Walter Hartnett and Huston Dawson Discuss How 9/11 Shaped High-Rise Design

In the September 2026 issue of USGlass Magazine, Thornton Tomasetti Façade Engineering Leader Walter Hartnett and Senior Principal Huston Dawson discuss how lessons from the September 11 attacks continue to shape the design of safer, more resilient high-rise buildings. 

They explore advances in façade and structural design, including high-performance glazing and curtain walls, more integrated and resilient building systems, and greater collaboration among structural engineers, façade consultants, protective design specialists, and manufacturers. They also discuss the role of the building envelope in occupant safety and how design is evolving to address blast loads, extreme weather, and other emerging threats.

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