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| Ever wondered how the buildings of the future will be built?¶ On 27 October at The Verge Conference in San Francisco, Matthew Braun from Balfour Beatty Construction U.S. will present his experiences of creating one of the USA's greenest buildings - the modernisation of the Edith Green Wendall Wyatt federal building in Portland, Oregon. Refurbishment of the 18-storey, 40 year old building, currently ranked as one of the top 10 green buildings in the USA, proves that a sustainable approach to construction means so much more than an impressive set of carbon reduction statistics. Matthew and his team at Balfour Beatty pioneered a first of its kind labour agreement that delivered: 20% apprentice participation; 17% minority craft workers; 8% female craft workers. During his speech, Matthew will explain the impacts of the latest construction and technological trends, how Balfour Beatty is preparing for the future by bringing more Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) into its supply chain, and how a sustainable approach can result in enormous cost savings. "We are rightly proud of the energy efficiencies and cost savings that were made throughout construction, and will continue to be made throughout the life of the building. However, true sustainability involves working with local suppliers and ensuring that the workforce of the future is sustainable. An industry filled with diversity at all levels is essential, and this is why we are engaging so heavily with MWBEs". Matthew will also present a newly released video detailing the full range of sustainable inputs that ensured the building saved near to $1,000,000 in comparison to less agile construction approaches, and will continue to save over $300,000 per annum in reduced energy costs. write your comments about the article :: © 2014 Construction News :: home page |