A Recap of Gulf Coast Green 2010: Reframing our Built Environment
On April 15 and 16, few hundred people gathered at the recently
renovated Hilton Hotel at the University of Houston for the 5th Gulf
Coast Green Symposium and Professional Expo. Representing a diverse background
of disciplines, architects, engineers, contractors, developers, students, educators,
and government officials met under the same roof to learn, share and network at
this annual event hosted by AIA Houston, Committee on the Environment (COTE). Organized
entirely by passionate volunteers and sponsored by leading companies from
Houston and the Gulf Coast region, GCG2010 offered a broad range of inspiring
learning sessions.
AIA 2010 National President George Miller, FAIA kicked off the first
day reminding all of us to “make sure we shape change that matters”, and
promoted the programs and strategies of AIA’s sustainable initiatives. Tim
Beatley, Professor at the University of Virginia School of Architecture,
continued with the urban scale perspective, and advocated for “free range kids”
to minimize “nature deficit disorder”, and achieve the quality of life we all desire.
Angela Nahikian, the Director of Global, Environmental Sustainability at
Steelcase shared the corporate social responsibility approach where a “drop
becomes a ripple”. Recently elected Houston Mayor Annise Parker opened up the
second day loud and clear by “leading the green business revolution for Houston as a model for
all American cities!” and “If it can be done in Houston it can be done
everywhere!” Friday continued with Global Green expert Jerry Yudelson who
shared “ecological wisdom” from his recent tour of Europe. Finally, the last
keynote speaker, Chris Allen, from the Biomimicry Institute, inspired everyone
with examples of “nature conscious emulation”, as we all need to humbly reap
more than 4 billion years of nature’s trial and error and become “nature
apprentices”.
Interwoven amongst keynote speakers, the symposium’s learning
sessions were organized under three tracks. The Business of Green speakers explored economic
opportunities in the sustainable arena. Topics included job creation, the
marketing of green building products and services, and return on investment for
green strategies. The Renovating the Future speakers discussed strategies that work for health, energy
savings, material resources, and economic payback. The Geography of Change speakers addressed land analysis,
planning, design, management, preservation, and rehabilitation for the health
of people and ecosystems.
For the first time this year, a series of round tables discussions
allowed the attendees to have a more casual and open dialogue with the
speakers, and enabled a more focused and in-depth analysis of issues critical
to the Gulf Coast region.
The annual Gulf Coast Green/Steelcase/McCoy Student Competition
showcased young talent at work and looked for innovative solutions to improve
life in our region. A student from the University of Houston received the
Honorable Mention and People’s Choice Award by reminding all of us the
importance of Redefining the Community
Garden. A Team of four students from the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette won the Best in Show Award by addressing the fragile coast
eco-systems with Coastal Capture.
After two years of the Consumer Expo for the General Public
focusing on residential applications, the GCG committee opted to go back to its
original format and offered a professional expo - smaller in size but geared
towards the professional crowd attending the symposium - which showcased the
latest products and technologies for green projects. GCG refined and mandated a series of green building guidelines
for the vendors, service firms, and non-profits exhibiting at the Expo. These
criteria ensure every year that the Expo hosts a professional marketplace devoid
of green misinformation (also known as green washing).
Each year, the event ends with a series of learning tours where a
small group of people can experience first-hand the variety of successful green
projects around the Houston Region. This year, one tour focused on recycled
materials and interiors, by exploring sustainably designed office spaces and educating
about the sustainable resources throughout Houston. Another tour engaged local
green businesses and non-profit organizations working together to make Houston
cleaner and more environmentally conscious. A third tour concentrated on green
residences throughout the Houston area and explored their sustainable designs,
construction process, and operations.
The 2010 event Chair, Janis Brackett, AIA, emphasized “We are very
pleased with the success of another Gulf Coast Green Symposium and Expo. The
feedback regarding the quality of the speakers and exhibitors has been very
positive. I am proud of our all-volunteer committee and their dedication to
sustainable education for the region. Having the University of Houston as our
venue allowed a unique opportunity to engage students in the process of hosting
a green event, through composting, recycling, and event staff training. We
continue to look for ways to make the event more stimulating and sustainable,
including an option for virtual conferencing!”
To download this year presentations and to learn more about
attending, exhibiting and sponsoring at future Gulf Coast Green events, go to: www.gulfcoastgreen.org
Filo Castore, AIA
Gulf Coast Green co-founder and past chair