Call for Papers
Thematic Areas and Dates
The challenge at World SB14 Barcelona is to introduce, before all building sector stakeholders, the need to answer the demands that this sector has on a local level having in mind the global challenges that Humanity is facing.
Population growth in many regions of the planet has brought with it the need for decent housing; while in those countries with a consolidated urban development process it is the existing built environment that demands transformation. When setting out the issue of satisfying these needs, we must consider both local and global environmental limitations.
For example, fight against climate change does not only require buildings to provide suitable housing with low greenhouse gas emissions; but also that those buildings are built or retrofitted using materials whose manufacture is carbon neutral. Stabilizing greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere and minimizing climate change depend on the building sector’s emissions efficiency.
In most cases, building sustainability rating tools have been developed in countries and regions with highly consolidated building sectors, within high income societies. The question is: can these tools answer the needs of other regions around the world? Can they also answer the global challenges?
Can we apply these rating tools to other social and economic realities? Are the answers –evaluations, technical and management solutions – obtained in these regions valid for those areas where higher housing and building demand will occur in the near future? What resources does our sector have to respond to this demand in countries where it will happen? What must we do to know and adequately address the challenges that we will find in each country and region?
World SB14 Barcelona requests your participation through useful theoretical contributions, case study analysis, professional experiences, best practices, policies, thoughts and critical rethinking, always bearing in mind that those knowledge resources contributions must be focused on the key topics, in the following thematic areas:
- A- Sustainability indicators (economic, social and environmental)
and rating tools for: - A1- Materials and processes, including life-cycle analysis and rating system
- A2- Buildings, including new construction, retrofitting, management, etc.
- A3- Neighbourhoods, including new area developments or urban regeneration or renovation
- A4- The building sector as a whole, envisaging a critical assessment of the challenges put forth, on a national or regional scale
- B- Innovation in technology, products and processes, regarding:
- B1- Construction materials, elements, technologies, on a building or urban scale
- B2- Adaptation and improvement of traditional systems
- B3- Improvement and efficiency of management processes, both in buildings and on the urban environment
- B4- Technical knowledge transfer between countries and regions
- C- Governance models and tools:
- C1-Policies and strategies on sustainability in building on a sectoral scale
- C2-Community empowerment
- C3-Participation processes in defining, follow-up and achieving environmental goals
The best papers will be published in the magazine “Informes de la Construcción” (Quarterly edited publication by CSIC, founded in 1948, indexed by Web of Sciences and Scopus)
DATES
- 27th September 2013: Call for Papers announced
- 4th February 2014: New deadline for abstracts submission
- 27th March 2014: Abstract acceptance and notification
- 26th May 2014: Deadline for paper submission (PDF file)
- 26th May 2014: Deadline for registration of selected Paper authors
- 15th July 2014: Deadline for Final Paper submission (DOC file)
GRANTS
Conference speakers from South and East Mediterranean countries (with GDP per capita income below 10.000$) will be eligible for grants to facilitate their attendance to the Conference. These grants will cover registration costs and/or travel expenses (up to 500€ to be justified).
Only those speakers whose papers have been accepted by the Scientific Committee will be eligible.
Speakers interested should apply for these grants in the abstract form.
Grant award criteria will be established by the Scientifc Committee and published on this website.
