The Premier Business-to-Business Event
for the Hospitality Interior Design Industry

In 2008, a boutique hotel was launched in Shanghai that would rise to international fame as the first green hotel in China and the first carbon neutral hotel in Asia. Following this, the Architects of the hotel created GIGA: a research foundation to make their materials database and tools available to all. Since then, GIGA has been acclaimed internationally, being featured at the Clinton Global Initiative and on CNN amongst other press. This presentation will provide a short introduction to the databases, the tools and the philosophy behind the standards, allowing designers to go green immediately.

Raefer Wallis is the co-founder of A00 Architecture and also principal founder of GIGA: a foundation doing research in positive impact architecture and green building materials. Recipient of numerous awards for design and design sustainability, he was recently listed by CNN as one of the top 20 people to watch in Shanghai.

Raefer received his masters degree in Architecture at McGill University in Montreal, Canada prior to setting up his Shanghai practice with Sacha Silva in 2004.

A00's portfolio includes over 60 built projects in China, including URBN hotels (China's first green hotel / Asia’s first carbon neutral hotel), Double-Hill Eco-Retreat (Positive Impact) and Naked Stables Eco-Retreat (Targeting LEED Platinum). A00 is also responsible for pioneering the use of modern rammed earth construction in China.

Raefer also teaches courses in sustainability at Tongji and Hong Kong Universities.