World's tall building experts to convene in Dubai

An estimated 600 people representing more than 30 nations will convene from 3-5 March 2008 for presentations and exhibits examining the theme of "Tall & Green: Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future". Keynote presentations include renowned architects, planners, engineers Rem Koolhaas, Peter Rees, Ken Yeang, Leslie Robertson, Hani Rashid, William Baker and designer of the Burj Dubai Adrian Smith.

"We are in a critical stage in the development of human culture, as the realities of climate change begin to impact human behavior," says CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood. "On the one hand we are trying to build new cities as quickly and efficiently as we can to accommodate an overwhelming population increase, and on the other hand we are trying to preserve natural environments and integrate them with urban living."

Sustainability has always been about an investment in the present for the benefit of the future, a concept that is unfamiliar to some in the building industry. But the public's increasing concern for the environment is raising expectations and driving demand for new buildings that are more sustainable, energy-efficient and green. As a result, the sustainability movement is now being embraced by architects, builders and developers alike.

The tall building has a crucial role to play in this debate on the urban future. Itself the historical epitome of energy and consumption excess, the typology has the opportunity to re-invent itself as a model for denser, more sustainable cities. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the world's leading international body in the field of tall buildings, is at the forefront of this push for a more sustainable built form.

The decision by CTBUH Chairman David Scott to bring this debate to Dubai, the epicenter of urban construction activity globally, was well thought out. More than 90 building professionals from around the world will discuss sustainable design, technologies concerned with energy use reduction and energy generation, the role of concentrated mega-projects and 'new' cities in future urban developments, sustainable design in extreme climates, and the new generation of skyscraper form: tall, articulated towers.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is an international organization based in Chicago, Illinois. CTBUH is a multi-disciplinary group with a membership of over 1,400, consisting of the world's leading architects, engineers, builders and developers, representing more than 77 countries.

Its main focus is tall buildings and the urban environment and our mission is to collect and disseminate new knowledge about the built information. The Council holds a conference every year, but a World Congress - of which the Dubai will be the 8th - only once every four to five years.