Building Innovation 2017 Conference & Expo Recap

Building Innovation 2017—The National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference and Expo brought together hundreds of building industry professionals to concentrate on Collaborating for a High-Performing Future. Held January 9-12, 2017, at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C., the event included four enriching days of quality programming and activities; 45 presenters in 16 educational sessions offering 24.5 continuing education units; four social networking events; two inspiring award ceremonies; the latest in technologies from 18 exhibitors; one book signing and a virtual trip to Mars City. From the completed follow-up survey, Conference attendees gave Building Innovation 2017 an overall rating of 8.125 out of 10 points and provided positive feedback on the quality of programs and presenters. View a brief recap of the daily events.

Institute Honors Industry Leaders during Annual Awards Ceremony

Ernie Conrad, PE (left), the Honorable Alice C. Hill (center) and Institute President Henry L. Green, Chairman Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP, with Gerald H. Jones, PE (right).

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. Institute board, staff and members honored the 2016 award winners at an annual awards ceremony held on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, during Building Innovation 2017: The Institute’s Fifth Annual Conference and Expo, at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. The awards went to Ryan E. Smith, the Institute’s National BIM Guide for Owners Committee, the Honorable Alice C. Hill and Gerald H. Jones, PE. Learn more about the 2016 recipients.

Save the Date
Building Innovation 2018 Kicks Off January 8, 2018

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

Worker, Water Shortages Primary Concerns in
2016 Moving Forward Report
Consultative Council Releases Report at Building Innovation 2017

The National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council released its 2016 report, Moving Forward: Findings and Recommendations from the Consultative Council during its Annual Meeting, held Monday, January 9, 2017, as part of Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Annual Conference and Expo.

Each year, the Council develops a Moving Forward Report to examine industry challenges and offer findings and recommendations on how to overcome them. The summarized report becomes part of the Institute’s Annual Report, which goes to the President of the United States and the U.S. Congress. The two issues of workforce and water are the primary focus of the 2016 Moving Forward Report. Read the release, which includes some of the recommendations. Download the full report.

GAO Report Highlights Consultative Council Recommendations

In recent years, several Consultative Council reports have highlighted the need for climate science to inform the development of codes, standards and other guidance to support consideration of future climate risks in design, construction and operations. In 2014, at the request of Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA 17th District), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent investigative office, took up an investigation on the issue.

Many Consultative Council members were interviewed throughout the investigation. The final report, which the GAO released January 3, 2017, highlights recommendations from the Consultative Council; the signatories to the Industry Statement on resilience and its progress report; and the activities of several individual organizations. Read the report.

NCGBCS White Paper Looks at Role of Existing Building Codes
How Codes Can Be Used to Transform Nation’s Building Stock

The National Institute of Building Sciences National Council of Governments on Building Codes and Standards (NCGBCS) issued a white paper Wednesday, January 11, 2017, focused on one of its priorities, “The Role of Existing Building Codes in Safely, Cost-Effectively Transforming the Nation’s Building Stock.”

January BSSC Webinar Now Available for Download

The first construction materials webinar is now available in a series hosted by the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) under the sponsorship of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The one-hour webinar, Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures Using the 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions, was held Friday, January 27, 2017. The upcoming webinars will cover the following topics: precast concrete, structural steel, composite steel and concrete, wood and masonry. Download the January presentation. Find out about upcoming webinars.

SBIC Recognizes 2016 Beyond Green™ Award Winners

Mary Tod Winchester and Greg Mella with Institute President Henry L. Green (left), Dan Clancy with Green (center) and Roger Chang with Green (right).

The National Institute of Building Sciences Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) recognized the 2016 Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building and Community Awards winners on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at the Beyond Green™ Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Tally® and held during Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C.

The 2016 Beyond Green™ Award Jury selected an Honor Award (the top prize) in the High-Performance Buildings Category and recognized three recipients with Merit Awards. During the Beyond Green™ Awards Luncheon, the recipients in attendance each gave slide presentations highlighting their award-winning topics. The winners will be featured as case studies on the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide®. The Call for Entries for the 2017 Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building and Community Awards will be available in the spring of 2017. View the 2016 winners.

Institute Unveils National BIM Guide for Owners

Following a year-long development process, on Tuesday, January 10, 2017, the National Institute of Building Sciences released its new guideline to help building owners utilize building information modeling (BIM). The National BIM Guide for Owners (NBGO) provides building owners with an approach, from their own profession’s standpoint, to create and fulfill BIM requirements for a typical project. Unveiled during the kickoff of Building Innovation 2017: The Institute’s Fifth Annual Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C., the Guide is now available free online.

The 36-page NBGO addresses three broad areas the owner should understand in order to work effectively with the Project BIM Team: process; infrastructure and standards; and execution.

The new guideline, which is based on a number of foreign, federal, state and local BIM guides that already exist, is geared to a generic facility with uniform requirements for use by a variety of government, institutional and commercial building owners. It references a range of documents and practices, including those contained within the National BIM Standard-United States®. The next step will be to submit the NBGO for publication as an industry standard. Read the release. Download the NBGO.

The WBDG Whole Building Design Guide® Gets an Overhaul

The National Institute of Building Sciences officially launched its newly redesigned free web portal, the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide®, Wednesday, January 11, 2017, during Building Innovation 2017 in Washington, D.C.