Buildings can persist for hundreds of years. Hence, each investor should consider what to leave for future generations. This reflection underlies the idea of sustainable building.
Problematic aspects of sustainable construction joined participants of the conference entitled „Future4Build – Return on investment”. The event took place on 17-18th October in Mariott Hotel. The meeting organised by Blue Business Media gave experts and popularisers of green building concept the opportunity to exchange their experiences.
Initial situation
Motto of the first day of the conference was „The future of sustainable building in Poland”. A series of debates was started by Bruce Robinson from Sapphire Ventures, who tried to answer the question whether green building is only an ideology or a practical solution, which may bring measurable benefits. In turn John Pike, Secretary General of the International Sustainability Alliance, indicated some economic and social reasons for investing in eco-development.
The issues connected with the implementation of UE directives were discussed in a presentation given by Bogdan Atanasiu from Buildings Performance Institute Europe. The speaker presented challenges arising from the application of EU norms in Poland, including the most important energy efficiency of buildings. During a panel discussion, Arkadiusz Węglarz, President of Association of the Energy Sector Auditors, Aleksander Panek from National Energy Conservation Agency, Szymon Liszka, President of Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency, and Krzysztof Sasin, representative of ABB, talked about Polish transformations of directive 31/2010/WE.
The viewpoint of Polish administration and the condition of national infrastructure in the face of challenges arising from the idea of sustainable building were discussed by an architect and publicist Czesław Bielecki, Piotr Fogel (Institute of Spatial Management and Housing), Leszek Drogosz (Director of Infrastructure Department of Warsaw City Hall), and Lubomir Wiśniewski (Association of Sustainable and Passive Building “Zero Plus” of Łódź). In turn visions and chances of using the eco-development in a wider context, including the development of sustainable urban planning was considered by Jolanta Pawlak (First Warsaw Agenda 21), Marek Budzyński (Warsaw University of Technology), Jochen Rabe (Buro Happold), Magdalena Staniszkis (Staniszkis Architect), Wojciech Januszczyk (Landscape Architecture Association), and Andrzej Romiszewski (National Chamber of Urban Planners).
Mariusz Zatylny and Mariusz Swat (Cohabitat Atelier), together with Kamil Wyszkowski (United Nations Development Programme Project Office PL) told about trends in global sustainable construction. The speakers discussed directions in evolution of environmentally friendly construction, from antique properties, through thermo-modernisations and passive building, to plus-energy buildings and futuristic living machines.
Specific questions
The first day of the conference ended with a panel discussion under the title „Energy-efficient, passive, green - from design to implementation.” The idea of green building in practical terms was discussed by Barbara Kawecka-Zygadło (Murator Plus), Vincent Briard (Knauf Insulation), Jolanta Lessig (Pilkington), Ewa Kowalska-Ocneanu (WSP Enviro), and Devin Saylor (Colliers International).
During the second day, lecture and panel topics were divided into two blocks: economic and technical. Within the former one, entitled “Investments and funds”, some ways and sources of raising funds for sustainable investments were discussed by the following panelists: Marek Broś (KRN media), Jan Rączka (National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management), Anna Łuszcz (Synergentia), and Mirosław Czarnik (Upper Silesian Industrial Park). The latter one, “Technologies and innovations”, opened a short presentation given by Andrzej Kozłowski, Director of Arup Poland. He told about the concept of sustainable building as an integral entity on the example of a hospital.
Costs and technical aspects connected with adapting a building to certain norms arising from the idea of sustainable development were discussed by Agnieszka Kaliszuk-Wietecka, Ryszard Piotrowski („Fachowiec na budowie”), Bogdan Ślęk (Philips Lightning), and Krzysztof Apostolidis (Business Factory). Considerations related to technology were continued by: Jerzy Sowa from Warsaw University of Technology, Ewa Kosmala from Kanuf Insulation, Maria Dreger representing Rockwool Poland, Ronald Leuck from BASF, and Henryk Kwapisz, Manager of Saint-Gobain Group. They debated on the newest technologies used in sustainable construction and opportunities of implementing them at the Polish market.
The Future4Build Conference ended with a panel relating to the future of green building in Poland. Among its speakers were: Craig Smith (Association of Green Building Professionals), Hans van de Sanden (Grontmij Polska), Guy Castelain Perry (Investments Environments), Ian Booth (Buro Happold), and Devin Saylor (Colliers International). The experts assessed the opportunities, prospects and benefits of the implementation of environmentally friendly construction. Also indicated directions of trend development at the Polish market.