Devoted Institute Board Member and Leading Code Official,
Emory Rodgers, Dies

Emory Rhodes “Rhody” Rodgers, a dedicated member of the Institute’s Board of Directors and award-winning industry code official, passed away March 8.

Well known for his amazing sense of humor and wordy “Emorygrams,” Emory was most serious about ensuring safety in the building industry through codes and standards. He served on the Institute’s board from 2007 to 2012, sharing his expertise and wisdom.

Emory was born in 1942 in Winchester, Virginia, and after serving in the U.S. Army from 1961-1964, he received his Political Science degree from Bridgewater College in 1968 and a master’s degree in Public Administration and Government from the University of Maryland in 1970. He started his career at the Arlington County Government in 1970 and served as Inspection Services Division Chief/Building Official before retiring in 2000. After consulting in the code field, Emery accepted the position of Deputy Director, Building and Fire Regulation with the State of Virginia Division of Housing and Community Development in 2004. After retiring from the state in 2015, Emory selflessly gave his time as a volunteer on the development of the 2018 International Building Code.

“Emory provided steadfast guidance in the code administration community,” said Institute President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA. “His work will continue to be honored and used as the basis for code development and administration. His “Emorygrams” will be remembered for their depth of thought, understanding and how best to achieve greater safety under the codes.”

Emory’s work and dedication to the building industry has led to many awards over the years. In 2009, he was presented with the Bobby J. Fowler Award – the most prestigious of the International Code Council awards honoring the ICC’s first board chairman. Emory was honored for his contributions to the building safety industry’s work to achieve a safer built environment. In addition to the Institute’s board, he also served on the boards of Building and Code Administrators (BOCA) International; the Council of American Building Officials (CABO); and the Virginia Building Officials and Code Administrators (VBCOA).

Emory will be remembered fondly by his family, friends, colleagues and the entire building codes and standards community. Read more about Emory.

Share Your Insights with the Institute

Submit an Abstract for the December 2018 JNIBS Issue

The editors of the Journal of the National Institute of Building Sciences (JNIBS) are beginning the process of compiling articles for the Winter 2018 edition, which will be published in December 2018. The Winter issue will offer a special focus on resilience, as well as additional feature articles on building enclosure design, building information modeling (BIM) specifications and hazard mapping. Abstracts are due on or before June 15, 2018. Submittals for future issues also are welcome. Submit an abstract. Interested in advertising? Download the 2018 JNIBS Media Kit.

Festival Takes Building Sciences to the Next Generation
Visit the Institute's Booth to Take a Virtual Tour of Mars City

Building science can take you from landscapes to skyscrapers, from virtual design to hands-on construction, from sustainability to resilience, from vision to reality, and, in the case of the National Institute of Building Sciences, it can take you on a walk through a virtual base on Mars. Visit the Building Sciences Pavilion at the 5th USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo, April 7-8, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., and see all the science-related possibilities that exist in the building industry… on Earth and in space. The event is free and open to the public.

Stop by to see the National Institute of Building Sciences at Booth #1260 and take a virtual walk through Mars City. Tour the research facility, sleeping rooms, bathrooms, food production station, manufacturing area and even the Mars Rover garage, all by wearing three-dimensional (3D) oculus rift goggles and virtually walking through the Mars City building information model (BIM). The Institute’s booth is just one of more than a dozen booths in the Festival’s Building Science Pavilion, all highlighting career opportunities in the building sciences.

Follow us on Twitter at @NIBS_News and @VisitMarsCity, and track all the building-related activity at the Festival at #BuildingSciencesPavilion and #BuildingWithScience.

Joint Letter to Congress Promotes Better Flood Policies

The National Institute of Building Sciences and 26 other industry associations joined forces with the Pew Charitable Trusts, sending a letter to Congress in support of the State Flood Mitigation Revolving Fund (S. 1507). The fund would create a new partnership with states to provide low-interest loans for projects that save lives and dollars. The legislation would allow each state to select and implement the types of mitigation projects best suited to the unique flood hazards it faces. Projects supported by the individual state revolving funds could include elevating and flood proofing public buildings, businesses and residences; improvements to stormwater management; assistance to local residents who wish to move out of harm’s way; or converting frequently flooded areas into open space amenities. Read the letter.

