PreLoved Buildings Conference coming to Brisbane

The PreLoved Buildings Conference will be held in Brisbane from 28-29 October. The conference will cover everything from financial considerations of retrofits and building tuning to innovation, technology and performance improvement.

AIRAH CEO Phil Wilkinson, M.AIRAH, said that more than ever the focus of the property and construction industries has turned to the existing building stock, and to the measures that can be executed to see preloved buildings optimised.

“The conference underlines that a strong focus on HVAC&R in the existing built environment can achieve dramatic effects when it comes to reducing energy use, conserving water and improving the occupied space.”

Conference Committee Chair Jessica Holz, M.AIRAH, says this year’s conference focuses on the challenges and opportunities for engineers, contractors, architects and controls technicians in embarking on a preloved building project.

“And as HVAC and sustainability professionals, we need to understand the drivers behind the decision to re-use a building and be able to effectively service it within the unique constraints of a retrofit, adaptive re-use or refurbishment project.

“In particular, we have keynote speaker Dr Robert Riddell, a renowned heritage architect in Brisbane. He’ll be talking about his retrofitting experiences and a variety of exciting case studies,” said Holz.

Gerry Hackett from GHD will use a case study of the recent upgrade of the central heating plant at Old Parliament House (OPH) in Canberra to explain the challenges and solutions involved in retrofitting heritage buildings.

Hackett will look at key challenges, including OPH’s national and historical significance - and the attendant stringent heritage requirements - and the issue of heating plant having to operate 24/7 in order to preserve the museum’s paintings and artefacts.

For more information about PreLoved Buildings 2014, or to view the program, visit www.airah.org.au/PreLoved2014.