Eco friends

The upcoming ecobuild show is a one-stop shop for sustainable design and building, with product launches, a thorough seminar programme and more.

Fluent in PV, BIPV and CHPs? Wellversed in SUDS, IUD and SWMP? Whether you talk the talk or not (don’t they sound a bit like new strains of pandemic flu?), mark your diary for Ecobuild, 2-4 March. With a wealth of seminars, conferences and other interactive workshops, this three-day event for sustainable design, construction and built environment will satisfy both eco experts and novices. And FX has a peek at what’s new and what’s not to miss.

Since its inception in 2005, the show has nearly doubled in size each year. There were some 850 exhibitors in 2009, and Ecobuild’s directors have seen this year’s number jump towards 1,000.

It’s expanded into the balcony level at its Earls Court 1 venue in London, and while it’s too early to precisely forecast, indications are that visitors will exceed the 35,000 who attended last year’s event, says Moira Edwards, event director of International Business events.

The success is due to a combination of factors, she explains: ‘When it was launched in 2005 it was in the right place at the right time to grow as he construction sector embraced sustainability.’ She adds that the show’s format is compelling to visitors because it offers ‘the biggest showcase of construction products anywhere in the world’ with an extensive information programme.

And there’s no better example of this than Ecobuild’s vast seminar programme, offering an overwhelming choice of topics.

It might just be one of the best seminar schedules of any show, as it not only reinforces the exhibition but also is powerful in its own right. It’s worth picking a day to visit on the basis of the seminar programme alone.

There are 13 topic categories to choose from, each broken down into hour-long programmes throughout the day, on each day. These programmes are then divided into bite-sized 20-minute sessions, allowing visitors to switch between various topics.

Sustainable by Design, Making the Most of Markets, Urban Planning & Public Realm and Refurbish Britain are great places to start. Have a look online at www.ecobuild.co.uk/seminars for the full list. Registered visitors can attend any of the 100-plus sessions for free, without any advanced booking, though if you’re extra keen on anything, it’s best to be a bit early.

But there’s more than seminars to fill your day, with informative attractions being lined up to be experienced at the visitors’ leisure. Check out Cityscape, a 10m cube made of green or living walls (it will be difficult to miss) built to illustrate the different systems available for large-scale urban installations. More information about green infrastructure will be available from Natural England, inside the cube.

Solar technology is well-represented among exhibitors, seminars and the show as a whole. Manufacturer Solarcentury will run Solar Hub on the first two days, offering workshops and demonstrations. Get briefed with the help of a model city to see where solar solutions can be integrated into the built environment.

Alongside the show is a new Fringe series, with events held in conjunction in or around Earls Court. Workshops range from carpet recycling to ways architects and designers can help reduce the ecological impact of food. And if you really feel like getting your hands dirty, stop by the rammedearth andstraw-bale workshops. Here visitors can learn about green infrastructure and climate-change adaptation with wall construction, clay plastering and demonstrations of lime rendering. Maybe save it for after lunch.

This article was first published in FX Magazine.








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