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dr. ir. Pablo van der Lugt

Sustainability | Circular Economy | Biobased building | Mass timber

TED speaker dr. Pablo van der Lugt is an international expert and passionate advocate of biobased construction, including mass timber and giant bamboo. In his talks he will take you on an inspiring journey over the complete value chain introducing the most radical and mind-blowing innovations.

Characteristics

Employability:
Conference host, Facilitator, Keynote speaker, Masterclass, Webinar
Languages:
Dutch, English
Categories:
© Joni Israel

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About Pablo van der Lugt

Architectural engineer and biobased building expert dr. ir. Pablo van der Lugt obtained his PhD at Technical University Delft in 2008 for his research about the sustainability and circularity of engineered biobased building materials including bamboo and wood. Since then, he has been active in the building industry as senior consultant on the themes sustainability, circularity and biobased construction, ever maintaining a connection with the academia through Delft University of Technology (Environmental Technology & Design). He is also member of the Board of Directors of the influential mass timber and biobased investment fund Built by Nature.

He is the author of several popular books on biobased construction, including the internationally acclaimed Tomorrow’s Timber (2020) – also translated in Spanish and Dutch – and Booming Bamboo (2017) of which the revisited edition will be launched in 2024. Van der Lugt regularly publishes his research findings in popular magazines and scientific journals and conference proceedings (his publication list can be found here https://www.tudelft.nl/staff/p.vanderlugt/). As opinion leader in this field he is often interviewed for radio and television.
van der Lugt is a highly demanded speaker following several formats, ranging from TED and Pecha Kucha talks, to keynote presentations at high-level international conferences, including the International Climate Conferences in Paris (COP 21), Katowice (COP 24) and Glasgow (COP 26).

The possibilities with the latest generation of timber products are endless – we can now build skycrapers out of wood – locking thousands tons of CO2.

Because of his energetic and interactive presentation style he is – physically and mentally – able to move his crowds. Because of his background both in practice and academics, he is able to explain complex topics such as climate change, innovation, sustainability and a circular economy in a simple and concrete manner – based on inspiring case studies and building projects from all over the world.

In 2023 he finished as number 4 in the ABN AMRO Sustainable top 50, the annual competition for most influential persons in the building and real estate sector.

Topics

  1. 1. Sustainable construction and materialization

  2. 2. Biobased and low carbon building

  3. 3. Circularity in the built environment (Cradle to Cradle)

  4. 4. Forestry and climate change mitigation

  5. 5. Biophilic design: Health & well-being aspects

  6. 6. Biobased materials, in particular mass timber (CLT, LVL, Glulam), modified wood and engineered bamboo

  7. 7. Tall timber building (skyscrapers in mass timber)

  8. 8. Wood 3.0: Industrialization and parametric design

  9. 9. Environmental assessments: LCA, carbon footprint

  10. 10. Biobased economy and circular economy principles

Videos

Books

  • Tomorrow’s Timber

    ISBN: 9789082755237

    View book

  • Booming Bamboo

    ISBN: 9789082755206

    View book

  • Dutch Design Meets Bamboo

    ISBN: 1001004007157677

    View book

  • Design Interventions For Stimulating Bamboo Commercialisation

    ISBN: 1001004006259523

    View book

  • Design Interventions For Stimulating Bamboo Commercialisation

    ISBN: 9789051550474

    View book

Frequently asked questions

  • What makes Pablo van der Lugt so popular as a speaker?

    Pablo van der Lugt is a TED speaker, with a strong passion to shape the future and spread awareness about climate change and possible solutions. As a senior consultant in sustainable and circular building, he offers information and knowledge that spark the fire in the eyes of the audience and elevates the importance of sustainability in the future.

  • What topics does Pablo van der Lugt talk about?

    Pablo van der Lugt offers a variety of topics, but the essence is the same: Sustainability. In contrast to the current building trends, he is a firm believer that sustainable wood sources will replace finite resources, such as metals and concrete. Pablo van der Lugt gives sneak-peaks into the current development of houses, yachts, bridges and many more things, made out of wood and bamboo.

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