The fourth episode in Portugal features:

• Bike paths around the Tejo River in Lisbon displaying the poetry of Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa
• Designer Pedro Campos Costa and his glue-free cardboard creation, which acts as a seating unit, a shelving unit and is a remarkable work of art
• Stone House in Portugal, which is wedged between four large boulders in the mountains of Fafe, Portugal

Click here to view the embedded video.

The third episode in Spain features:

• The Beach Garbage Hotel in Madrid’s city center, made entirely of waste
• The Forum’s photovoltaic pergola, one of the most popular symbols of Barcelona’s new urban architecture and an emblem of the city’s commitment to renewable energies and sustainability
• Eco-Architect Enric Ruiz Geli and how he incorporates green engineering into his modern buildings such as the Media-TIC building
• The Robotic Fish

Click here to view the embedded video.

The second episode features:

• The spectacular living wall on the Musée du Quai Branly
• French eco-artist Mathilde Roussel-Giraudy
• Paris’s FedEx bike powered fleet

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dates: 22 – 25 February 2011

Location: Grand Hyatt Hotel, SINGAPORE

Website: www.greenbuildingsapac.com

Stay abreast of critical issues and learn about leading-edge solutions and global trends associated with green buildings and sustainable architecture in Asia at the 2nd Annual Green Buildings Asia in Singapore from 22 – 25 February 2011.

Do not be left behind in Asia’s green building movement! Are you updated on the government policies and initiatives that drive the growing green building industry in Asia? Do you know the latest in sustainability products, technologies and practices in green roofing, mobility systems, energy-efficient building systems that you can incorporate into your design? Are you aware of the massive commercial opportunities in green building and retrofit projects around Asia?

Meet regional authorities, industry leaders as well as experts who will share their sustainability strategies and award-winning designs that contribute to the betterment of the built environment at the 2nd Annual Green Buildings Asia – your essential and strategic platform for learning, sharing and networking!

Special Offer: 10% off normal rates for Green Business Times and AsiaIsGreen subscribers

Contact Name: Eileen David

Contact Email: Eileen.david@ibcasia.com.sg

Contact Tel: +65 – 6508 2458 / +65 – 6508 2400

Contact Fax: +65 – 6508 2407

Organiser Name: IBC Asia (S) Pte Ltd

Organiser URL: www.ibc-asia.com

Image source: NEA

With the theme of “Breaking the Green Building Bottleneck, Constructing the Low-carbon Harmonious Country”, WGBC 2010 focuses on the planning and designing of green building projects by Chinese real estate companies and design companies based on the world leading green building rating systems. The relationship between government agencies and real estate developers is the most important key player in WGBC 2010, as they are the key promoters in the industry. Then it will also provide the perfect platform for designing groups, construction companies, and suppliers to figure out an efficient way to promote their business with other organizations.

WGBC 2010 will gather participants from all over the world including real estate development companies, government agencies, designing groups, construction companies, financing groups, consulting groups, renewable energy companies, heating system suppliers, water management system companies, exterior-protected construction suppliers, building material companies, lighting system suppliers, intelligence controlling system suppliers, etc. They are professions from China, USA, Germany, UK, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Australia, Korea, Denmark, and others, more than 10 countries. WGBC 2010 is glad to provide the perfect platform for designing groups, construction companies, and suppliers to figure out an efficient way to promote their business with other organizations.

As one of the spotlights in WGBC 2010, there is an unparalleled real estate developer workshop. More than 20 leading real estate developers will gather in the conference, such as Landsea Group, Modern Green Development, CMPD, Green Land, Dalian Wanda Group, Henderson Land Development, Shui On Development, Coastal, Vanke, Capital Land, Sino Ocean Land, Crland, Vantone, CDL, Keppel Land, and etc. Their senior managers and head of green building projects will give keynote speeches or participate in the discussion, talking about the hot topics in green building industry like future green building development, projects under design and construction, HOPSCA, and the outlook on green building financing.

Till now, organizing committee has collected more than 20 speakers confirmation letter. Some of them come from MOHURD, USGBC, DGNB, CNBC, Landsea Group, Modern Green Development, CMPD, Green Land, Dalian Wanda Group, Henderson Land Development, Shui On Development, China Architecture Design & Research Group, East China Architectural Design Institute, School of Architecture Tsinghua University, China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute, College of Architecture and Urban Planning Tongji University, AIG Global Real Estate Investment, Jones Lang LaSalle, Shanghai No. 2 Construction Company, and The Climate Group.

For more information, please visit http://www.hnzmedia.com/events/wgbc

WorldGBC International Congress 2010

The WorldGBC International Congress 2010 is a 2 day congress from 13 – 14 September 2010. 13th September 2010 is designed specifically for GBC Members, and registration is restricted to WorldGBC Members. 14th September is open to those interested in learning more about the latest trends and updates on international green building.

The congress will provide a platform to:

Learn: from green building thought leaders who will share strategies for market transformation, policies that accelerate green building practices, and how to tackle global climate change while meeting local priorities.

Network: with representatives from GBCs in more than 70 countries, and strengthen our collective voice.

Connect: with delegates from a range of professions and industries, including engineers, architects and academics, bankers, building contractors and suppliers, planners, policy makers, property developers and product manufacturers.

