Form & Function - speakers and topics unveiled
Participants at this year’s Form & Function will be among the first building professionals to obtain information on the latest innovations and trends for the year ahead when they attend the event’s seminar series, a key component of Australia's leading trade exhibition for the building, architecture, construction and design industries (19 – 21 April).
The industry’s peak bodies and associations will present the exclusive seminars, including the Australian Tile Council (ATC), Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA), the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCAA), Sustainability Victoria and Think Brick Australia.
All Form & Function seminars are free for visitors to attend and will be held on the mezzanine level or show floor at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, providing an engaging environment for visitors to not only interact with the seminar speakers, but also network with fellow Form & Function visitors. Form & Function is co-located with designEX.
Seminar highlights presented by the Australian Tile Council
Colin Cass of Techtile Consulting will present the Assessing Tile Insulation Quality seminar. Participants will be informed on how to judge the quality of finished tile work, including information on the standards today’s tilers work to – a particularly useful seminar for project managers needing to asses the quality of work done by contracted tilers.
When: Thursday 19 April, 10.30 am Where: Mezzanine
John Moses of Davco Construction Materials will present a technical seminar, Waterproofing and Tiling in Wet Areas that examines the Australian waterproofing standard for wet areas in residential buildings, and how the performance of the membrane and the tiling installation are impacted by this standard. Surface preparation and treating imperfections in the substrate before membrane application will be explained, as well as a review of the different membranes and adhesive types, specifically, which ones offer best performance in wet areas.
When: Thursday 19 April, 4.30 pm Where: Mezzanine
John Moses will also present the Acoustic Underlaying – A Sound Approach seminar. Presented by the Australian Tile Council, the seminar examines the role acoustic underlays play in reducing sound transmission in buildings, explaining the provisions for sound insulation and the standards used to measure the rating, including an overview of the factors that can impact this rating. A look at the different types of acoustic systems on the market will also be part of the seminar.
When: Friday 20 April, 10.00 am Where: Mezzanine
Returning to Form & Function on Friday, Colin Cass from Techtile Consulting presents the Salt Damage to Tile and Stone seminar. The increase in luxury homes by the ocean has brought an increase in tile and stone problems related to prolonged and concentrated salt exposure. Using case studies, Cass will inform participants of the associated issues and possible solutions, including tips on products and services suitable for seaside locations – a must for participants building or residing near the sea. Presented by the Australian Tile Council. When: Friday 20 April, 12.00 pm Where: Mezzanine
Graeme Robb, a technical advisor from Ardex will present the Tiling Over Timber Floors seminar, which, as the name suggests, discusses ways tiles can be fixed to timber floors using underlay systems and directly onto timber to create myriad finishes. Robb will also highlight the potential issues of working with specific timber finishes and how these problems can be overcome.
When: Saturday 21 April, 12.00 pm Where: Mezzanine
Seminar highlights from the Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA)
Peter Poulet, a representative of the Government Architect’s Office will discuss the environmental impacts housing design has on a variety of climates in his seminar, Efficient by Design. Poulet will implement Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental performance of designs over time, with free-running, naturally ventilated buildings used as examples. When: Thursday 19 April, 12.30 pm Where: Mezzanine When: Friday 20 April, 2.00 pm Where: Mezzanine
Concrete’s ability to be shaped and reflect the surface against which it is placed enables it to provide an extensive range of decorative and architectural off-form finishes, which can eliminate the need for additional applied finishes using other materials. In Achieving Quality Off-Form Concrete Finishes, the CCAA’s Eric Lume will provide insight into achieving quality off-form concrete finishes, highlighting how a cost-effective building solution can be achieved by utilising concrete’s aesthetic potential as well as its well-known structural properties.
When: Thursday 19 April, 11.00 am, Where: Show Floor
When: Friday 20 April, 3.30pm Where: Show Floor
Presented by John Nichols, a representative of the CCAA, the Polished Concrete Floors seminar demonstrates the breadth of polished concrete floor finishes, from basic to elaborate, and the techniques used to achieve these finishes, such as trowelling, burnishing or honing the surface – participants are sure to never look at a polished concrete floor in the same way again!
When: Thursday 19 April, 12.30 pm Where: Show Floor
When: Saturday 21 April, 10.00 am Where: Mezzanine
Seminar highlights from the National Precast Concrete Association Australia (NPCAA)
Colour and Texture – Your Vision Into Reality with Precast Concrete, presented by the NPCAA’s Peter Webb, this seminar will examine the infinite design possibilities that precast concrete offers, with an emphasis on the latest shapes and colours. Learn about the manufacturing process, methods of achieving different shapes, joints and colour applications.
When: Thursday 19 April, 12.00 pm Where: Show Floor
When: Friday 20 April, 4.30 pm Where: Show Floor
When: Saturday 21 April, 10.30am Where: Show Floor
Seminar highlights from Sustainability Victoria
Sustainability Victoria’s solar innovation program encourages the use of solar design and technologies to heat, cool, light and ventilate buildings, reducing energy consumption and energy costs while improving indoor comfort. Delivered by Sustainability Victoria’s Lisa Crowley, the Victorian Solar Innovation Initiative seminar outlines preliminary findings from the demonstration phase of the program, where solar solutions have been installed into 36 community buildings in Victoria.
When: Thursday 19 April, 2.00 pm Where: Show Floor
Three designers, Paul Charwood (Charlwood Design), Warwick Brown (Cobalt Niche Design) and Alex Knott (Alex Knott Design) will present Design for Sustainability: From Brief to Final Product. All three were recipients of Sustainability Victoria’s ‘small grant for designers’ and will share their knowledge of recent projects that successfully merged the best in design with sustainable considerations
When: Friday 20 April, 10.30 am Where: Show Floor
Additional seminars include:
• The Changing Face of Australian Housing, presented by James Hardies’ Steve Pisani – an examination of new-age design trends reflective of recent sustainable housing policiesThursday 19 April, 1.00pm, Show Floor
• Building Design for Quiet Living, delivered by Jim Folwer (Heggias) and presented by Boral, will look at the latest building products and services that offer sound insulation. Thursday 19 April, 5.00pm, Show Floor Saturday 21 April, 3.30pm, Show Floor
• Tone Wheeler of Environa Studio will present Climate Changes Brings Changes to Climate Design. Wheeler will share the findings of thermal performance research (conducted by the University of Newcastle NSW), in her presentation on design principles for energy efficient and environmentally responsible housing. Saturday 21 April, 2.30pm, Show Floor
9-Mar-2007