2009 Green Building Conference

Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu - Deputy Minister of Public Works

Opening of the Green Building Conference 2009

The 2009 Green Building was opened by the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu.  The recently appointed Deputy Minister outlined the measures

South Africa : Deputy Minister of Public Works speaks about her challenges

Emilio Ambasz (CEO & Architect - Emilio Ambasz Association)

Cutting Edge Green Building Design - Green over Grey

Building is an intrusion on Nature - Need to find a way to build which is harmonious with Nature.  Unethical for any architect not to pursue new concepts.

New man-made Nature - architecture only one component.  Architect's task is to reconcile nature with man made structures - organically integrate.  Return to community accessible gardens.  It is possible to have the Green over the Gray - can have building and garden in the city.

Recover up to 100% of ground used for building

Give citizens view of what they have lost.

Examples (See images in Zip File) -

Worldbridge Trade and Investment Centre

Mycal Cultural and Investment Centre

Lucille Halsell Conservatory

Venice-Mestre Hospital - first green hospital in the world - claim

Llewellyn van Wyk - Research Group Leader CSIR

Green Building as an Instrument of Transofrmation

Housing backlog of 2.3million

14.5% households - informal

20% not use electricity

12% no access to piped water

52% no piped water inside home

45% no access to flush toilets connected

44% no electricity for cooking

Sustainable Development - 'Our Common Future'

1. Needs - Essential needs of world's poor
2. Limitations - imposed by state of technology and social organisaition
3. Responsibility - environment held as proxy for social equity between generations
4. Transformation - Sustainability is pro-development - involves progressive transformation of economy in society
5. Ecological Capital - do least harm approach

Latter most favoured - how to focus on 4 former:

Green Building Rating Tools - would appear are benefits

Is Green Building enough?

The Promise of Transformative Infrastrucure - 7 Cannons

1. Ecological considerations with inherent flexibility and offering a natural sythesis with the environment (e.g. Reichstag Building - Berlin)
2. An architecture of experience that makes reference to the users - past, present and future - and focusses on the emerging experience as a totality (e.g. Reichstag Building - Berlin)
3. Opportunities to exercise human interaction with the natural environment (e.g. Academy of Sciences: Renzo Piano)
4. Expression of own culture in worship taking note of symbolic aspirations and having regard to the encouragement of openness to novelty (e.g. Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oaklands - San Francisco)
5. Expression of own culture in art and all forms of creativity and openess to enrichment (e.g. Jean Marie Tijbaou Centre: Renzo Piano)
6. Ergonomics of the shelter including respect for privacy of individuals and facilitation
7. Ergonomics of social interaction within the community facilitating multi-culturral meeting and expression and social interaction

Emerging Responses:

• Open Building supported by Open Building Technology
• Restorative Open Building

"Development must approve quality of life - do least harm is simply not good enough"