Institute Conference to Look at the Big Picture
Plenary Symposium, Conference Theme to Focus on
Advancing Life-Cycle Performance

Building Innovation 2014: The National Institute of Building Sciences Conference and Expo will focus on Advancing Life-Cycle Performance throughout the weeklong event, January 6-10, 2014, in Washington, D.C. During the Plenary Symposium, presented by the Institute’s Coordinating Council, attendees will get an overview of the Conference theme as presenters discuss the collaboration of building industry professionals in achieving life-cycle performance.

A team of building professionals must integrate and optimize numerous attributes and disciplines in order to design, construct, operate and maintain a high-performance building. Just as team members must consider the big picture to achieve life-cycle performance, the Plenary Symposium, to be held Wednesday, January 8 during Building Innovation 2014, will explore the relationships across building systems, stakeholders and technologies and examine how a holistic approach leads to the achievement of life-cycle performance goals. Learn more about the Plenary Symposium.

Building Innovation 2014 registration opens September 1. Find out more.

Senate Confirms Haahs to Institute Board

The United States Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama’s final nominee to the National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors. Last year, the President announced his intent to nominate Timothy Hyungrock Haahs, PE, AIA, to the Institute’s Board. On August 1, the Senate unanimously consented to Haahs’s nomination. Haahs, who was nominated last December 6, is president and chief executive officer of Timothy Haahs & Associates, an engineering and architectural design firm headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, which he founded in 1994. Learn more about Haahs.

The Institute: Where SCIENCE MEETS DESIGN™

The mission of the National Institute of Building Sciences is to “. . . serve the nation and the public interest by supporting advances in building science and technology to improve the built environment.” The Institute pursues this goal by forging a balanced perspective toward problem-solving through the infusion of evidence-based research and science into the creative processes of environmental design. It is truly where SCIENCE MEETS DESIGN™.

Celebrate Standards at U.S. World Standards Day Event

Voluntary consensus standards play an essential role in promoting quality, consistency and dependability across a vast array of industries, providing major benefits to the global economy and to the lives of people around the world. This year’s U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day theme — Standards for a World at Work and Play — will focus on how standards bring confidence to businesses, governments and consumers, impacting reliability from farm to table, manufacturer to retailer and workplace to home.

In celebration of that critical role, leaders of business, industry, academia and government will gather in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 3, 2013, for the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day. (The National Institute of Building Sciences is a member the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day Planning Committee.) The event will kick off with a reception and exhibition, include the presentation of the 2013 Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award and recognize the winners of the 2013 World Standards Day Paper Competition. Register to attend.

Institute to Establish Two New Councils

The National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors has approved charters to establish two new councils: the Academy of Healthcare Infrastructure (AHI) and the Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC).

The AHI serves to transform the healthcare industry by producing breakthroughs in the creation, management and repurposing of healthcare infrastructure though the use of collaborative networks and interdisciplinary research teams. The Academy will utilize the power of industry associations and organizations to systematically improve the delivery of healthcare facilities through research to address the complex issues facing healthcare facility development.

The OSCC will provide a neutral forum for off-site construction and prefabrication interest groups (across materials and construction types) to share information and solidify the expert base of the off-site construction sector. The Council will foster partnerships and integration of industry designers with builders to increase the productivity of the construction sector and promote knowledge sharing across the building industry disciplines.

Membership in these councils will be open to any individual or organization engaged directly or indirectly in activities supporting the councils’ purpose, mission and scope. Stay tuned for more information.

Sims Named CEO of International Code Council

The International Code Council (ICC) Board of Directors has appointed Dominic Sims, CBO, to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Sims, who previously held positions as interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer, continues to serve with the full support and confidence of the ICC Board.

ICC is a member organization on the National Institute of Building Sciences’ Consultative Council and also serves on the Building Seismic Safety Council. Read the ICC release.

Short Course, Tall on Techniques

Virginia Tech Professor Finley Charney, PhD, PE, leads a section of the Building Seismic Safety Council short course, Earthquake Engineering Techniques: From the NEHRP Provisions to Building Seismic Design, held August 16 at the Bechtel Conference Center in Reston, Va. The course, which referenced Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) publications P-751 2009 – NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions: Design Examples and the soon to be released P-752 2009 – NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions: Training and Instructional Materials, was attended by engineering professionals from a variety of organizations across the country. Charney was one of four distinguished short course faculty members to present at the event, along with Roberto Leon, PhD, PE; Sanj Malushte, PhD, PE; and J.G. (Greg) Soules, PE.

Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force Releases Rebuilding Strategy

This week, President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, chaired by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, released a rebuilding strategy to serve as a model for communities across the nation facing greater risks from extreme weather and to continue helping the Sandy-affected region rebuild. The strategy contains 69 policy recommendations, many of which have already been adopted, that will help homeowners stay in and repair their homes; strengthen small businesses and revitalize local economies; and ensure entire communities are better able to withstand and recover from future storms.

Nominate Excellence in High-Performance Buildings
SBIC Expands Beyond Green™ Awards to Include Building Attributes, Systems, Innovations

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has expanded the categories for its 2013 Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building Awards. The awards program, which issued its 2013 Call for Entries earlier this month, will now highlight five building-related categories, in addition to honoring leaders in the high-performance building industry. Each year, the Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building Awards recognize those initiatives that shape, inform and catalyze the high-performance building market, as well as the real-world application of high-performance design and construction practices. Read the release. Submit a nomination.

New SBIC Guidelines Provide “Whole Building” Approach to Constructing High-Performance Homes

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has released Beyond Green™: Guidelines for High-Performance Homes—Meeting the Demand for Low-Energy, Resource-Efficient Homes. Previously published as the Green Building Guidelines (the fifth edition came out in 2007), this, the sixth edition of the Guidelines, features an expanded focus on high-performance building attributes, from functionality to resilience against natural hazards. The Guidelines are available in print, as a PDF and, for the first time, as a Kindle book. Read the release. Order the Guidelines.

DOE Invests in 12 Innovative Technology Projects

Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy announced 12 projects to help homes and commercial buildings save energy and money. The projects will receive an approximately $11 million Energy Department investment, matched by about $1 million in private sector funding.

WBDG Adds Course on HVAC Design, Performance

The WBDG Whole Building Design Guide^® Continuing Education Program just added a new Continuing Education Course to its course offerings. WBDG18, “An Integrated Approach to HVAC Design and Performance,” provides an overview of HVAC systems and design recommendations, with a focus on how to integrate an HVAC system into the building envelope and optimize its life-cycle performance. The course offers 1.0 AIA learning units.

WBDG courses offer a range of educational content, from an introduction to whole building design concepts to more specific applications for design objectives, building types, and operations and maintenance. The content in the WBDG courses is developed by top experts in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, facility management and facility energy management, among others. See what other courses the WBDG offers.