One beautiful Dubai evening, certain individuals and professionals from the A+D community gathered at the American University in Dubai, to speak on a key topic that is making the rounds amidst concerned environmentalists – water. With a range of panelists from manufacturers to environmentalists, the discussion was geared towards protecting and harvesting this very valuable resource.
Water is life, as the adage goes. However we may not always realise the depth in this statement, or be aware of the pivotal role water plays in the design and construction process. Add in the elements of wellness via Feng Shui and water becomes a top priority for designers hoping to achieve sustainable designs.
From left to right: Andrew Jackson, Commercial Director EMEA at Shaw Contract, Marita Peters, Executive Director at Surge For Water, Valentina Cereda, Interior Architect & Feng Shui Specialist at Energy & Space and Lora Shrake, Director at Emirates Green Building Council.
Women’s Innovation and Network (WiN) in collaboration with American University of Dubai, hosted a panel discussion on the importance of water as a special resource, considering the underground water level is dropping drastically.
Andrew Jackson from Shaw Contract, Marita Peters from Surge for Water, Lora Shrake from Emirates Green Building Council and designer Valentina Cereda discussed ways in which water could be harvested, reused and retained for future use. The discussion provided a holistic understanding of water consumption, and ‘misconsumption’, the need to preserve and use sparingly, and how this understanding starts from the self to the surroundings.
Talking about individual consumption and unrealised wastage, Marita spoke about the various ways in which people can contribute to the cause. Valentina elaborated on how water and the environment affects individual’s overall wellness. Lora weighed in on the design aspect of water by speaking from a constructional standpoint, describing where the use of water needed to be regulated. And from the manufacturer’s perspective, Andrew offered insight into how the production process utilises and reuses water in order to promote sustainability.
The entire evening’s experience was an eye opener to say the least. Vital conversations, such as these, are immensely crucial as they add to the global conversation of climate change and the fight for preservation.
