Facade Tectonics Institute

What it reported doing in 2025

During 2025, the Facade Tectonics Institute (FTI) continued to advance its mission to promote innovation in the art, science, and technology of building facades, accelerating change in the performance of built environments. Through conferences, regional forums, educational programming, publications, research initiatives, and member engagement activities, FTI strengthened its role as a leading interdisciplinary platform connecting architects, engineers, fabricators, researchers, manufacturers, academics, and building industry professionals.Educational Programs & Regional Forums--------------------------------------On March 19, 2025, the FTI Los Angeles Hub hosted a Historic Preservation event at the McCarthy Building Companies' offices in Los Angeles. The educational program featured a panel of architects and faade design experts from the Los Angeles region discussing preservation, adaptive reuse, and faade performance. More than 30 members and non-members attended.On 21 May, 2025, FTIs Education Committee and Los Angeles Hub organized the FTI Forward: Student Forum on Facades Carbon 2025 at SCI-Arc. Students from SCI-Arc, UCLA, USC, Woodbury University, and Cal Poly participated in a half-day interdisciplinary dialogue exploring faades, carbon, circularity, and sustainable design. Approximately 50 students, faculty members, professionals, and community participants attended.On 15 July, 2025, the Los Angeles Hub organized the DTLA Facades Walk, an educational tour focused on Los Angeles historic and architecturally significant building stock. Participants explored notable faades and urban environments throughout Downtown Los Angeles, followed by networking and discussion at the McCarthy Building Companies offices. More than 30 people attended. On October 7, 2025, the Los Angeles Hub hosted a successful Annual LA-hub Expo and Fundraiser! - a fundraising and educational event at FHC offices in Los Angeles. The program included fabricator tours, product demonstrations, material displays, presentations on new faade technologies and innovations, and a panel discussion featuring architects and faade experts from the West Coast focused on the current state of building construction in the Greater Los Angeles region. More than 100 members and non-members attended the event.On October 10, 2025, FTI partnered with Thomas Jefferson Universitys College of Architecture and the Built Environment to host a half-day Facades Forum in Philadelphia. The program featured expert-led sessions moderated by Jefferson faculty members covering complex geometries in faade design, building envelopes and climate change, and innovative faade materials. Approximately 70 students, faculty members, architects, engineers, and industry professionals attended.Vitruvian Honors & Awards & New York Hub----------------------------------------On September 18, 2025, FTI successfully hosted the New York Hub Forum and the Vitruvian Honors & Awards at the Center for Architecture in New York City. The New York Forum featured presentations by leading faade experts, practitioners, and academics. The Vitruvian Honors & Awards program celebrated excellence and innovation in facade design, engineering, sustainability, research, and technology. The program received more than 150 submissions and welcomed approximately 110 attendees, including FTI members, industry professionals, academics, and guests.Industry Leadership & Conference Participation----------------------------------------------On October 6, 2025, FTI members delivered a curated session at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Conference in Toronto. The sessions focused on overcoming challenges in faade design and delivery, policy development, and the future of high-performance facades. The presentation also summarized the results of a year-long research study conducted by FTI for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), examining barriers to adoption of high-performance faades and fenestration systems i

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 65.9%; rating input score 66
• Program expense ratio: 68.9%; rating input score 69
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Fail
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 5.5%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.65; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.3; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.6% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings