On 3rd and 4th October 2006, the Wits School of Architecture in partnership with the Programme for Renewable Energy in Africa (PREA), hosted at the Development Bank of Southern Africa in Midrand, a conference on sustainable design and construction. Academics from Universities in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Greece, Germany, United Kingdom and South Africa delivered papers. Presentations by professionals and technology firms were also presented. Mark Swilling did a presentation on the work of the Sustainability Institute, the School of Public Management and Planning, and the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, with special reference to the new masters level teaching programmes in renewable and sustainable energy. There is clear evidence that the rapid shift from unsustainable design and construction to more sustainable approaches is spreading rapidly across all the continents, in both developed and developing countries. The Conference convenor was Dr. Daniel Irurah, who teaches the Ecological Design module on the Mphil programme. An outcome of this event was an agreement that the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies will be regarded as part of the PREA network.