Gain inspiration: at green building tours of the best Green Mark Platinum projects in Singapore, and learn more about the region’s latest eco-friendly building materials, energy-efficient solutions and green design at BEX Asia.

Influence: the uptake of sustainable, affordable building around the world.

Share: ideas and information, and contribute to the WorldGBC’s agenda in the lead up to COP16 in Mexico this December.

Inaugural SGBC Green Building Conference

SGBC Green Building Conference is a 1 day conference on 15 September 2010, and it will focus on green issues concerning the building and construction industry with more emphasis on green building technologies and green building designs as well as the retrofitting existing buildings. SGBC Green Building Conference provides a platform for our industry players to know and learn more on the Valuation and Financing Green Buildings, and the Green and Sustainable construction.

Green Mark Building Tour

The Green Mark Building tour on 16 September is specially arranged for participants to witness and experience green buildings in operations. The tours will create awareness amongst overseas delegates on BCA Green Mark Scheme which is more suitable for the tropical climate, and at the same time, it will demonstrate Singapore’s technical expertise, capabilities and R&D in green building developments.

BEX Asia

A concurrent event with World GBC Congress and SGBC conference will be BEX Asia, Southeast Asia’s green building exhibition. This exhibition is focused Build Green featuring eco-friendly, energy efficiency building materials, design and architecture for the future of sustainable environments. This event brings together industry practitioners, professionals and key buyers across the regions to learn, network and do business with Southeast Asia’s developing economies.

Visit the conference website for more details and registration.

The China Green Building Forum 2010 is a MUST-ATTEND industry gathering, which focus on latest Government’s Response and Marketing Prospect, Modern Integrated Green Building Design, Advanced Envelopes, Sustainable Materials, Integrated Heat and Power Generation, Innovative Business Models, Water-related Green Building Solutions, Smart Building Systems and Green Device, New Energy Applications, Energy Efficiency Solutions and Systems.

The China Green Building Forum 2010 will provide attendees with a precious platform to network and share industry know-how with 200+ stakeholders including Top-level Chinese Government Officials; Property Developers and Owners; Green Building Material Providers; Energy Efficient Equipment Providers; Green Building Engineering Design, Construction and Operation Company; Energy Service Company; Building Automation System and Energy Efficiency Solution Provider; Environmental and Green Building Consulting Company; New Green Energy Technology Developer; Green Building Project Financing Services and Research Institute.

The high-profile event will Confer on the topics below:
1. China government’s response and marketing prospect
2. How to achieve building energy conservation through advanced envelopes
3. The innovation of water-related green building solutions
4. How to integrate new energy into buildings
5. How green building developers and consultants have successfully built a desirable and efficient green space
6. The latest design ideas, trends, and techniques which can make buildings more sustainable
7. How to optimize life-cycle performance for buildings to achieve maximum energy efficiency and sustainability without compromising on comfort and life-safety
8. Challenges and opportunities for the development of China green building
9. Examing the commercialization of greentech solutions in China
10. The adaptation and application of emerging green-tech given the construction characteristics and site environment
11. How to reduce the increase cost of green building

This forum focus on the most relevant issues and opportunities in China Green Building industry and provide you with the best, most timely and detailed roadmap to success in 2010 and beyond!

For more details, please review the official event website: www.cgbforum.com

Any enquiry, please contact Michelle at:

Tel: +86 21 5180 7935

Email: michelle@genesis-resourcing.com

Greening Our Buildings

19 Mr Cedric Foo has asked how HDB estates can be more sustainable. Our existing HDB estates have designs which facilitate cross-ventilation and natural lighting. For new estates, we will continue to incorporate environmentally friendly features and green technologies. For example, HDB is pushing forward the installation of solar photovoltaic panels (PV) at four precincts at Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade.

20 HDB, together with Town Councils, also aims to reduce the energy consumption of common areas in new and existing HDB estates by 20% and 30% respectively. This is done by introducing features such as energy efficient light fittings and lift systems.

21 In addition, HDB has piloted centralised recycling chute systems in our existing estates (Blk 297C and 297D Chua Chu Kang). The results of the pilot study were encouraging, with about 3 times more recyclables collected as compared to conventional door-to-door collection method. With the plan to position Punggol as an Eco-Town for the tropics, such technologies will be explored for testing on a larger scale in Punggol.

22 Our sustainable development efforts must extend beyond our public housing estates. In April 2009, the Government released Sustainable Singapore Blueprint which outlined our efforts to improve our overall energy efficiency by 35% from 2005 levels by 2030. All sectors, including the building sector will need to play their part towards meeting this target.

Raising Minimum Standards for New Buildings

23 By the end of this year, we will raise the mandatory minimum energy efficiency standard for Green Mark certified level for new buildings by 10% from today’s standard. Correspondingly, the energy efficiency standards for other Green Mark levels, i.e. Gold, GoldPlus, and Platinum will be raised. Building owners can enjoy cost savings in the long run by being more energy efficient.

Mandatory Submission of Energy Data

24 To better understand energy consumption patterns, and to monitor the effectiveness of our energy efficiency measures, BCA will require building owners and utilities companies to submit energy and other building related data such as Gross Floor Area (GFA) and specifications of building systems on an annual basis starting from 2011. Building owners can also use the information to pro-actively improve their buildings’ energy efficiency.

25 Going forward, BCA will consult the industry on the possibility of mandating a minimum energy efficiency standard for existing buildings.

Source: MND