Presented by the U.S. Green Building Council, the 15th Greenbuild International Conference and Expo was branded “Iconic GREEN.” Taking place October 5-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown L.A., this year’s conference shed light on the positive power of the city of Los Angeles; the “Iconic GREEN” theme riffs on the many “revered icons of stage and screen” who call L.A. home, and draws attention to the many positive sustainability practices and innovations that have been happening across the city in recent years.
Greenbuild brings together people, companies, products, technology and ideas from many perspectives, both aligned and conflicting. It’s a conference that really excels at showing how sustainable concepts can affect all industries, all products, all places and people.
But, what was so palpable about this year’s conference is its championing of a major shift that’s been happening in the sustainable world the past few years: a refocusing of sustainable goals – away from sustainability simply for the earth’s wellbeing, and more toward sustainability through the lens of health and wellbeing of humans.
Sustainability is now more holistic in focus than it’s ever been. The field now involves every facet of human life; we already knew that, but our focus on humans has somehow come second to our focus on the earth, until a few years ago.
Greenbuild gives you a sense of that shift by bringing in programming and exhibitors that are developing concepts, products and services that speak simultaneously to both human- and earth-focused goals.
Greenbuild’s breadth of continuing education opportunities is impressive. In addition to traditional for-credit CEU seminars, the conference had tons of learning opportunities built into the Expo Hall, in the form of GBCI Expo Discussions on relevant, popular topics, as well as Education Labs – free lab sessions in small classrooms on the show floor.
The topics of these sessions were all over the place, including reducing energy and water consumption, using renewable energy sources, ratings systems, using specific materials and ingredients, social and cultural connections, case studies, net zero goals, new technologies, and all things USGBC.
Stay tuned in the next few months for officeinsight articles on the seminars we attended – on the Internet of Things (IoT)’s impact on existing buildings, the sharing economy, major changes in LEED v4, finding material ingredient transparency through the Red List, and how racial wellness and sustainability planning intersect.
In the Expo Hall, companies were delineated into several distinct pavilions: Health and Wellness, Intelligent Building & Connected Home, Interiors & Design, Lighting Solutions, Net Zero Energy, Non-Profit, Residential, Start Up Alley (a new area featuring companies new to the marketplace), Technology, Water, Wood, and the 500 Mile (a local pavilion for companies that manufacture products and/or have corporate offices located within 500 miles of Los Angeles).
Exhibitors did a fabulous job of communicating solid research and exciting new tech on the show floor, all through the lens of green goals. It was a nice change of pace to see each booth aligned toward something specific (sustainability, obviously), rather than simply showing the products as they do at other more general trade shows.
Attendees also enjoyed themed tours (set all across L.A., from Venice, Santa Monica and Hollywood to the Los Angeles Arts District, Historic Downtown neighborhood, the Los Angeles River, transportation hubs, sports and entertainment arenas, and more) workshops, summits, happy hours, and a ton of special events.
One special feature worth mentioning was the GBCI Certification Work Zone, a place for project teams to interact with GBCI reviewers and assessors. Attendees could meet one-on-one with experts and ask questions about specific projects and rating system requirements.
Other special events included a Women in Green Power Breakfast, a selection of Master Series speakers, many of whom delivered exceptional, thought-provoking talks, as well as the Greenbuild Plenary on Thursday night and Closing Plenary on Friday, where attendees could hear from industry and outside-of-industry leaders, including Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council; Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California; Sebastian Junger, journalist and best-selling author; Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative partner of Bjarke Ingels Group, and others.
After Thursday evening’s Plenary session, attendees enjoyed the Greenbuild Celebration, set outdoors at L.A., complete with intimate concert performances by X Ambassadors and the Grammy nominated musician and producer Aloe Blacc.
The 10th Annual Greenbuild Film Festival took place as well, featuring documentaries, films and informal videos that “promote innovative green building practices and address social, environmental, and health topics related to the built environment.”
Greenbuild is an event focused firmly on the future, but it’s also the perfect place to learn about things that are already possible in sustainability. Technology limits are becoming fewer and fewer, and the amount of research and new products in the mix present a sustainability landscape that can be overwhelming to architects, designers, and people in related fields. Greenbuild’s scope of opportunities provides a space for people to curate their own perfect sustainability conference.