Architecture & Biodiversity workshop
Organised by the Belgian Biodiversity Platform
One of the key drivers for the loss of global biodiversity is the loss of habitats for species. In urban areas, the building sector can play a major role in countering this trend. The impact architecture has on ecosystems and biodiversity is substantial, from the choice of species used for green areas, of materials used in construction (their sourcing, assembly and disposal); to the choice of resources needed to sustain buildings in use (energy, water, etc); and to the choice of practices that impact upon habitats or vulnerable species that buildings may contain. Integrating biodiversity into practices of the building sector, and into policies and strategies for urbanism is therefore increasingly necessary.
This informal workshop will gather Belgian researchers, administrations, architects, real estate developers, land planners, and practitioners. The goal is to exchange ideas on how to better integrate biodiversity into real estate projects and to identify gaps of knowledge and research needs of relevance to the construction sector.
Workshop agenda
9:00 - Welcome
Introduction by Angélique Berhault, Belgian Biodiversity Platform (goals of the workshop), and by Etienne Aulotte, Bruxelles Environnement (green areas in the city of Brussels and challenges for administrations).
9:20 - Quick tour de table
9:30 - Presentations of scientific projects intended for the construction sector:
- Groentool (10 min)
By Stijn Vranckx, VITO
- Nature Value Explorer (10 min)
By Jeroen Panis, INBO
- Project under development for the City of Liège (10 min)
By Grégory Mahy, Ulg
- Groen Bouwen (10 min)
By Filip Dobbels, WTCB
10:10 - Open discussion - part I
→ Discussion on the type of tools and projects presented: do these need to be further developed / extended / improved…?
→ Discussion on the current gaps of knowledge for each stakeholder (architects, real estate developers, land planners, administrations) to improve the state of biodiversity in the construction sector, and the use of biodiversity/ nature-based solutions in your practices.
11:00 - Coffee break (30 minutes)
11:30 - Open discussion - part II
→ Further discussions on the current gaps of knowledge for each stakeholder (architects, real estate developers, land planners, administrations) to improve the state of biodiversity in the construction sector, and the use of biodiversity/ nature-based solutions in your practices.
12:00 - Next steps: follow-up of the workshop
- LIFE project proposal
By Etienne Aulotte, Bruxelles Environnement
& Open discussion - part III
Open discussion on the LIFE project proposal and potential future activities.
12:30 - Complimentary lunch & closure of the workshop.
Date
19 March 2019 - from 9 am.
Location
Herman Terlinck building
Havenlaan 88
1000 Brussel
Room Paul Janssens: room 1.69 on the 1st floor.
Organiser: The Belgian Biodiversity Platform
As science-policy interface on biodiversity, one of our role is to promote the engagement of scientists working on biodiversity into topics of relevance to policy and society. Under this framework, the Belgian Biodiversity Platform organises this informal workshop as a follow-up of the Belgian IPBES Uptake event that took place on October 1, 2018, and during which participants called for a better integration of biodiversity into policies related to urban planning.