Architectural scientists debate future for built environment

Tuesday, 21 November 2006

Architectural science researchers and professionals from around the world are gathering at the University of Adelaide to debate the changing world and the issues for our future built environment.

Challenges for architectural science in changing climates is the three-day 40th annual conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association, hosted by the University of Adelaide.

Conference organiser Associate Professor Terry Williamson said: "This year the conference will be asking architectural science researchers, educators and practitioners to confront the important issues of the changing natural, economic, political and social climates in which we live. We need to look at questions such as is our current understanding of building design sufficient for these changes? How should we as architectural scientists respond to issues such as increased urbanisation, higher density living, increased awareness of sustainable living?"

Keynote speaker Lori McElroy, SUST Project Manager from the Lighthouse Trust in Glasgow, Scotland, will speak on the need for design professionals to transform existing practices in pursuit of sustainability.

"The whole issue of sustainability is controversial, and whether or not one believes that humans are the main cause of climate change, our profligacy in use of finite resources, from building materials to fossil fuels, necessitates that we change our behaviour," Ms McElroy will tell delegates.

"Sustainability is not just about the environment, materials or energy, or about costs and jobs or creating places that people will love - it's about balancing all of these things so that when we create these spaces people will love them and cherish them and they will last - and we won't have to waste energy in taking them apart and putting them in landfill sites and starting again in 20 years."

Organised by the University's School of Architecture,Landscape Architecture and Urban Design,the conference is being held in the Napier Building from Wednesday, 22 November to Friday, 24 November.

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