2019-10-10

THE 9TH GREEN BUILDING SYMPOSIUM IS BEHIND US!

ALUPROF was one of the major brands partnering the symposium, which was organised by the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC), a member of the World Green Building Council (WGBC). The largest and most influential fixture on the Polish green building sector’s calendar was held on 3rd October in Warsaw at The Tides complex, which was designed by architects Kuryłowicz & Associates. The event was an international gathering of more than three hundred and fifty construction industry representatives and a true celebration of the architecture of the future, solicitous of people and the planet.

Driving Positive Change is the watchword for the 9th PLGBC Green Building Symposium. We all have the sense that the world must shift towards greater concern for, and care of, the natural environment. How can the construction industry serve that intent...?

Among the symposium’s keynote speakers was Professor Ewa Kuryłowicz of architectural design studio Kuryłowicz & Associates. During a talk entitled The Strongest Will Survive, she enthralled us with her charisma, global perception and sensitivity towards the interaction of architecture and nature. Another keynote speaker, Cédric Anbergen, representing BSolutions and the Belgium-based CAP Construction cluster, concentrated on the role played in the construction process not only by people, in other words, architects, designers and manufacturers, but also by technology in the form of building information modelling (BIM) and by products. The afternoon’s first keynote speaker was Ewelina Jaskulska, the founder of architectural design studio ARTECTONICA, who was selected as one of the “promising and emerging design talents” featured on the Europe 40 Under 40® list compiled by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Her focus was on how profoundly important architecture is to human beings, who should always be the starting point.

For more information about the speakers, please see

https://symposium.plgbc.org.pl/prelegenci/

The first session, Better Places for People, presented the impact that sustainable office buildings have on the health, comfort and productivity of those who work in them. Special guest Catriona Brady, the head of the ‘Better Places for People’ campaign run by the London-based World Green Building Council, spoke about designing spaces which are better for life, health and the future. The campaign she fronts supports the development of sustainable environments.
The second session, Driving Positive Change: Leadership, provided insights into the effects of joining forces in the construction sector for the sake of collaboration and for both a better future and a better life.

Buildings Are Like People, the third session, addressed the needs for buildings which offer a high quality of life, respect the natural environment and are economically effective at one and the same time. It All Starts With Me was the main thrust of the talk given during this part of the symposium by special guest Adam Targowisko, Sustainable Development Manager for Skanska Commercial Development Europe.

The final session, Designing the Future: Circular Buildings, focused on transformational shifts towards a circular economy and the new role of buildings. One of the special guests, Jean-Marie Hauglustaine of the University of Liège, was also representing CAP Construction. He talked about how he combines his experience as an architect, a scientific researcher and a university professor of construction technology, thanks to which, his designs for new and renovated buildings alike feature superb energy and environmental parameters. Special guest Petran van Heel, a construction sector banker, gave us a closer look at the assumptions underlying an iconic circular building, the ABN AMRO CIRCL project.
The 2019 PLGBC Green Building Awards

The symposium was followed by the 2019 PLGBC Green Building Awards ceremony. The awards aim to identify and honour the best green buildings, interiors, products and ecological initiatives in Poland.

The exceptional and outstanding members of this year’s jury members included Professor Ewa Kuryłowicz, Robert Konieczny, Wojciech Małecki and ALUPROF’s Architect General Elżbieta Dziubak.
This year’s edition of the PLGBC Green Building Symposium was supported by numerous recognised Patrons and Partners. The honorary patrons were the Polish Ministry of Investment and Economic Development, the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodship, the World Green Building Council, Polska Izba Ekologii (the Polish Chamber of Ecology), Stowarzyszenie Architektów Polskich (the Polish Architects’ Association), Towarzystwo Urbanistów Polskich (the Polish Urban Designers’ Society), Polska Izba Inżynierów Budownictwa (the Polish Chamber of Construction Engineers), Izba Projektowania Budowlanego (the Chamber of Building Design) and the Polish Chamber of Architects. The supporting patrons were the British-Polish Chamber of Commerce, Stowarzyszenie Wykonawców Dachów Płaskich i Fasad (the Flat Roof and Façade Contractors’ Association), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, TOP Woman in Real Estate, the Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce, Polish Circular Hotspot, Fundacja Integracja (the Integration Foundation), Fundacja CultureLab (the Culture Lab Foundation) and its education for sustainable development website, TupTupTup.org.pl, Polski Związek Firm Deweloperskich (the Polish Union of Property Developers) and the Omenaa Foundation.

The event was organised by the Polish Green Building Council. Thank you for an inspiring gathering!

For more about the Green Building Symposium, please see https://symposium.plgbc.org.pl/?lang=en