson College.

For the past eight years, Marc has served as President of Frener & Reifer America Inc., the U.S. division of an Italian specialty façade contractor. Under his leadership, the company has realized exceptional projects, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, LG Headquarters, and the Apple Steve Jobs Theatre, among others. Their mission is “Start where others stop.”

He started his career as a Structural Engineer at Weidlinger Associates (now Thornton Tomasetti) in Boston before transitioning into the façade industry. He joined Seele Inc., a leading specialty façade contractor, as Vice President of Operations. During his tenure, he played a key role in executing high-profile façade and glass projects, including the Apple Cube and Stores in New York City, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.

Following the completion of his MBA, Marc became General Manager and Executive Vice President at Gartner, a division of Permasteelisa, the world’s largest façade contractor. In this role, he oversaw a division of 100 employees with revenues exceeding $200 million, managing projects across the U.S. and Canada in collaboration with renowned architects such as Renzo Piano, Sir Norman Foster, Morphosis, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.