Institute Welcomes 2017 Board, Says Farewell to Retiring Directors

The National Institute of Building Sciences welcomed new members to its Board of Directors this January and said goodbye to retiring directors. Lane J. Beougher, FAIA, FCSI; Brian E. Garbecki, PE, LEED AP; and Donald L. Pratt are the newest members of the Institute Board of Directors. In addition, Board member Brian Larson, PE, was reelected to serve a second term.

Chairman Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP; Vice-Chair Joseph Donovan; Secretary Joy Marshall Ortiz, AIA, NCARB; and Treasurer Wally E. Bailey will serve another one-year term on the Executive Committee. Eric Lamb; Jerry Shaheen, LEED AP BD+C; and Charles W. Steger, PhD, FAIA, all retired from the Board but will remain active on several program committees within the Institute. Learn more about the 2017 Board. View the complete list.

Submit an Abstract for the Autumn 2017 JNIBS Issue

The editors of the Journal of the National Institute of Building Sciences (JNIBS) are beginning the process of compiling articles for the Autumn 2017 edition, which will be published in September 2017. The Autumn issue will offer a special focus on building enclosure design, as well as additional feature articles on building information modeling (BIM), commercial workforce credentialing, off-site construction and low vision design. Abstracts are due on or before March 15, 2017. Submittals for other 2017 issues also are welcome. Submit an abstract. Interested in advertising? Download the 2017 JNIBS Media Kit.

Institute Sunsets High Performance Building Council
Passes Mantel to the Building Industry

A decade after the National Institute of Building Sciences established the High Performance Building Council (HPBC), the Institute’s Board of Directors has voted to successfully sunset the program.

The Institute founded the HPBC in 2007 in response to a request from the U.S. Secretary of Energy to assess the existing voluntary standards and rating systems that defined high-performance buildings at the time. The HPBC delivered the resulting report, Assessment to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Energy on High Performance Buildings, to the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2008. In the years since, the overall mission of the HPBC has permeated into virtually all of the Institute’s other councils and committees; high performance is a primary theme of the Institute’s conferences; and the Institute’s Consultative Council prioritizes high-performance buildings in its recommendations to the president of the United States and Congress. Read the announcement.

Building Innovation 2018: Sustain, Strengthen, Secure

Building Innovation 2018: The National Institute of Building Sciences Sixth Annual Conference & Expo will explore strategies that improve the built environment. Plan to be there where Science meets Design™ during the week of January 8 – 12, 2018 at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. Find out more and sign up for updates. To learn about sponsorship, exhibitor and advertising opportunities, email ptowns@nibs.org.

Reach the Next Generation of Building Professionals in 2018
Reserve a Booth at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Building Sciences Pavilion

Reserve a booth to participate in the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s Building Sciences Pavilion to inspire and engage the next generation of building industry professionals. The National Institute of Building Sciences is partnering with the Festival organizers to host a dedicated Building Sciences Pavilion at the 2018 Festival, to be held April 7-8, 2018, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Building industry firms and associations are invited to participate. Learn more about the Building Sciences Pavilion.

CWCC Blast Protection Board of Advisors Holds Inaugural Meeting

March 17 BSSC Webinar to Address Precast Concrete

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host the second webinar in its 2017 series sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The free webinar, “Seismic Design of Precast Concrete Structures,” will be held Friday, March 17, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT).

Institute Members: Get Three Days Free at NFMT

Three full days of facility management (FM) education, speakers, networking with peers and a giant expo hall are available at no cost to National Institute of Building Sciences members and friends at the National Facilities Management and Technology Conference & Expo (NFMT) 2017, to be held March 7-9 at the Baltimore Convention Center.   

While at NFMT, don’t miss the chance to learn about Institute activities and strategies relating to the Facility Maintenance and Operations Committee (FMOC) and the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide®. Be sure to attend the FMOC meeting on Wednesday, March 8 at 2:00 PM, in Room 333. Don’t miss the session, “Security and Sustainability Synergies and Conflicts Examined in the Whole Building Design Guide (R1.41)”  on Thursday, March 9, 9:00 AM, Room 341. And stop by the Institute's display at Booth 2683. Learn more.

March 15 Webinar to Provide Overview of Report on Sports Venues
Industry Survey Still Open to Venue Operators and Managers

It might not seem like installing a low-flush toilet would have much impact on the daily water use of a family of four, but think what a difference it could make at one football stadium on Super Bowl Sunday. Consider the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, which has a seating capacity of 71,795, not including the thousands of vendors, security personnel and half-time participants, not to mention the teams themselves. Now, think about the impact that low-flush toilet could have.

A new report released by the National Institute of Building Sciences and the Green Sports Alliance looks at ways the nation’s sports venues can make an impact by reducing their energy and water use. The report, Taking the Field: Advancing Energy and Water Efficiency in Sports Venues, considers the potential water and energy reductions the U.S. sports sector could make, and highlights the financial savings some leagues and teams are already seeing from putting such efficiency initiatives into place. Read the announcement. Download the report. Stadium and arena managers, take the survey.

BOMA China to Translate Institute’s National BIM Guide for Owners

This January, following a year-long development process, the National Institute of Building Sciences released its new guideline to help building owners utilize building information modeling (BIM). Now, only a month later, the Institute has agreed to allow the Chinese affiliate of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, BOMA China, to translate the National BIM Guide for Owners (NBGO) into Mandarin.

BOMA China will provide copies of the translation to their members in China, in both print and electronic versions. The translation is expected to be complete within six months. Read the announcement. Download the English version of the NBGO today.

NCS Webinars on Layers Now Available Online

Industry professionals interested in learning how to use layers in the nation’s leading CAD standard can watch this webinar hosted by the developers of the United States National CAD Standard® (NCS)—The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). Originally held in early February, the “CAD Layers: Why Do We Need Them?” webinar is now available online.