Smart Skyscrapers Summit Launches in the Southern Hemisphere

In March 2017 Melbourne will play host to the first ever Smart Skyscrapers Summit, a premiere event that will attract tower construction experts from around the world who will come together to directly shape the future of the Australian skyline in years to come through smart, sustainable innovations.

A riveting agenda is on the cards for Summit delegates who will hear from a wide selection of international and local professionals illuminating cutting edge advances and developments in skyscraper building and design. Looking to case studies from abroad, including from Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, speakers will pave the way for improvements in current practice within Australian high-rise construction. 

As Australia faces rapid changes with an ever growing population and urban density on the rise, inevitable questions of living conditions, urban sprawl and property demand emerge. The Summit will proactively address the issues at the forefront of tall building design, high rise engineering, urban planning, property growth, green solutions and liveability.

A range of Australia’s tallest and most futuristic towers will be profiled at the Summit with the opportunity to hear from principal designers, architects, engineers and consultants involved in skyscraper projects across the country.

The Australian Smart Skyscrapers Summit will look to environmentally friendly design such as Sydney’s One Central Park which houses the tallest vertical garden in the world. Senior Associate Mark Giles of PTW Architects will review the sustainable design concepts that underpin this green skyscraper.

Australia 108, set to overtake the Eureka Tower as Australia’s tallest residential skyscraper by 2019, will be profiled as the Southern Hemisphere’s only building with 100 stories. Founding Director of Fender Katsalidis, Karl Fender, instrumental in the design of both Australia 108 and the Eureka Tower, two of Australia’s tallest structures, will present a case study of the exciting new project which will grace soon Melbourne’s skyline.

The rise of vertical schools in Australia, with construction beginning in NSW and Western Australia, will be examined by Educational Specialist Peter Lippman who will bring his expertise in education design and extensive experience working in the US, Europe and Australia to the Summit.

Director of Supertall Building Technology, Peter A. Weismantle at Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture LLP, examines architectural design for a new generation of supertall buildings. Spearheading such projects as the 636 metre tall Greenland Centre and the 468 metre tall Dongcun Center in China as well as the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia which will be the first building in the world to be more than 1000 meters in height, Mr Weismantle brings his immense industry knowledge to the Australian Smart Skyscraper Summit. 

Partner and Design Director Claude Godefroy of Henning Larsen Architects based in Hong Kong will track the challenges of extending the public realm into the sky. Questions of preserving and enhancing natural habitat, creating social spaces and improving connectivity between skyscrapers and the public sphere will all be addressed. 

Director Alistair Guthrie of Arup has helped create some of the world’s best architecture including the MEP and sustainability design for the Shard in London, the scheme design for the Yongsan landmark tower, KT tower in Seoul and CCTV building in Beijing. Mr Guthrie will discuss sustainable design for high rise buildings.

With projects ranging from the Museum and Learning Center in Moscow, the James B. Hunt JR. Library at North Carolina State University, mixed-use towers in Sweden and India to the new headquarters for the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland, Architect and Partner at 3XN Fred Holt will discuss innovative design for Sydney’s 49 storey Quay Quarter Tower. The project will take the aspects and facilities of low rise and street life up into sky high towers, offering tenants the increased connectivity of low rise buildings.

Senior Lecturer Dr Philip Oldfield from the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) Built Environment faculty will consider the high-rise apartment boom sweeping Australia and whether the vast proliferation of skyscrapers is ultimately to the detriment of cities.

Receiving numerous awards for its sustainable design and architecture, Sydney’s 1 Bligh skyscraper has set a benchmark for environmental design. Architectus Managing Director Ray Brown will examine 1 Bligh’s innovative green features including solar panels, black water recycling and its double skin facade.

Spread across two days, the Summit is an unmatched opportunity to engage with industry leaders, knowledge share and network across a wide array of sectors, including design, architecture, engineering, supply, planning and government spheres.

The Australian Smart Skyscrapers Summit will take place on the 28^th & 29^th of March 2017 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

About Expotrade 

Expotrade is a global conference and event organizer with its head office based in Melbourne, Australia. Expotrade has delivered some of the largest, most successful B2B industry conferences and events in the areas of infrastructure, major projects, sustainability, technology & architecture. For almost 10 years, our unique blend of knowledge, experience and flexibility has accomplished an array of consistently top quality events. Today, Expotrade events enjoy such a distinctive edge, they are amongst the best patronised in the calendar.

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