Sustainability expert and Senior Architecture Lecturer Duncan Baker-Brown is hosting an international exhibition and seminar aimed at promoting the circular economy at FutureBuild in London (3-5 March), along with 27,000 industry ‘influencers and shapers’.
Duncan Baker-Brown, in the University of Brighton’s School of Architecture and Design, says the construction industry must use more waste materials if we are to save the planet’s precious resources.
Duncan, the man behind the University’s award-winning Waste House, will host ‘Resourceful Materials’ at FuruteBuild, a three-day symposium with invited experts from across Europe. They will discuss ways to dramatically reduce the amount of natural resources consumed by the construction industry every year.
In addition, Duncan will be taking part in a discussion in the Main Arena on 3 March. Entitled “The Future is regenerative’ he will discuss what architects and designers need to do next to meet the ambitions of being net carbon zero by 2050. Duncan is supported by the University’s Responsible Futures which focuses on sustainable economic development, improved environments and more inclusive societies. He is also supported at ‘Resourceful Materials by resource and circular economy expert Cat Fletcher who sourced much of the thrown-away materials used to construct the Waste House at the University’s City Campus in Grand Parade, Brighton.
Nick Gant, Principal Lecturer in the University’s School of Architecture & Design, and Dr Andreas Lampropoulos, Principal Lecturer in the University’s School of Environment and Technology, will be speaking on the subject at the event on 2 March.
Duncan said: “Climate change is at the top of the political agenda and we are encouraging as many people as possible – including our students – to attend so they can learn more and spread the word about the urgent need to boost the circular economy.”
Recent years, he said, have seen a dramatic reduction in construction and demolition waste but “while this is great news, there’s lots of room for improvement as this sector still creates 120m tonnes of waste a year.
“We can’t continue throwing away these resources that are not ‘rubbish’ but simply materials in the wrong place.” To view interviews from experts at last year’s FutureBuild, click here.
