May 3 2013
Planned as a first in a series of forums on sustainable development, Sustainability, Durability, and Design: The Future of Building Envelope, kicked off the series organized by Holcim Canada, the University of Toronto's Department of Civil Engineering and the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.
Holcim & UofT Forum speakers David Lieberman, Eleanor McAteer, Kim Pressnail, Alex Speigel and Kevin Hydes listening to an audience question (CNW Group/Holcim Canada Inc.)
The forum brought together well over 100 professionals from engineering, architecture, planning, development and academia to discuss how urbanization is driving development and how to address efficiency needs in both new construction and existing stocks of older buildings.
"We are incredibly pleased with the success of our first forum. We brought together thought leaders who can bring to the table the real issues we are facing in developing Canada's sustainable infrastructure and work together, across disciplines, to tackle these issues and make tangible progress. From a building material producer and supplier perspective, Holcim Canada aims to take a leadership approach and to be a part of this discussion to explore solutions and innovations for our changing needs to provide sustainable and resilient infrastructure," said Nick Caccavella, Senior Vice President, Holcim (Canada) Inc.
The program was kicked off by moderator and Toronto Star columnist Christopher Hume, followed by a keynote presentation from Kevin Hydes, President and CEO of Integral Group and past chair of the World Green Building Council. The panel discussion was driven by Eleanor McAteer, Kim Pressnail, David Lieberman and Alex Speigel who engaged the audience in meaningful conversations on the tools, tactics, obstacles and opportunities for sustainable development in our built environment.
"U of T is delighted to partner with Holcim Canada on this initiative. Because of civil engineering's strong focus on urban sustainability, being part of the hosting team was a fabulous opportunity to demonstrate how industry and academia can collaborate to achieve great things. We look forward to working with the forum participants to take steps toward improving our building infrastructure, " said Brenda McCabe, Chair of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto.
Holcim and UofT are aiming to develop a white-paper from the day's discussions and organize a similar forum this fall to explore some of the more detailed topics that were explored in the first forum.