Successful international presentation of the brick and tile industry at the World Sustainable Building Conference 08 in Melbourne

“Clay is green and comes in all colours“. With this slogan, scientific contributions and a provocative question at the exhibition stand, the brick and tile industry made itself seen and heard at the largest and most significant event on the subject of “sustainable building”, under the responsibility of the European association Tiles and Bricks Europe (TBE).
More than 2 000 participants from around the world attended the “World Sustainable Building Conference 08” in Melbourne from the 21st to the 25th September 2008 in order to present current developments in this area, to exchange ideas, to build new international networks or to cultivate old ones at the conference as well as at the collateral exhibition.
The European Association Tiles and Bricks Europe (TBE) initiated an international presentation of the brick and tile industry, organized and hosted an impressive exhibition stand together with the national brick associations of South Africa, Australia and North America. Furthermore the significant role assumed by the brick and tile industry in the future development of sustainable building was presented by poster presentations and a lecture.
At the exhibition stand a large banner, which could be seen from afar, asked the provocative question whether energy efficiency on the one hand, or health, comfort and safety on the other hand, represent the most significant criteria for a sustainable building. A touch screen invited conference attendants to choose one or the other.
The objective was to broach the issue of energy efficiency alone being widely held as the primary sustainability criterion – and to question this view. The resulting conversations and discussions were both interesting and fruitful. It was generally acknowledged that energy efficiency could never be more important than health, comfort and especially the safety of a building. This meant that the majority of conference participants confirmed the significance of just those sustainability criteria, in which our products show an excellent performance. In general it was seen as very positive that the brick and tile industry is committed as an internationally networked pro-active participant in the domain of sustainable building. The scientific contributions during the conference were generally of a high standard and demonstrated how the issue of “sustainable building” is being advanced worldwide with great vigour. The presentations delivered insight into the fact that all sectors are developing new building materials to meet the increasing demands in regard to sustainability. Sustainability assessment tools are being advanced or newly developed and more rigorous sustainability requirements for the building industry are being established on national and international level.
The pro-active participation in this race will become increasingly essential immediately and in the future also for the brick manufacturing industry to ensure that it stays in the game. The next “World Sustainable Building Conference” will take place in 2011 in London, an excellent chance for the brick and tile industry to position itself accordingly.
The subject of “sustainable building” will be dealt with in detail in Zi Brick and Tile Industry International
1-2/2009, whereby the technical lectures held in Melbourne will also be presented.
– Dipl.-Ing. Christine Vieira Paschoalique –

Related articles:

Issue 7-8/2011 New prospects for sustainable construction with ­ceramics in the Netherlands

Successful “Building Ceramics ­Conference” in Amsterdam

The “Building Ceramics Conference” organized on 19 April by the Dutch Ceramic Association VKO (Stichting Verenigde Keramische Organisaties) and SBR (Stichting Bouwresearch) comprised an extensive...

more
Issue 4/2016 Interview with visiting professor Armin Behles, TU Darmstadt, Germany

Building with brick means thinking in brick

Professor Behles, how did you come up with the design idea for these high-rise homes? The Berlin-based architecture researcher Tobias Engelschall told me about the WBM housing association’s plan to...

more
Issue 01/2024

German brick and tile industry sends a strong signal with new „Sustainability“ committee

The Federal Association of the German Brick and Tile Industry (BVZi) is pooling its capacities for sustainable construction with the newly founded „Sustainability“ committee. The expert group,...

more
Issue 04/2023

Annual Conference 2023 in Weimar - German brick and tile industry in a perfect storm

Weimar in Germany, known for poets, composers and artists, was the city of brickmakers from 12 to 14 June this year. At the historic Hotel Elephant, the annual conference of the German Brick and Tile...

more
Issue 6/2020 General meeting 2020

Brick and tile industry defines sustainability as central issue for the future

“Although the German brick and roofing tile industry has reduced its CO2 emissions by 40 percent since 1990 and is therefore exemplary in international comparison, we shall and want to further...

more