What's the sexiest event in green building and design? Fifteen of Queensland's leading sustainable architects and building designers will be available to homeowners at Speed Date a Sustainable Designer, in Brisbane on May 26.

Speed Date a Sustainable Designer will allow people who are renovating or building to discuss their ideas with the experts and explore the best environmental options for their home.

Ten minutes per 'date' - all questions asked and answered!

The free event is run by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) and proudly supported by Green Cross Australia.

It is also supported by

• bankmecu
• Arts Queensland in the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
• the Australian Government's Visual Arts and Craft Strategy Queensland

and endorsed by QUEENSLANDERSIGN, an initiative of the Queensland Design Council.

 

Find out more here about the upcoming events in Brisbane (26 May) and Sydney (23 June).

 

Profile: Mark Thompson, architect

One of the 14 leading architects and designers who you will meet at the Brisbane event is Mark Thomson, who runs Eco Effective Solutions. The Indooroopilly architect helped complete an eco retrofit to a two-storey brick veneer home at Chelmer that had been flooded up to the second storey.

 

"I sat down with the homeowners and we came up with a range of practical improvements,"
he said.

"For instance, upstairs and downstairs wiring was separated to allow part of the house to be operational should a flood threaten again. The kitchen was designed to be deconstructed and removed with that in mind as well."

Resilient materials and finishes were used in the rebuilt house to withstand future floods. Other improvements included low-toxic paints, a solar hot water system to replace the old electric heater and plumbing to allow rainwater to flush toilets.

"The home is now much more resilient - able to cope better with what nature can throw at it. Any way you look at it, building back green just makes a lot of sense," Mr Thomson said.

"You can make your home more environmentally sound, healthy and comfortable with advice from a sustainable architect."

When:  26 May 2012

Time:  1-3pm

Where:  Queensland Terrace, State Library of Queensland, Southbank