Landscape & Urban Design Issue 29 2018 | Page 18

ecobuild 2018: The event shaped by the industry e cobuild is returning to the ExCeL London in March 2018 and under the new ownership of Futurebuild Events Ltd, things are set to be very different. The event is being designed and built around the industry, bringing to life the latest technology, freshest thinking and most innovative materials. Martin Hurn, Managing Director of Futurebuild Events, explains: “New, independent ownership offers a unique opportunity to completely overhaul the event. We believe that to be as relevant and valuable as possible, we need to understand and act on what built environment professionals want to see at ecobuild. We see our role as to facilitate the agenda, rather than dictate it.” g g One of the futurebuild districts, which surround the sustainability showcases and feed into the main conference programme, is the Green and Blue Infrastructure district. It will offer solutions in water management, external landscaping, biophilic design and biodiversity. Central to this district is the British Association of Landscaping Industries (BALI) Pavilion, which will showcase member technologies and products. A comprehensive seminar programme in this district will offer visitors sessions ranging from engaging communities with green and blue infrastructure and placemaking, to natural flood management and biophilic design. Key speakers include Liane Hartley from Mend, Dr Paul Quinn from the University of Newcastle and BRE’s Dr Ed Suttie. Other futurebuild districts include: g District Energy g Building Performance g Infrastructure g Timber g Concrete 18 Landscape & Urban Design Offsite Energy & HVAC ecobuild is also supporting the third annual CIBSE Challenge for Green Design, which seeks to highlight the role of building level green infrastructure. The winner will be announced at an ecobuild reception on the opening day of the event. The CPD Accredited Conference Programme landscaping sector. The showcases will truly put sustainability at the heart of the event. They include The Hive by The Edible Bus Stop, a pocket park highlighting biodiversity, biophilia, health and wellbeing. The showcases will also feature two full scale builds, including the zero net carbon home from ZEDfactory – designed to minimise fossil fuels and annual energy bills. It offers a complete response to the housing crisis. This year’s conference takes its lead from global environmental targets, with sessions formulating practical recommendations for action. It also tackles the big UK challenges, ranging from ideas for a healthier and greener London, to an assessment of the progress being made by the UK Property and Construction sector to becoming sustainable. Speakers at these sessions include Peter Murray, Hero Bennett, Adrian Gault and Julie Hirigoyen. Key Partnerships Sustainability Showcases You can register for a free ticket at www. ecobuild.co.uk/register. Alternatively, share your thoughts and feedback about the event by emailing martin.hurn@ecobuild. co.uk. The ecobuild sustainability showcases are home to the some of the most innovative solutions to the issues facing the ecobuild is working with a number of strategic partners who are contributing to the overall strategy and shape of the event to ensure it is reflective of the industry’s needs. Notable partners include the Considerate Constructors Scheme, BRE, NLA, Bioregional, CIBSE and the Edge. The event will also host the BREEAM Awards and the Offsite Construction Awards.