Doha,Qatar - Wednesday, April 24th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
Gulf Organisation for Research and Development, (GORD), the authority for knowledge on sustainability in the MENA region announces Green Buildings Expo 2014 , the region’s biggest conference & exhibition for sustainable solutions in the built-environment. Green Buildings Expo will take place at the Doha Exhibition Centre, between 28 – 30 January 2014.
GORD is proud to announce IFP Qatar as the official organizer for Green Buildings Expo 2014. The event will provide a global platform for construction, infrastructure, engineering, education and research institutions to exchange products and ideas in the sustainability sphere to collaboratively address the specific needs of the region.
Green Buildings Expo 2014 consists of the following events:
Sustainable Built Environment Conference (for academics)
Sustainable Built Environment Forum (for practitioners)
Green Buildings Exhibition
Sustainability Awards.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Yousef Al Horr, Founding Chairman, GORD commented, “Qatar Has shown firm commitment towards sustainability, in line with the directions of His Highness the Emir and the Qatar National Vision 2030. The expo is yet another initiative in our pursuit to position “Qatar, the capital of green”. It will reinforce Qatar’s global role in promoting sustainability. Opening an international dialogue on green-building practices will influence the business decisions pertaining to the planning, procurement and implementation phases of any project. Qatar has demonstrated a solid commitment to sustainability, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 that outlines a shift from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a knowledge-based model. Connecting academia with businesses promises such a grassroots-change that will bring in sustainability right from the outset and provide megaprojects with sustainable foundations.
The Green Buildings Exhibition will showcase industry-leading product portfolios and technologies for sustainable design, construction and the built-environment, including energy and water saving equipment and products, waste management methodologies, pollution-control and safety, security & disaster prevention among others. Experts will provide information, comparative analysis and demonstration of these products at the exhibition.. The exhibition will also provide an opportunity to network and grow businesses.
Through the expo, in addition to setting benchmarks for sustainable building best practices, GORD is also establishing a platform for industry stakeholders to learn more about both locally developed and global green solutions.
The Sustainable Built Environment Conference for academics will encapsulate global best-practice in sustainability. The conference will provide a speaking platform featuring policy-makers, professors and authors providing thought leadership, and promoting sustainable business strategies, products and practices.
Submissions of papers are welcomed on the Elseiver website to contribute to the International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment' that currently covers many categories under GSAS including urban connectivity, site or land use, use of sustainable materials, indoor environmental quality, energy conservation and efficiency, water conservation and production, cultural conservation and support of the national economy, healthy and productive built environment including neighbourhood/building design management and operations, commissioning plan, organic waste management, recycling management, intelligent building control systems and maintenance. Select white-papers from the journal will be presented at the conference.
Ahead of inclusion in a journal, an editorial board comprising of 32 professors from across the world, from leading universities in Saudi Arabia, Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Serbia , India, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Norway, will peer-review the papers with managing editor Dr Esam Elsarrag and editor-in-chief Dr Yousef Al Horr.
The Sustainable Built Environment Forum targeted at project management consultants, contractors, developers will see sustainability practitioners based in Qatar and from leading global companies share successes, exchange new solutions and cutting –edge concepts and seed potential collaborative initiatives.
Dr. Yousef Al Horr added, “We invite academics, scientists, industry practitioners and the student community to collaborate and share knowledge and expertise and experiences in sustainability to develop effective solutions that address key environmental challenges. Further to the last edition that centred on GSAS, we have made several advancements in the construction sector, especially around the processes surrounding procurement and installation of sustainable products. Following the government mandate on Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) and the wide reach of our training workshops, we are proud to have achieved as much as 95 per cent GSAS – Certified Green Professionals’ (GSAS-CGP) accreditation in Qatar’s currently active construction developments. Megaprojects such as Lusail City are already benefitting from our incentive-based star-rating under GSAS, a reflection of the successful realisation of our sustainability goals.”
Leading academicians, sustainability researchers and green-building champions will be acknowledged for their contributions at the Sustainability Awards ceremony. These are independent prizes that recognise research, innovation and achievement in tackling the sustainable development challenges facing the regional construction industry.
The three-day expo will build an association of local, regional and international partnerships spanning government, industry and professional stakeholders, in ensuring that sustainability in the built environment is the central pillar of Qatar’s long-term goals.
The event will bring together approximately more than 100 exhibitors and more than 500 delegates including government officials , opinion leaders, company presidents, CEOs and senior officers ,civil engineers, architects, academia and construction industry practitioners from across the globe, with participation from governmental and semi-government institutions responsible for capital projects and organisations.
Dr. Yousef Al Horr added, “ Our centres of excellence, including GSAS Trust GSAS Academy, GSAS Institute and GORD Consult have been reaching industry stakeholders across the MENA region and in key markets across the world, furthering our mission to offer new knowledge in sustainability and its applications, to empower the construction industry to address environmental challenges, and value and implement the concepts and strategies of sustainability. Through this expo we aim to attract the world’s top minds to convene across several disciplines and to foster meaningful dialogue between them. ”
Till date, GORD Academy has successfully accredited over a 1000 engineers through the GSAS-CGP workshops. GORD’s global outreach has seen several international editions of the CGP workshops, starting with Jordan and Kuwait, to be followed by Saudi Arabia. Offering engineers across the globe the flexibility to undertake the exams from any location, GORD has introduced, computer-based delivery of CGP exams.
Across the region, GSAS has been providing a blueprint for sustainable building development, with countries such as Kuwait adopting GSAS as the national code for green building developments. The new Municipal Headquarters in Kuwait City has been built as per GSAS standards. Besides offering memberships and certification programs designed to meet the educational needs of the professionals working in the construction industry, the GORD Academy has also signed memorandums of understanding with several universities including Aberdeen University, University College of London and Khartoum University to aid the development of a general framework for coordination to teach and integrate GSAS into the region’s universities’ education-curricula and to raise awareness about sustainable building practices. These agreements will see the entities jointly develop research projects, technical services, training and consultancy abilities. For example, GSAS has been adopted into the national environmental design curriculum at Qatar University and King Fahd University.
On an industrial level, the GORD Trust has been accrediting companies in providing third-party professional privileges for institutions, as licensed GSAS Authorised Service Providers. In addition to developing Qatar’s Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), GORD also launched locally-developed hybrid-car concept at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18).
Notes to the Editor
About GULF ORGANISATION FOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (GORD)
www.gord.qa
The Gulf Organization for Research & Development is a 100% government Qatari organization leading the fight to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated by promoting healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices.
Sponsored by Qatari Diar, the Gulf Organisation for R&Daims to build and strengthen a strong and vibrant local, regional and global consortium and network of respected research institutions, consulting and technology companies, real estate and construction companies, governmental and professional organizations that have genuine interest and commitment to support the strategic objectives of the Organization to address the environmental challenges and empower the construction society to apply sustainable applications and practices.
Our vision is for Qatar to be a leader in the field of sustainable development, design and construction, and for the Gulf Organisation for R&D to be one of the driving forces behind this transformation.
GORD will run scientific research through its own research programs and partnerships with local and international organizations, from both academic and applied research perspectives, to share knowledge and build networks to enhance the sustainable built environment in Qatar.The research programs, including but not limited to, energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy, materials, water, waste recycling etc., in addition to developing information databases from new and existing building stock including pilot research projects and feasibility studies and translate it into commercial reality for the best of future local economy and sustainable built environment.
Contacts
Gulf Organisation for Research & Development
Salah Al Ayoubi - Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications
Tel: +974 4404 9007
Email: s.alayoubi@gord.qa
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