The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Will Be the Guest of Honor at FEVENT MÁS 2027

In an interview with FEVENT MÁS 2027, Felipe Ossio, director of the School of Civil Engineering, emphasized that one of the industry’s major challenges is understanding the building envelope as a comprehensive system. “We must stop viewing windows and facades as isolated elements and instead understand the envelope as an integrated system that defines the quality of a building,” he noted.

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Regarding the new Thermal Regulations, Ossio stated that the new landscape will require a profound change in how we design and build. “It will no longer be enough to meet minimum requirements. It will be necessary to demonstrate the building’s overall performance, where windows, facades, and building envelopes will play a decisive role,” he explained, emphasizing the need to strengthen professional training, innovation, and the incorporation of new technologies.

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The director also highlighted the value of FEVENT MÁS 2027 as a meeting place for academia, industry, and the public sector. “It will be much more than a trade show; it will be a space where academia, industry, and the public sector can work together to build the future of construction in Chile,” he said.

 

The participation of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile reaffirms the technical and international nature of FEVENT MÁS 2027, an event that will bring together leading companies, specialists, authorities, researchers, and professionals to analyze the challenges that will shape the future of the windows, facades, enclosures, and building envelope industry.

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Over the coming weeks, FEVENT MÁS 2027 will continue to announce new sponsors, international speakers, and strategic partnerships that will strengthen the event’s program of activities.

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Full Interview:

 

1. ​What motivated the School of Civil Engineering at the Catholic University to become an Official Sponsor and Guest of Honor Academic Institution for FEVENT MÁS 2027?

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Our participation stems from a very clear conviction: the challenges facing the construction industry can only be addressed through close collaboration between academia, industry, and the public sector. FEVENT MÁS is a high-level forum for discussing issues that are fundamental today, such as energy efficiency, building envelope performance, innovation in materials, and sustainability. For our School, this is an opportunity to share knowledge, strengthen ties with the community, and help ensure that technical discussions translate into best practices for the sector.

 

2. From your perspective, what are the main technical and professional challenges currently facing the window, facade, and building envelope industry in Chile?

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The main challenge is to shift our mindset: to move from viewing windows or facades as isolated elements to understanding the building envelope as an integrated system that defines—for better or worse—the quality of a building. Today, we must solve a challenging puzzle: energy efficiency, thermal and acoustic comfort, durability in the face of a changing climate, and, of course, a smaller environmental footprint. This requires further professionalization of the entire chain—from design and technical specifications to installation and on-site quality control—but above all, we need professionals with an interdisciplinary perspective who can speak a common language across construction, architecture, engineering, and other specialties. That is the approach we are promoting at UC.

 

3. What value does a university’s active participation bring to defining the technical and academic content of an international seminar such as FEVENT MÁS 2027?

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We bring an independent perspective with a long-term outlook. Our role is not to sell a solution, but to ask whether that solution works, why it works, and how it adapts to our reality. By defining the content, we ensure that the discussion not only showcases new technologies but also provides scientific evidence and practical applications. Additionally, we bring an international perspective and research findings that often take time to reach the construction site.

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4. What topics do you consider essential for the International Seminar’s program, given the challenges of construction, energy efficiency, sustainability, and innovation?

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For our School, there are four essential pillars.

First, the overall performance of the building envelope: insulation alone is not enough; we must ensure comfort and durability over time. Second, reducing the carbon footprint: discussing low-impact materials, recyclability, and the circular economy, because the construction sector is responsible for a large portion of emissions.

Third, digitization and industrialization: simulation, BIM, and prefabrication are no longer optional—they are necessary tools for meeting new requirements. And fourth, including real-world case studies with lessons learned. We learn just as much from mistakes and successes on the job site as we do from research published in scientific journals. We need that practical perspective.

 

5. What opportunities does FEVENT MÁS 2027 offer students and graduates of the Catholic University in terms of learning, industry connections, and professional development?

 

It’s a golden opportunity, and I say this with conviction. For our students, it’s a chance to get a firsthand look at their professional future: interacting with business leaders, global experts, and cutting-edge researchers. No class can replace that kind of immersion. For our alumni, it’s an indispensable platform for staying up to date. In an industry where regulations and technologies change so rapidly, those who fail to stay current fall behind. FEVENT allows them to refresh their knowledge, validate their practices, and, above all, build collaborative networks—which are the true capital for growth in the industry.

 

6. What message would you convey to companies in the sector regarding the importance of strengthening collaboration between academia and industry to drive innovation and the country’s development?

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I would tell them that innovation does not happen in a vacuum. It happens when university knowledge intersects with a company’s experience and needs. Universities need input on real-world construction challenges to conduct relevant research, and companies need academia and the young talent we train to solve those problems. This is not a transactional relationship, but rather a long-term strategic alliance. When we work together, we accelerate the development of solutions, train better professionals, and—most importantly—make the Chilean construction sector more competitive, sustainable, and prepared for the challenges ahead.

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7. The new Thermal Regulations raise energy performance requirements for buildings, giving windows, facades, and building envelopes an increasingly important role. How do you think this new landscape will impact the industry, and what technical and professional training challenges will both companies and academia need to address in order to meet these new requirements?

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The new Thermal Regulations represent a very significant change for the sector. It will no longer be sufficient to meet minimum requirements in isolation; it will be necessary to demonstrate the building’s overall performance, in which windows, facades, and building envelopes will play a decisive role.

This will drive greater demand for more technically sophisticated solutions, better quality control, more rigorous installation processes, and increased use of simulation and performance evaluation tools.

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As an academic institution, we have a responsibility to train professionals capable of understanding these challenges from a comprehensive perspective, incorporating knowledge of building physics, hygrothermal behavior, energy efficiency, materials, regulations, and performance evaluation. At the same time, it will be essential to strengthen continuing education so that professionals currently practicing in the field can update their skills in light of this new regulatory landscape.

 

8. Finally, what invitation would you extend to professionals, companies, students, and industry stakeholders to participate in FEVENT MÁS 2027?

 

​I would invite them to participate actively because FEVENT MÁS 2027 will be much more than just a trade show or a technical seminar. It will be a space to share experiences, learn about the latest trends, establish new collaborations, and reflect on how we want to build the buildings of the future.

 

The challenges facing our industry are too complex to tackle individually. We need to create spaces where academic knowledge, professional experience, technological innovation, and companies’ ability to transform those ideas into concrete solutions can converge. I am convinced that FEVENT MÁS 2027 will be one of those spaces, and we look forward to meeting there to continue building, together, a more innovative, sustainable industry that is prepared for the challenges of the future.