Matt Dillon
Three keynote speakers have been announced for AIRAH’s Future of HVAC 2021 conference, which will be live-streamed over two days, November 23 and 30.
The conference was originally scheduled to be held in Sydney, but has altered due to continuing precautions and restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three keynotes are Ninotschka Titchkosky from BVN Architecture, Dr Tim Schork from the University of Technology Sydney, and Mathew Aitchison from Building 4.0 CRC.
“We’re delighted to announce three keynotes the calibre of Ninotschka, Tim and Mathew,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH. “Regardless of what format the conference is presented in, the trio continue the tradition of compelling and thought-provoking keynote speakers at The Future of HVAC. Our keynotes are all addressing issues around delivering a more efficient built environment that emits less carbon. It’s all about the innovation imperative.”
Titchkosky and Dr Schork will be discussing Systems Reef 2 (SR2), an innovative and potentially disruptive method of constructing ducting that is 3D-printed from recycled plastic.
The project team says SR2 offers a 90 per cent reduction in embodied carbon when compared to existing systems. As well as being shaped to facilitate airflow, the tubes that make up the system have thousands of pores, placed by robot, to distribute air more effectively than traditional ductwork.
“Rather than dumping air at routine intervals across a floorplan, this design distributes the air evenly,” says Dr Schork. “There is a more consistent air temperature and flow, and nobody needs to sit under the cold draught of a high-powered vent.”
On secondment from Monash University, Aitchison is the CEO of Building 4.0 Co-operative Research Centre (CRC).
“Building 4.0 CRC is an industry-led research initiative co-funded by the Australian government,” the organisation says. “The CRC aims to develop an internationally competitive, dynamic and thriving Australian advanced manufacturing sector, delivering better buildings at lower cost, and the human capacity to lead the future industry.”
The Future of HVAC 2021 program covers five key themes: innovation and disruption; climate change – sustainability, adaptation, and resilience; regulation and legislation; indoor environment, including COVID-19 impacts; and the future of construction and building services integration.
Presentation highlights include:
• Psychrometry in the 21st century
• The circular economy and HVAC&R
• Assisi Catholic College, a case study
• The electricity market – Friend or foe?
• Mixed-mode ventilation: The future for Australian commercial buildings?
“In 2020, AIRAH learned quickly how to adapt to the shifting circumstances COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns caused,” says AIRAH CEO Gleeson. “In the midst of unprecedented disruption, we improvised and adapted by changing dates and shifting events online. In this way we were able to preserve some sense of normalcy and continuance amid radically altered circumstances. So, we have developed procedures and processes to get the best out of our live, hybrid and live-streamed events. This will continue with the Future of HVAC 2021.”
For more information on The Future of HVAC 2021, and to register, click here.
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