Nairobi to host sustainable buildings conference

Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of Bench Event. (Photo: Courtesy)

Nairobi will host Sustainable Properties Africa Conference and Exhibition (SPACE) between June 13 and 14.

The event is the brainchild of Matthew Weihs, managing director of Bench Events, who has been running Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) for seven years.

The event aims at helping participants see the need of using sustainable methods and materials as the most cost-effective way to ensure a profitable future. The event targets investors, owners, renewable energy experts, architects, engineers, government officials and developers of real estate projects across Africa.

Weihs says it is important that the event will be held in sub-Saharan Africa for first time because sustainable building practices are far less understood in the emerging markets and perceived by many as costly.

“This is a misconception and as major infrastructure of sub-Saharan grows, there is a danger that developers today could quickly be overtaken by events if they aren’t thinking ahead. This will be the first such event in sub-Saharan Africa and will be a platform for constructors, developers, project owners to come and do deals and find investment,’ said Weihs.

SPACE will cover the most efficient ways to build and operate hotels, commercial buildings, public sector and mixed-use developments and residential projects.