EVENTS
The 7 th Wood Conference draws record numbers
The seventh Wood Conference took place in Cape Town on 28 February , drawing nearly 600 professionals to this high-class event to discuss this year ' s theme – ' Wood as a sustainable , multifunctional material '.
By Ilana Koegelenberg
The Wood Conference once again took place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre ( ITCC ) with 564 delegates , ranging from students to architects to international suppliers . The conference , which offered delegates Continuous Professional Development ( CPD ) points . Once again the founder , George Kuratle , was happy to conclude the 7 th annual event which was perfectly organised by the capable Zaida Davids of HWZ International , who put in a great deal of effort to pull it all together .
Hannu Garny was tasked with the job of master of ceremonies and ensured that the day ’ s proceedings stayed on time . He introduced the speakers for the day as well , firstly welcoming Roger Kuratle to the stage .
“ We have come a long way since we started the Wood Conference seven years ago ,” said Roger Kuratle , head of corporate development of the Kuratle Group , during his official opening address .
Kuratle renewed their organisation ’ s commitment to South Africa and their goal to support the local industry to grow and improve the wood-building sector . “ We are here to stay for the long term ,” said Kuratle .
IT ' S A TRADITION
Kuratle was followed by Bernadette Hunkeler Brown , consulate general of Switzerland , who handled the welcome address .
Her talk centred on tradition , saying that just like using wood is a tradition , so this conference has become one too . She shared various examples of how wood has been used throughout the ages , highlighting remarkable structures in our history . But we ’ ve come a long way since then , especially in terms of sustainability .
“ In today ’ s world , it is ever more important ( and quite possible ) to come up with new applications through cutting edge technology ,” said Brown . “ The boundaries of what is possible using wood are being pushed by those in the industry .”
TIMBER AND SOCIAL INNOVATION
Andre Eksteen , architect of Earth World Architects , addressed the fascinating topic ‘ The role of the architect in the rapidly evolving technological landscape . Timber as a driver for innovation and democratic industrialisation ’.
Eksteen shared some very interesting videos of groundbreaking technology that has been used across the world to develop incredible timber structures . He showed some very creative building methods for projects that are architecturally pleasing and unique , some even mimicking patterns in nature .
He looked at whether architecture still has a place in our complex social-political and technological landscape and whether it can be used as a tool to facilitate change and inspire social innovation .
18 APRIL / MAY 2017 //