Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Sustainabuild Conference October 30 2013 Vancouver

A couple of years ago I was asked to make a presentation on the pros and cons of undertaking sustainable developments at a SustainaBUILD conference. So I decided to tell the truth. I was never a tree-hugger; I never wore Birkenstocks; indeed, I was never a true environmentalist...I was, to quote a profile in 2005 publication, An Accidental Environmentalist.  However, as a result of my experience at SFU and with the Canada Green Building Council, I thought I could offer a perspective worth considering.  Perhaps it was, because this year I have been invited back. Here's the program:  

8:15 - 8:20 am  Opening Remarks
Conference Chairman: John Holland, President, PHH Arc Environmental
Biography: [more]
8:20 - 9:20 am

The Sustainable Experience 20 Years On — What Have We Learned

In the last 20 years we have moved from sustainability as a concept to sustainability as the prevailing standard for buildings, infrastructure and neighbourhoods. There are now four primary sustainable building validation systems in Canada; LEED, BuiltGreen, BOMA Best and the Living Building Challenge, what do these systems mean, what have they told us and why do owners and developers want these validation systems attached to their buildings and neighbourhoods? Over this period how well have buildings performed compared to the design? What green attributes appeal to tenants and investors? How do sustainable features, help the management of assets and make the building productive? Does the cost of greening a building pay off? What do the last 20 years tell us about the next 20?
Albert Bicol Michael Geller
Presenters: Albert Bicol, P. Eng., Albert Bicol Consulting
Michael Geller, President, The Geller Group
Biographies: [more]
9:20 - 10:10 am

Building Sustainable Cities: Barriers & Opportunities

What does it take to build sustainable cities in the 21st century? What can we learn from other cities? Is the sustainably designed city culturally, socially and economically achievable? This session will examine strategies to achieve sustainable cities while reviewing the impact these communities have on the lifestyle and economic markets. Using lessons from Vancouver and internationally from Europe, the session will move from policy to implementations while assessing green building strategies. The session will also review regenerative projects, specifically looking at achieving sustainability by leveraging innovative finance as well as community and under-utilized buildings. How has the European landscape changed and how has this affected sustainability practice.
Presenters: David Ramslie, Principal, Urban Innovation Lab
Gerben van Straaten, CEO, Walas Concepts
John Madden, Director of Community Planning and Development, Light House
Biographies: [more]
10:10 - 10:30 am

Coffee Break & Tabletop Exhibit

10:30 - 11:20 am

Which Materials Do We Use To Create The Ultimate Sustainable Building

When selecting building materials for projects do you consider the associated factors of extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal? Are there leading sustainable building product certifications in the market today? What are best practices for LEED and sustainable building projects documentation from a materials perspective? Are leading manufacturers providing the right information about their products? Are there trends towards a more systematic approach for sustainable materials management? Are there best practices for specifying sustainable materials? This presentation will focus on some of these challenging subjects with suggestions, stories and frustrations!
Murray MacKinnon Marsha Gentile
Presenters: Murray MacKinnon, Vice President of Sustainability, Ledcor Industries Inc.
Marsha Gentile, Construction Sustainability Specialist, Ledcor Construction Limited
Biographies: [more]
11:20 - 12:15 pm

Do I Feel Better In A Sustainable Building?

In this engaging presentation, Vladimir will cover the complex subject of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in buildings and explain the importance of focusing on human well-being as the primary driver for high-performance, sustainable building design. He will address the shortcomings of today's mainstream trends in building design driven by "what sells," which often conflicts with the sustainable performance targets and our perception of well-being. Vladimir will explain the key parts of human physiology and state of mind that are involved in defining well-being in buildings, and outline a simple and clear strategy for achieving well performing and livable sustainable buildings.
Presenter: Vladimir Mikler, Principal, Integral Group
Biography: [more]

and much, much more.  Check it out here  http://www.sustainabuild.com/vancouver/

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