Promoting green, sustainable construction is the mission of the Romania Green Building Council (ROGBC), founded in 2008. ROGBC advocates buildings made with local materials by local enterprises but which employ cutting-edge technologies to save energy and protect the environment. Dorin Beu, member of the council since its beginnings and now its President, outlines ROGBC’s activities.
European Times: What are ROGBC’s main goals?
Dorin Beu: ROGBC promotes green buildings which conserve energy and contribute to enhancing quality of life. Steven Borncamp brought these ideas from California and adapted them to the Romanian market. He founded ROGBC when the local construction sector was booming, but also using a lot of unhealthy products and was producing a lot of waste. ROGBC began to make consumers and construction companies aware that there was a better way. Beautiful, sustainable, energy-saving buildings can be made with materials which are not hazardous to health.
European Times: How did you get involved in the council?
Dorin Beu: I helped Steven with some of his early projects, and then I started ROGBC chapter in Cluj, where we convinced the municipality to give tax reductions for certified green buildings. Cluj-Napoca attracts many foreign IT companies looking for sustainable buildings which save energy and offer a good working environment, so these buildings became an investment incentive. This strategy worked so well that it was extended to Timisoara and Iasi.
European Times: What are some of ROGBC’s main achievements so far?
Dorin Beu: I believe the council’s greatest achievement is the network of professionals it has created. ROGBC now has around 100 member companies involved in many different activities and it has earned the support of key-player like Serban Tiganas, who represents Romania’s architects, as well as other forward-thinking leaders. ROGBC has created a community in the service of an idea, and the Romanian construction industry is gradually getting greener as a result. The council is also developing a new generation of Romanian professionals who demand green standards.
European Times: What are your goals for ROGBC?
Dorin Beu: Most new office construction in Bucharest and main cities are green, and now ROGBC would like to see the first public-sector green buildings as well as ecological hospitals and schools. Romania should use its EU funding to set an example of green construction.
European Times: What is your message to potential investors?
Dorin Beu: There has been a great change in mentality in Romania in recent years and now the country has many young people who speak English perfectly, have mastered new technologies, and are ready to get involved in innovative projects.
