During these tough times in the south of Israel and Gaza, it’s heartening to discover that some events are continuing, and that the determination to green things up, either by accident or design, continues apace.
Here at Green Prophet, we’ve kept a keen eye on green design and sustainable architecture, both here and abroad. I was cheered this weekend to discover that the Jerusalem Seminar in Architecture is planning its annual conference shortly, and its to be held here in Jerusalem this month, from the 25th to the 27th, with the theme of ‘Green Design – from theory to practice.’
A distinguished panel of practicing architects and experts, chaired by Dr. Ken Yeang, will explore an array of current projects and technological advancements in the field. Bringing together architects from the US, the UK, Holland and Malaysia and several other nations as well as Israel, this conference promises much in the way of green thinking and reflections upon how the natural world can and should influence our buildings and structures.
According to printed material on the conference: “The need to save our environment for future generations is one of the greatest challenges that humankind must address today; this task is fuelled by the growing realization that if we maintain our current rate of growth, consumption and way of life, this may be our last millennium on Earth. The singularly most compelling question for any designer is: how do we design for a sustainable future?
“Just as much as this question concerns the design professions, it is also a question that concerns industry – many corporations now anxiously seek to understand the environmental consequences of their current activities and attempt to envision what their impact might be if their business were sustainable. The most committed businesses must seek ways to realize their vision through ecologically benign strategies, new business models, production systems, materials and processes.
“Vital issues include how energy will be a major factor influencing our architectural design and planning. It is no longer a matter of design for low-energy or for zero carbon, but whether our designed systems can generate their own energy locally.
“An ecologically responsive built environment will undoubtedly change not only the way we design our built environment, but also how we work and the currently ecologically profligate way of life pursued by many of us in the developed and developing countries.
“In response to these imperatives, the 7th Jerusalem Seminar focuses on the state of green design and planning, and within this overall theme, the seminar will encompass the theoretical work done in this field and the range of technical solutions. The seminar will inform and give an assessment and overview of the work that is carried out worldwide today.”
Visit the conference website or contact the Jerusalem Seminar in Architecture (Jersemar) at 02-5665107. This Green Prophet writer hopes to be there, and will be posting more about the conference and its speakers.
More on Green Architecture:
Architect Elias Messinas Brings Green Architecture to Israel
Open Green Houses: Eco-Architecture Tours in Tel Aviv
Geotectura Builds a Green Future with Israel’s Real Estate
Author: James Murray-White
Growing up in a green village outside Cambridge, UK gave me an eye into the natural world, and years later, after being an actor, dramatist, weary traveller and anthropologist, the environment fires me up the most – and the need to save and nurture it… while we live within it. I now live in the UK, with partner Tania and 2 pesky cats – writing and filming the world (slowly making a documentary about the Bedouin situation) take up my creative time. I do this while growing things organically and composting profusely take up the remainder. James can be reached at james (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Many thanks for your comments Abhinandan. Regarding students participation in the seminars, as far as I remember, the organisation welcomes students participation and runs 2 design competitions which are judged during the conference. However I was just a visiting journalist at the conf, and am not an organiser, so please contact them directly via the link (click on the link in the article) for further info.
2 green architects I met during the conference and have been researching since are Micheal Palwyn (a specialist in biomimicry) and Ken Yeang – I recommend you have a look at their design and writings. Please also let us know of any projects you are involved in, or know of, in India. I met (at another conference in Israel) a designer from Auroville – would love to visit there one day.
warm regards,
James
In the entry above, I would like to focus on two sentences:
-Green Design – from theory to practice
-the determination to green things up, either by accident or design
It is really necessary that we start doing things in realty that will prove the current movement for Green and sustainable architecture.
And one important point that I liked is ‘to green things up, also by accident’. The spontaneity in architecture is something that is natural and quite successful if guided properly. We are trying to make Green and energy efficient buildings; but let us not forget the basic natural ways in which a energy efficiency can be achieved. I, being an Indian have witnessed how ancient buildings used architecture (which may include the built form, the materials used etc.) to achieve their desired state of energy efficiency without mechanical cooling systems(the havelis or palaces amidst the deserts of Rajasthan control climate, practise rain water harvesting, and saves energy in various forms), which is inspiring towards spontaneous Green architecture, I believe.
If possible please let me know if students can participate in these seminars; and if so, then how.
Regards,
Abhinandan Bera,
4th year B. Arch. student, India