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Building Innovation 2016 Conference & Expo Recap
Presentations Now Available
Building Innovation 2016—The National Institute of Building Sciences Fourth Annual Conference and Expo brought together hundreds of building industry professionals to connect, collaborate and create solutions on Achieving a Resilient Future. Held January 11-15, 2016, at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, the event included five symposia, a forum, a workshop, a CEO summit and three keynotes; 125 speakers delivering over 70 presentations; and the chance to select from up to 41.25 continuing education credits. Fifteen committee and council meetings; a joint council and committee brainstorming session; and multiple networking events gave attendees ample opportunities to catch up on projects and share ideas. Two award ceremonies highlighted industry advances and leadership while 22 exhibitors showed off the latest building products and services on the exhibit floor. From the completed follow-up survey, Conference attendees gave Building Innovation 2016 an overall rating of 8 out of 10 points and provided positive feedback on the quality of programs and presenters. View a brief recap of the daily events.
The Conference presentations are now available online for reference. Missed a presentation or want to go back and take a second look at a speaker’s great graphic? From the Conference program page, click on the event in question and then the speaker’s name to view the presentation in Acrobat pdf.
Institute Honors Industry Leaders during Annual Awards Ceremony
Each year, the National Institute of Building Sciences hosts an Awards Reception and Dinner to recognize individuals and organizations that have provided outstanding service to the Institute, the building community and the nation. On Thursday, January 14, Institute board, staff and members honored the 2015 award winners during an annual awards ceremony at Building Innovation 2016: The Institute’s Fourth Annual Conference and Expo. The awards went to the International Code Council (ICC), the Institute’s Low Vision Design Committee (LVDC), Dave Collins and Emory Rodgers.
The Annual Reception was sponsored by the Associated General Contractors of America. The Annual Awards Dinner was sponsored by ASTM International, the American Society of Interior Designers, the Building Commissioning Association, Building Owners and Managers Association International and Kingspan Insulated Panels. View photos of the 2015 Institute Award recipients.
Institute Announces 2016 Executive Team, New Board Members
 New Institute Board members Anne Ellis (left) and Paul Bertram.
The 2016 National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors is now in place. The Executive Team includes Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP as chair; Joseph Donovan as vice chair; Joy Marshall Ortiz, AIA, NCARB as secretary; and Wally E. Bailey as treasurer. New members to the Board include Paul R. Bertram, Jr., FCSI, CDT, LEED AP BD+C, GGP, and Anne M. Ellis, PE, FACI, FASCE. Both Ayers and Ortiz were re-elected for a second three-year term. In addition, Cindy L. Davis, CBO, returns for a second term. Dwight “Sonny” M. Richardson, Jr. and Steven R. Winkel, FAIA, PE, who have both completed their terms, are retiring from the Board. View the full release.
Institute Attends Earthquake Resilience Summit at White House
Supports Executive Order to Establish Federal Earthquake Risk Management Standard
Representatives from the National Institute of Building Sciences visited the White House on Tuesday, February 2, to attend The Earthquake Resilience Summit hosted by the Obama Administration. During the Summit, the Administration issued the Executive Order: Establishing a Federal Earthquake Risk Management Standard. Participants also reported on advancements in earthquake early warning systems and the importance of building codes in setting the foundations for community safety.
The White House hosted the meeting to hear individual views from attendees. At the event, the Administration, together with private and public participants, announced important steps toward a future with greater earthquake safety through next-generation approaches to earthquake-resilient building and earthquake-warning technologies. Speakers illustrated and discussed current and anticipated future capabilities of such systems. The Institute remains available to assist the Administration and the federal agencies as needed as they work to establish a federal earthquake risk management standard. Learn more.
Save the Date: Building Innovation 2017 Set for January 9-13, 2017
The National Institute of Building Sciences will hold its fifth annual Conference, Building Innovation 2017: Collaborating for a High-Performing Future, January 9-13, 2017. Plan to be there where Science meets Design™. The entire team of building professionals will work together and gain insights into the different aspects of high performance and resiliency. Credit-building educational sessions, idea-sharing networking events, stimulating technology demonstrations and inspiring award ceremonies are all on the Conference schedule. To find out more and sign up for updates, visit www.nibs.org/conference2017. To learn about sponsorship, exhibitor and advertising opportunities, email nibs@nibs.org.
NIBS Receives ANSI Pre-Approval of Four BBW Schemes
Review Paves Way for Credentialing Bodies to Certify Energy-Related Building Professionals
Over the past several years, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), through its Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council (CWCC), has assisted the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop voluntary national guidelines, known as the Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines (BBWG), to improve the quality and consistency of commercial building energy-efficiency workforce credentials. In 2015, the CWCC released four Better Buildings Workforce (BBW) job task analyses and credentialing schemes for: building commissioning professional, building energy auditor, building operations professional and energy manager, and subsequently submitted them to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for review to determine if the schemes were developed based on clause 8 of International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17024:2012-Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.
