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Center for Green Buildings and Cities marks one-year anniversary

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The Center for Green Buildings and Cities at the Harvard Graduate School of Design is marking its one-year anniversary with two extraordinary public events: The CGBC inaugural lecture by award-winning British architect Norman Foster, Lord Foster of Thames Bank, on Nov. 5, and a conference titled “Sustainability in Scandinavia” on Nov. 6.

Foster’s practice, Foster + Partners, has pioneered an integrated design approach driven by sustainability, winning hundreds of awards and international competitions. The fall conference “Sustainability in Scandinavia” will include leading scholars and practitioners from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden to present concepts and case studies  to enrich the ongoing research at the center and to engage the Harvard and local building community in a conversation about best global practices.

“It’s our great honor to host Lord Foster at the GSD,” said Professor Ali Malkawi, director of the CGBC and professor of architectural technology. “Our goal for the center is to bridge the many interests that inform sustainable design strategies—from infrastructure to building systems, engineering to design—so it is fitting that Foster is the first speaker in our participation in the GSD’s excellent lecture series.”

In establishing the CGBC last year, Harvard University created a unique independent research center devoted to exploring innovative design strategies that address our most pressing environmental challenges.