This month I travelled with Shelley to Dhaka. It is so important to convene with colleagues, to discuss the local and the universal challenges that face our profession. At the CAA General Assembly we committed to sharing some of our public policy positions (and offered our EDG notes at member rates to CAA Institute members). It was a great event and I returned to Australia invigorated and optimistic. Incidentally, the CAA, which has 23 member countries of which about 13 were present in Dhaka, is soon to launch a revamped website for members to share ideas and information. I encourage you to visit when it’s online.
This week I am attending the Green Cities conference in Sydney. This is an important opportunity to join with Industry colleagues to discuss how to tackle the big issues facing our built environment’s present and future and explore the ways that we can help our cities and industry incorporate sustainable design as a core value. I will also be sharing with colleagues the latest Institute projects and initiatives in this area, including the progress and lessons learned from our own urban development at 41 Exhibition Street.
Speaking of which, I always relish a visit to Melbourne, but more so than ever as our building climbs ever skyward with 14 levels poured. Last week I visited the site with incoming president Paul Berkemeier and our newly elected National Council members who were attending an induction meeting. I really enjoy seeing this structure take shape – it is already a beautiful and unique addition to the Melbourne skyline.
I understand that many members have attended the latest in our National Seminar Series. Russell Evans from AECOM has been touring the country the past few weeks, presenting the story of the Total Carbon Modelling (TCM) for 41 Exhibition Street. (He presents in Tasmania next week.) Russell explains the methodology for the TCM and the sustainable design of the development. Through a detailed case study he shows how a very small CBD site can be transformed to deliver a high quality, highly sustainable, innovative commercial building targeting 5 star Greenstar, 5 star Nabers and a carbon neutral outcome over a 30 year life cycle. If you missed the seminar, you can download the printed case study from EDG.
Kind Regards,
David Parken