A team of ANSI assessors conducted a comprehensive review of the job task analyses and schemes for the four submitted BBW jobs. ANSI’s Personnel Certification Accreditation Committee (PCAC) Evaluation Task Group then reviewed the assessors’ findings and voted to approve the assessors’ recommendations that the four schemes meet the requirements under clause 8 of ISO/IEC 17024:2012. In January, ANSI issued CWCC a letter of notification. Read the news release. Check out the DOE blog.
AHI Papers Address Issues Affecting Nation’s Healthcare Facilities
In January, during Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences Annual Conference and Expo, the Institute’s Academy for Healthcare Infrastructure (AHI) released five white papers addressing some of the most important issues affecting the infrastructure of the nation’s healthcare facilities.
On January 11, at the AHI 2016 Forum, the teams presented their findings and conclusions to an audience of healthcare facility industry professionals. The topics included: Owner Organization for Successful Project Outcomes; Developing a Flexible Healthcare Infrastructure; Project Acceleration / Speed to Market Strategies; Defining the Next Generation’s Focus; and Reducing Capital Costs. See what was discussed.
Less Than Two Weeks before BSSC Colloquium—Register Now!
Don’t Miss the Latest on NEHRP Provisions, Project 17
There are only two weeks left before the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) hosts the second annual BSSC Colloquium, “Seismic Design Update 2016: An Interactive Exploration of the 2020 NEHRP Provisions and Project 17 Issues.” The Colloquium will be held Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at the Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport–Waterfront in Burlingame, California.
Don’t miss the chance to earn six continuing education units (CEUs) while learning the latest about what is intended for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2020 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, and for Project 17, Development of Next-Generation Seismic Design Maps. See the full agenda and list of distinguished speakers for the BSSC Colloquium. Register now.
BSSC’s First Free Webinar in 2016 Will Focus on Site Factors
The Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a free webinar Tuesday, March 22, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT, to present updates to site factors in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program’s (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions and ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. The presentation will address the changes to site coefficients in Chapter 11: Seismic Design Criteria, Section 11.4.3 and the revisions to Chapter 21: Site Specific Ground Motion Procedures for Seismic Design, Section 21.4 that affected the final version of those coefficients.
This webinar is the first in a series of monthly webinars hosted by the Institute and sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). View the course description. Register to attend.
Institute to Host Quarterly Cybersecurity Workshops in 2016
Sign Up to Learn How to Better Protect Building Control Systems
More and more building owners, including federal agencies, are using “smart” systems to improve the functionality of their facilities. These new systems can improve functionality and make it easier to maintain and operate the building. Yet, at the same time they can also expose the building to potential threats from hackers and others with malicious intent.
For the second year, the National Institute of Building Sciences is sponsoring introductory and advanced cybersecurity workshops to help owners, facility managers, maintenance engineers, physical security specialists, information assurance professionals, architects, engineers and contractors —essentially anyone involved with implementing cybersecurity in the facility life cycle—to learn the best practice techniques to better protect their facilities. One of the workshops specifically focuses on improving cybersecurity of Department of Defense (DoD) facilities, and is geared to help professionals involved with implementing cybersecurity in the facility life cycle to learn the best practice techniques to better protect DoD facilities. See the April dates.
WBDG, FMOC, FM Issues All on the NFMT Agenda in Baltimore
Institute Members Can Attend for Free
Attend the National Facilities Management and Technology Conference and Expo (NFMT), to be held March 22-24 at the Baltimore Convention Center, to keep up with best practices and innovations in facility management (FM) and operations, including energy management, sustainability, building technologies, communication and data infrastructure in the built environment. While there, don’t miss the chance to learn about National Institute of Building Sciences activities and strategies relating to the Facility Maintenance and Operations Committee (FMOC), the buildingSMART alliance® and the Whole Building Design Guide® (WBDG). Institute members can attend NFMT for free!
Choose from more than 100 free sessions on FM topics delivered by leading authorities in facilities management. This year’s NFMT Conference includes several educational sessions presented by Institute members and staff. And be sure not to miss the FMOC meeting. See the list. Institute Hosts SABIT Delegation Focused on Energy Efficiency
The Institute once again hosted a Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) Program delegation sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The delegation consisted of 22 representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Ryan Colker, director of the Consultative Council/presidential advisor, presented an overview of Institute programs, councils and committees and Richard Paradis, director of the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide®, presented the WBDG, focusing on energy efficiency in residential and commercial construction at their request.
WBDG: A Valuable Resource
 During the Information Resources & Technologies Symposium: Tools and Technologies to Reach Resilience, held January 14 at Building Innovation 2016, Casey Martin of Jacobs Engineering presented a session titled: “WBDG: A Valuable Resource for A/E Firms.” Martin described how her firm’s staff uses the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide® in their work, from accessing the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) criteria, using the tools and taking Continuing Education courses to referencing the federal mandates, building information modeling (BIM) standards and sustainable, high-performance buildings resources. View the presentation.
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