November 1, 2014 was the last day of the survey tour, therefore the team used the remaining half day to visit important scenic attractions in Madrid. Mercado de San Miguel is a bronze architectural structure; although it was not yet open at the time, the team members could still witness the rich collection of merchandizes inside through the glass outer wall. More importantly, they were able to appreciate its dazzling, delicate details. Plaza Mayor of Puerta del Sol is a 129m by 94m rectangular plaza surrounded by 4 stories of 17th-century building on all sides. The plaza is currently used as a marketplace, with the equestrian statue of Felipe III in the center. In the past, the plaza was a major venue for king’s coronation ceremony, bullfighting, soccer and execution. On that day, the architectural facade of the plaza was undergoing restoration; it is evident that the Spanish people perceive great importance in maintaining the city’s environment during building restoration from the large building graphics that were applied to preserve the original appearance of the facade. Puerta del Sol is located at the center of the Spanish road network, with 10 roads stretching outward in a radial fashion. The Puerta del Sol is surrounded by department stores and shops, making it the bustling shopping district and tourist destination of Madrid. For instance, the El oso y el madrono (the bear and the strawberry tree) statue and the only advertisement sanctioned by the government of Madrid on Puerta del Sol TIO PEPE, which serves to commemorate the centenary of the label’s sherry. It is also one of the important landmarks of the plaza. By the plaza, there is a Spanish electric bicycle rental station next to an archaic building undergoing restoration, therefore we could appreciate that the Spanish people are not only dedicated to the restoration, preservation of ancient relics and the cultivation of people’s cultural, art qualities, they also endeavor to promote a low carbon emission transport system. The survey team concluded its entire survey itinerary after visiting Puerta de Europa, the first towers in the world designed at an incline of 15 degrees. Thereafter, they headed to Madrid’s Barajas airport for the long journey home. At 14:10 local time in Spain, the survey team boarded Emirates flight EK142 bound for Dubai and transferred to flight EK366 at 04:35 the next morning. They successfully ended the 9-day survey tour when the plane touched down at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 16:50 on November 2, 2014. 　　By attending the SB14 Barcelona and iiSBE AGM, the team has published 4 oral and 6 poster sessions related to symbiosis and digitization. More importantly, through face to face communication, they established more tightly-knit relations with new acquaintances and old friends. Over the years, the attendance in SB conferences has enabled the team in Taiwan to voice internationally in a systematic manner, in turn introducing Archilife’s philosophies to more people around the world. As a result, SB conferences have started to pay more attention to sustainable development issues such as regionalism and localization in tropical, subtropical, temperate and frigid zone nations. 　　For this conference, delegates from Taiwan not only included the survey team from Archilife but also representatives from Public Works Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, ITRI and domestic universities, indicating the emphasis of Taiwan’s architecture industry, government and academia on the issue of sustainability. Consequently, we should participate in the next SB conference (WSBE17) organized by Hong Kong in a more proactive manner so as to garner more “opportunities” for Taiwan to make its presence felt in the international academic community. Furthermore, the objective is to take Taiwan to professional occasions in the fields of international sustainable building and technologies in an attempt to elevate the country’s academic and national competiveness. In so doing, we will progressively materialize Taiwan’s vital role in fostering a sustainable global environment. « 1 ... 4 5 6 7

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