Green property in the spotlight

MEDIA RELEASE

17/12/2012

Green property in the spotlight

New Zealand’s foremost green building event, Green Property Summit, returns on 20 March 2013 to showcase the latest in green building practices from international and national industry leaders.

A joint initiative by Property Council New Zealand and the New Zealand Green Building Council, the fourth Green Property Summit explores urban redevelopment, seismicity, sustainability and productivity as key themes.

Keynote speaker David Hobsetter of KMD Architects is prepared to share the challenges of design excellence in earthquake-prone California. As a principal architect of San Francisco’s greenest office tower, the 525 Golden Gate building, Mr Hobstetter will talk about meeting a performance mandate of immediate occupancy after a design basis earthquake (DBE), and how high-performance design contributions saved $10 million and reduced CO2 emissions by 7 million pounds.

Also confirmed is Wade Lange, vice-president of Langley Investment Properties and Portland EcoDistricts, who will showcase how green city redevelopment can be achieved on a neighborhood scale. He will explain how five pilot eco-districts in Portland, United States, can serve as scaled-up models of green innovation by collaboration between residents, researchers and planners.

Property Council chief executive Connal Townsend said the programme is exciting. “Green Property Summit topics continue to reflect market challenges, successes and technological advancements.

“The event has a well-established role in New Zealand’s commercial property industry to educate and encourage anyone involved in the investment, design or building of our urban areas.”

He said the event would also include an update on the IPD Green Property Index, which had been well supported since its New Zealand launch in November this year.

New Zealand Green Building Council chief executive Alex Cutler said the mix of speakers across the programme speaks volumes about where the New Zealand market is going.

“From recognising the business case for certified green buildings in the latest Green Property Index update, through to a strong focus on urban regeneration, with Wade’s input. The opportunity with the imminent amount of change happening in Auckland and Christchurch the opportunity to influence New Zealand’s build environment is huge. It has to be considered with a sustainable lens and the market needs to be ready to deliver it.

“The Green Property Summit has been designed to address these with topical thinking, inspiring ideas and opportunities to connect with innovative thinkers,” said Alex.

Green Property Summit 2013 will be held on Wednesday 20 March at the Pullman Hotel, on the corner of Waterloo Quadrant and Princes Street in Auckland. Registrations are now open, and the full programme is to be released shortly.

For more information, please visit www.greenpropertysummit.org.nz.

ENDS

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