“I felt really privileged to be in the room. The speakers were inspirational and the topics they covered are so important.” This was how Rolph Crystal, from Architects of Arcadia, described the Sydney forum of WoodSolutions 2010.
The second forum was held in Melbourne and the third will be held in Brisbane today (15 September). The forums are organised by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) as part of its specifier marketing program.
“I thought it was a unique and brilliant selection of speakers. They were all inspiring. Their wealth of knowledge and expertise was obvious. You could tell we were being addressed by the very top people in their areas of expertise. The topics they covered were so important – and I would have loved to have seen more students there. The forum was superbly orchestrated by a facilitator with wit and knowledge of the subject,” Rolph said.
Doug Fletcher, a structural and civil engineer at Aecom said he found the forum “really informative” He said it provided a very good overview of some iconic projects where timber was used as a fundamental component. “It was quite inspiring.’’
One of the speakers, Michael Green, a leading Canadian architect with McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture in Vancouver, said: “Architects have the power to make change. We often forget that collectively our voice really does shape the way our cities are made and more importantly how our solutions support our economies and our sense of self.
“Nothing expresses our sense of self more than our natural environment which is why wood resonates so most people and cultures around the world.’’
FWPA Managing Director Ric Sinclair said the forums were designed to build a stronger dialogue between the industry and its target audience of architects, engineers and building professionals.
The other international speakers are:
· International timber specialist Andrew Lawrence, Associate, Arup Advanced Technology & Research Group in London
· Andy Buchanan, Professor of Timber Design, University of Canterbury New Zealand and Research Director, Structural Timber Innovation Company
· Owen Griffiths, Marketing Director, McIntosh Timber Laminates, Auckland, New Zealand
The Australian speakers include:
· Allen Kearns, Theme Leader, Sustainable Cities and Coasts, CSIRO Climate Adaption Flagship, Australia
· Renowned Sydney architect Richard Leplastrier
The forum MC is comedian Vince Sorrenti who studied to be an architect before deciding on his comedic path.
The content of the forums includes case studies and reports on the latest technologies and applications driving the increasing use of structural wood in contemporary designs. The program also highlights the role of wood in sustainable design and its contribution (through both sequestration and low embodied energy) to reducing the carbon footprint of built structures.
