Complex Shading Systems | Adam MacKenzie & Ben MacKenzie | Durham School Lunch and Learn Series

Complex roller shade systems remain one of the most under-designed systems in the AEC industry and are overlooked in both lighting and mechanical system design. With backgrounds across lighting, electrical, and mechanical engineering, Veil and NCSS bring an engineered, design‑build approach to what is traditionally treated as an architecturally specified Division 12 package. This presentation will demonstrate real-world applications of coordinated shading design, highlight the performance impacts of integrated glare and thermal control, and challenge the audience to consider how cross‑discipline collaboration can better address the largest uncontrolled environmental variable in a building: the sun. #TheDurhamSchool #BuildingPerformance #Daylighting #BuildingDesign #SustainableDesign #HighPerformanceBuildings #MechanicalEngineering #ElectricalEngineering #LightingDesign -------------- • Event: Durham School Lunch-and-Learn Series • Date: Friday, May 1, 2026 • Venue: Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha, Kiewit Hall, Lincoln, and Zoom. • Topic: “Complex Shading Systems - Leveraging Architectural Engineering in Design-Build” • Speakers: Adam MacKenzie, PE, Partner, National Commercial Shading Solutions Founder, Veil | engineered shading Ben MacKenzie, PE, Founder, Veil | engineered shading Partner, National Commercial Shading Solutions Founder, Veil | engineered shading ------------------ Bio: Adam MacKenzie, PE, and Ben MacKenzie, PE, are 2016 graduates of the UNL Master of Architectural Engineering program. After receiving their Professional Engineering licenses at a large MEP firm and working in the higher education and healthcare markets, they founded Veil engineered shading and National Commercial Shading Solutions (2020 and 2022, respectively), establishing the first true design‑build entity in the complex automated shading industry. They also run a residential window treatment franchise network spanning 13 territories and 5 states to deliver a full spectrum of related services across a team of 45 professionals. ------------------- Like, Comment, and Subscribe] 🤳 Stay connected with us on Social Media! LinkedIn:   / thedurhamschool   Instagram:   / thedurhamschool   Facebook:   / thedurhamschool   Twitter: https://x.com/TheDurhamSchool