Green roofs & walls against climate change: Australian lecture series

Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne will host half-day seminars about green roofs and green walls as a potent way to address the challenge of climate change.

Featuring Germany’s Professor Manfred Köhler, the seminars will be held during the last week of February and the first week of March. They will draw upon 30 years’ knowledge and experience in green roofs and green walls in Germany – covering research, policy, infrastructure, management and design.

The lectures are designed for built environment professionals: architects, landscape designers, urban planners, builders, water-proofing specialists, horticultural contractors, building owners and developers, building managers, academics and council officers.

Professor Manfred Köhler, Chairman of the World Green Roof Infrastructure Network, is visiting Australia from Germany, where he is professor of landscape ecology at the University of Applied Sciences at Neubrandenberg. He founded the Green Roof Research Centre at this university, and is active in green roof organisations in Germany and in North America. Professor Köhler will speak about Germany’s 30 or so years of modern technology development of green roofs and green walls, plus the important new investment in Germany in combined green roofs and solar energy collection. This expected has significance in Australia because the Worldwatch Institute estimates that the United States and China will reduce solar energy collection equipment costs by around 40% in the next two years.

Also speaking will be Geoff Wilson, Founder and President of Green Roofs Australia Inc and the Australian representative on the World Green Roofs Infrastructure Network. He will speak about the potential of green roofs for both highly improved and less costly storm-water management, plus more effective home and business water storage for both green roofs and associated urban agriculture, aquaculture and aquaponics.

Sidonie Carpenter will also speak. She is Vice President of Green Roofs Australia and proprietor of a landscape design business in Brisbane that specialises in green roofs and walls. Sidonie will explain the elementary green roof and green wall education courses she and her team are preparing for Australia. She will also speak about the design and construction of the new green roofed and green walled home she is currently building in Brisbane, to highlight Australian design ideas and plants.

Refreshments are included at the seminars. Members of Green Roofs Australia (and in Sydney, of AILA) enjoy half-price discounts. Click the following links to register in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne.

BRISBANE: 8.30am—12.30pm 26 February Brisbane Technology Park conference centre

SYDNEY: 6pm 27 February Tusculum, 3 Manning Street, Potts Point

CANBERRA: 8.30am—12.30pm Monday 3 March First floor, Rydges Lakeside, London Circuit

MELBOURNE: 8.30am—12.30pm Thursday 6 March Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Room

Further information from Geoff Wilson: Phones: 07 3411 4524 or 0412 622 779. Or call Sidonie Carpenter 0418 867 123. Or email Geoff Wilson.