GlassExpo Africa conference offers international line-up

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net Credit: Chris Sharp

The conference, entitled, "Let's Talk Glass in Sustainable Buildings" will take place at the MTN Expo Centre, Nasrec on 9 September 2010. The full-day event is aimed at architects, engineers, specifiers, developers, interior designers, contractors, builders, glazers and glass merchants.

It is hosted by the Association of Architectural Aluminium Manufacturers of South Africa (AAAMSA) and South African Glass and Glazing Association (SAGGA), and promises to deliver a varied and value packed event.

International speakers

The conference will feature Dutch architect, structural engineer and independent designer, Prof. Dr Mick Eekhout. He is a member of Delft University and founder of Octatube Space Structures, which has undertaken awe-inspiring and innovative designs. These include the space-frame roof membrane decking for the Olympic stadium in Tunis, the dome of the cathedral in Cote d'Ivoire, a suspended acoustical ceiling in the Royal Albert Hall in London, a cultural centre in Ash Dod with Japanese architect Takamatso and the Yitzak Rabin Centre in Tel Aviv with architect Moshe Safdie from Boston.

Eekhout will be joined Pascal Chartier, the marketing and projects manager of Saint-Gobain Glass Exprover, a French business focusing on the prescription and commercialisation of glass for construction in large exports. Chartier holds numerous patents and started his career as a research engineer at Saint-Gobain Recherche in 1985 before being appointed as department head in 1991. He took on the function of strategic marketing manager at Saint-Gobain Glass in 1998 where he was responsible for marketing new products, residential glass market, glass products with enhanced thermal insulation and self-cleaning glass. He has been in his current position since 2006.

Belgian engineer, Kevin Moens concludes the day's line-up of international glass experts. Moens holds a BSc Industrial Engineering (Hons), MSc Industrial Engineering and Postgraduate in Business Administration and has lectured on glass mechanics and glass structures at the Technical University Delft and on building with glass at KVIV - Royal Chamber of Engineers. He joined Solutia Europe - Saflex division as the MTS specialist for Central Europe & Baltic States and is now applications development manager for EMEA. He is a member of the Chamber of Flemish Engineers,

Local expertise

Speakers adding their local expertise and views to the conference include Nedbank Group's chief economist, Dennis Dykes, who is also a director of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a business representative on the NEDLAC Public Finance and Monetary Policy Chamber.

Executive officer of AAAMSA, Hans Schefferlie, will speak on proposed legislation. The AAAMSA group is comprised of eight trade associations representing the fenestration, glass, thermal insulation, and ceiling and partitioning industries and Schefferlie serves on the boards of Master Builders South Africa (MBSA), Specialist Engineering Contracts Committee (SECC) and South African Association of Energy Engineers (SAEE).

Informing delegates in the use, application and development of glass as a building material, is business owner and consultant to the glass and greater building industry, Nick Wright.

Concluding the day are Henning Rasmuss and Anthony Orelowitz, both acclaimed architects and directors of Paragon Architects. Their address at this conference is based on the cutting-edge designs they have produced for facades, including the 15 Alice Lane Towers project and the Cape Town Stadium.

CPD accreditation, entrance to show

Architects attending the conference will receive accredited category 1 CPD points and are invited to view GlassExpo Africa 2010, which runs from 8-11 September at the MTN Expo Centre, Nasrec, forming part of The Star Interbuild Africa 2010 trade exhibition.

This means that visitors to Glass Expo Africa will have the opportunity to see the latest construction and building services trends, products and services, holistically, alongside Interbuild, Plumbdrain Africa, Sani'ter, Frigair Conference and Expo, Hardex and Woodpro Africa exhibitors.

Booking

To register, go to the conferences page on www.glassexpoafrica.co.za and click on the registration link or e-mail Gwen Watkins of Freelancers Writing Services on az.oc.srecnaleerf@newg.