A special focus Green Matters Conference, held Feb. 23-24, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas brings together leading industry experts to share up-to-date information on sustainable concrete technologies and trends in green building. High-interest topics will be covered in technical seminars, including infrared reflective coatings for heat island mitigation, innovative uses of concrete to provide cooling and stormwater management, environmental benefits of polished concrete, and advancements in functional resilience of architectural concrete.
“When innovative products and new methods come to market, it is a challenge to evaluate when, where and how to use them,” says conference director Sherry Boyd. “It’s a huge advantage that the Green Matters Conference is held side by side with the Concrete Decor Show so that attendees are able to see them in use and talk with technical experts during demonstrations and competitions.”
Registration for the Green Matters Conference includes admission to the exhibit hall floor Feb. 22-24 and to live demonstrations of the latest product and equipment developments scheduled at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. During three action-packed days, the demonstration pavilion showcases competitions in arenas dedicated to polished concrete, concrete coatings, and precast fabrication. On Wednesday, Feb. 22 and Thursday, Feb. 23 a lunch, included free with event registration, is served in the exhibit hall to allow attendees uninterrupted time to see the action and talk with industry leaders.
The panel discussions and technical seminars at the Green Matters Conference go beyond reviewing the criteria for green building certification to look more closely at innovative materials and methods. The courses offer AIA-CES Credits. TimGregorski, Senior Editor for Building Design+Construction leads a panel discussion on “Sustainable Design Using Architectural and Decorative Concrete”.
An opening address by David D. Shepherd, AIA, LEED AP, Director of Sustainable Development for the Portland Cement Association, presents an industry outlook for 2012 and beyond, including an update on new research at MIT being sponsored by the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative. He will translate their academic findings for the benefit of nonscientists.
The Green Matters Conference is targeted to the whole building team, including public and private project owners and managers, architects, landscape architects, interior designers, builders, general contractors, specialty subcontractors, facility managers, municipal authorities and related consultants. The event will raise awareness and understanding of the new directions in sustainable design and green building that are made possible with architectural and decorative concrete. The Green Matters Conference and the Concrete Decor Show, take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in February 2012. The new event is owned and operated by Professional Trade Publications, Inc. For more information, visit www.greenconcretematters.com. BD+C
Related Stories
| May 28, 2013
LED lighting's risks and rewards
LED lighting technology provides unique advantages, but it’s also important to understand its limitations for optimized application.
| May 28, 2013
Minneapolis transit hub will double as cultural center [slideshow]
The Building Team for the Interchange project in downtown Minneapolis is employing the principles of "open transit" design to create a station that is one part transit, one part cultural icon.
| May 24, 2013
James Turrell's art installation turns Guggenheim Museum into 'skyspace'
James Turrell, an artist whose projects are more properly defined as "light sculptures," will have a major installation at the Guggenheim Museum this summer, turning Frank Lloyd Wright's famed serpentine atrium into a show of shifting colors and textures. The site-specific project, Aten Reign, will run from June 21 to September 25.
| May 24, 2013
First look: Revised plan for Amazon's Seattle HQ and 'biodome'
NBBJ has released renderings of a revised plan for Amazon's new three-block headquarters in Seattle. The proposal would replace a previously approved six-story office building with a three-unit "biodome."
| May 23, 2013
Supertall 'Sky City' will house 4,400 families in Changsha, China
Broad Sustainable Building has completed a long and arduous approval process, and is starting excavation and construction on Sky City in June, 2013. The proposed "world's tallest building" will be a mixed-use project that could accommodate life and work needs of up to 30,000 people.
| May 23, 2013
Are design-build contracts killing small architecture firms?
Are federal design-build contract laws unfair to small firms? AIA thinks so, citing an interesting fact: an architecture firm spends a median of $260,000 to compete for a design-build project.
| May 23, 2013
Is the 'bring your own device' discussion stumping your IT group?
A new twist to the communication challenge most companies and IT departments face is the “bring your own device,” or BYOD, conundrum. I call it a conundrum because it is stumping many IT professionals.
| May 23, 2013
Portland State University’s School of Architecture launches Center for Public Interest Design
Portland State University’s School of Architecture is proud to announce the launch of its new Center for Public Interest Design, a research center that aims to investigate and utilize the power of design to make social, economic and environmental change in disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Center is the first of its kind in the nation.
| May 22, 2013
Return of retail? Rent growth seen in recovering markets
Like digging a ditch with a spoon, retail demand driven by population growth has eaten away at the supply of available store space in the markets that have been slowest to recover from the downturn. Vacancy rates are reaching a point that will give at least some landlords in every market the clout to demand slightly higher rents.