Final Call to Submit Abstracts for AHI Forum
Forms Due Thursday, June 30th – No Extensions

This is the final call to submit an abstract to present at the National Institute of Building Sciences Academy for Healthcare Infrastructure (AHI) Forum, to be held Wednesday, January 11, 2017, as part of Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference and Expoat the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. Building on the overall Conference theme, the Forum theme is Creating a High-Performing Environment for Healthcare.

The Academy’s Executive Committee, which will review the abstracts, is particularly interested in presentations that will describe results from actual project outcomes. In addition, abstracts that touch on challenges affecting both healthcare facilities and the broader building industry, such as the use of building-related information resources and technologies; incorporation of off-site construction methods; improvements in facility performance and sustainability; and solutions that address security and disaster preparedness are potential topics for consideration. Read the release.

Institute Board Nominations Due July 15

There are only two weeks left to submit a nomination for a candidate to serve on the National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors. The three-year terms begin in 2017. Nominations can be submitted for one or more candidates, but a separate nomination form must be completed for each. In preparing the election ballot, the Board Nominations Committee will give equal consideration to all submissions, whether single or multiple nominations are received. Although membership in the Institute is not a requirement for nomination or election, it is encouraged. Nominations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. ET, July 15. Download the nomination form.

Award Nominations Are Due July 15

Help Facilitate Collaboration for a High-Performing Future

Here’s your chance to support Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference & Expo and play a significant role in developing industry solutions for high performance. Building Innovation 2017 is set to connect the building community in Collaborating for a High-Performance Future January 9-12, 2017, in Washington, D.C. With 26 remaining sponsorships and 17 table-top exhibit spaces available, organizations have the best opportunity to showcase their contributions to a better built environment and reach a diverse audience of representatives from the entire building community all at once. Join forces with the Institute in delivering four activity-filled days of informative sessions, quality educational programs, award presentations and networking opportunities. Choose a sponsorship, an exhibit space or an advertisement in the Conference Program to show your support and gain exposure within the building industry. Grab your space today!

Off-Site Construction Webinar Rated “Excellent”

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) kicked off its new webinar series with an “Excellent” start. More than 50 people attended the first webinar, “Getting the Most out of Off-Site Construction (Part 1),” held June 23 and hosted by the Modular Building Institute. The online event received the highest possible rating from all respondents who took the post-webinar survey. 

Civil Engineer Joins National Institute of Building Sciences Team

The National Institute of Building Sciences has added a civil engineer to its employee roster. JiQiu (JQ) Yuan, Ph.D., P.E., comes on board as a project manager. He is supporting activities of both the Building Seismic Safety Council and Multihazard Mitigation Council. Formerly a research engineer for Professional Service Industries, Inc. at the Federal Highway Administration Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Yuan has a strong background in materials engineering, structural analysis, structural design, seismic engineering and sustainability engineering. He is currently an adjunct professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, teaching classes in reinforced concrete design and prestressed concrete design. Read the release.

Institute Spearheads Resilience Chapter in New Architectural Graphic Standards

Earlier this spring, Wiley released the twelfth edition of Architectural Graphic Standards, its seminal reference for building design and construction professionals. Among the updates and features in the edition is a newly added chapter on resilience developed under the leadership of the National Institute of Building Sciences.

Entitled ‘Building Resiliency,’ the coverage starts with the four “R”s of resilience: robustness, resourcefulness, rapid recovery and redundancy, and looks at ways to incorporate resilience at the individual building and overall community level. The chapter addresses both natural hazards, such as high winds, earthquakes, flooding and fire, as well as man-caused threats, including blast resistance; chemical and biological protection; radiation and nuclear threats; ballistics; forced entry; and cybersecurity. Learn more.

Learn How to Better Protect Building Control Systems
Next Quarterly Cybersecurity Workshops to be Held in July

The National Institute of Building Sciences will sponsor introductory and advanced cybersecurity workshops in July 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.

Consultative Council Hosts Briefing during
High Performance Building Week

Consultative Council Chairman Pete DeMarco (right) talks about the buildings-related workforce during a luncheon briefing on the 2015 Moving Forward Report, held on Capitol Hill as part of High Performance Building Week 2016. From left, Consultative Council Director Ryan Colker, Consultative Council Vice Chair Bob Horner and Christina Mason participate on the panel to discuss the recommendations that came out of the report. Read the report.

High Performing Education Facilities Webinar Recording Now Available

Those professionals who weren’t able to attend last week’s “Create & Maintain High Performing Education Facilities” webinar can now view the webinar online. Listen to presenters Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA, President of the National Institute of Building Sciences; Jay Pearlman, Vice President of Sightlines; and Dwayne Pierre-Antoine, Operations Director, Great Lakes, at Gordian, as they share resources, case studies and insights on how best to plan, design, prioritize and manage building repairs and updates to maintain high-performing education facilities.