Francine Houben to deliver keynote at LEAF International Forum 2021

Join Francine Houben at the LEAF International Forum 2021 for the closing keynote on the 14^th October, 3:30 pm. Francine will present ‘People, Place, Purpose, Poetry’ which describes the specific architecture of Mecanoo illustrating the way Francine seeks for identity in a global world. From the texture of a local stone, to colours of a fruit tree, or rituals of inhabitants. Francine Houben will be highlighting Mecanoo’s ethos of designing places for people and beginning the process of exploring the urban environment and observing the life which inhabits it. The ultimate goal is to make buildings that people want to use. Poetry reflects the elusive elements of architecture.

The LEAF International Forum 2021 – “Blueprints for a Net Zero City” takes place in London, from 13th-14th October. This year’s theme focuses on anticipating the global drive towards a ‘net zero carbon’ future. Cities are setting ambitious decarbonisation targets to reduce their impact on the environment. Blueprints for a net zero city hybrid conference will focus on forward thinking strategies that urban environments are implementing to deliver on net zero targets.

These range from construction techniques through to operational use, designing for embodied carbon from material specification through to repair and maintenance, and what client demands are regarding costs to impacts. Case studies will cover hot topics such as sustainable land development and city making, urban green infrastructure, ‘Whole Life Carbon Vision’, green technologies, green retrofit projects, smart buildings, digital twins, alternative building materials, timber construction, and sustainable design.

Join the LEAF International Forum 2021 this autumn to engage with your peers and gain new insight from key industry leaders examining opportunities and exploring how technology, digitalisation, net-zero carbon targets and the pandemic are transforming the built environment across the entire supply chain.

The opportunity presented is to engage with influential decision makers through networking and private 1-2-1 meetings introductions. You will also be able to engage with the speakers on the main stage and participate in live Q&A sessions at the conference venue as well as remotely from our virtual platform.

Some of the topics to be covered include:

• Cities quest for net zero emissions.
• Digital transformation. How does the role of technology help cut the carbon footprint of a city?
• Redesigning urban infrastructure with minimised carbon footprint
• The future of green/circular construction and sustainable building design
• Designing low energy architecture and high-performance buildings
• Creating a sustainable and regenerative urban environment
• Environmentally responsive façades
• Circular materials and Biophilic design

For more information and registration please visit LEAF International Forum 2021.
Image copyright by Sven Signe den Hartogh.