Institute Presents during EESI/CCL Briefing on the Hill

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) held a briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center March 6 to explore the climate risks facing the U.S. real estate sector, as well as policy solutions and innovations to help protect this crucial piece of the American economy. The turbulent 2017 hurricane season has sparked a national dialogue on how future extreme weather events may impact the security of homes, businesses and other built infrastructure. Given the economic activity and investment tied to the buildings sector, its long-term health will depend on the capacity of public officials, insurance agencies and property managers to adapt to climate change risks.

The speakers discussed ways the public and private sectors can collaborate to develop the policy tools necessary to safeguard America's buildings and homes from future natural disasters. One of the speakers was the Institute’s own vice president, Ryan Colker, who talked about addressing current and future risks in real estate; the growing impacts of natural disasters in the United States; and the benefits of hazard mitigation. View the briefing. See Colker’s slides.

The BEST Conference: Schedule Now Available
Continuing Education, Workshops, Tours and More

The wait is nearly over to attend the fifth BEST Conference Building Enclosure Science & Technology (BEST5), April 16-18, 2018, at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With the BEST5 Conference Program now in place, attendees can start planning their preferred schedule from the three days of sessions highlighting in-depth research and applications on the science and art of the building enclosure.

Organized by the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC), along with local host, the Building Enclosure Council—Philadelphia (BEC-Philly), BEST5 will focus on Looking Back – Moving Forward: Where History Inspires Innovation.

Attendees can choose from a total of 52 presentations running in concurrent sessions over the course of the three days; tour the conference venue, the historic Loews Philadelphia Hotel (known formerly as the PSFS Building, the first International Style skyscraper in the United States; start working towards earning an ASTM/National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) certificate by participating in three two-hour pilot modules; mingle with fellow professionals during three breakfasts, three lunches, a dinner and two receptions; and visit the expo hall to find out about the latest products available to help meet tomorrow’s challenges. Both the BEST5 Conference Program and the BECx Modules have been approved for up to 16 continuing education units (CEUs) from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

It’s the final countdown to Philly, with just a few weeks to go. Start planning your trip. Check out the full Conference Program. Not registered for BEST5 yet? Register now and save off on-site rates.

Dedicated Institute BETEC Board Member and Industry Leader, Wagdy Anis, Dies

Wagdy A.Y. Anis, FAIA, LEED AP, a long-time, committed member of the Institute’s Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) and an internationally recognized architect, passed away March 10.

With his passion for building enclosure performance, Wagdy served as BETEC’s board chairman from 2005 to 2012 and was the editor of the Institute’s inaugural journal, The Journal of Building Enclosure Design (JBED). He received the 2007 Institute Member Award, and he received the 2013 Institute Honor Award for his dedication and leadership of BETEC and his role in the dissemination of the message of how Science meets Design® in the design and construction of high-performance building enclosures, his work on the BEST Conference Building Enclosure Science and Technology series, his role in establishing the Building Enclosure Councils and his vision for JBED. Wagdy also served on the NIBS/ASHRAE committee that developed Guideline 3, “Technical Requirements for Commissioning the Building Enclosure.”

“Honored twice by the Institute for his work, Wagdy will be remembered for his brilliant knowledge, deep understanding of building science and the ability to share this understanding with all he encountered,” said Institute President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA.

Wagdy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1941 and earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Alexandria University in 1965. Along with his father and brother, Wagdy worked for several years designing and constructing buildings in Egypt. He was most proud of their work at St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria as it united his love of architecture and his lifelong faith and involvement in the church. Shortly after moving to the United States in 1967, Wagdy worked for Shepley Bulfinch Richard and Abbott in Boston – starting as a draftsman and leaving as a principal 39 years later.

With his established reputation as a technical expert in the design and detailing of exterior walls, Wagdy joined Wiss Janney Elstner and applied his expertise on buildings in Massachusetts and beyond. After seven years, Wagdy left to start his own consulting business where he provided services to architects, owners, contractors, consultants, material manufacturers and the legal profession.

Wagdy had always focused on the integrity and performance of the building enclosure, from a research, design and troubleshooting perspective, as well as high performance, sustainable building design and indoor air quality. He served as chairman of the Energy Advisory Committee for the Massachusetts State Board of Building Regulations and Standards and co-chair of ASTM E06.55.11 that oversees ASTM E2947, Standard Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning. Wagdy was a founding board member and board member emeritus of the Air Barrier Association of America, a board member of the Association of Energy Engineers’ Certified Building Commissioning Professional (CBCP) and a faculty member of its CBCP certification course. He served for 11 years as a voting member of ASHRAE SSPC 90.1 and on the New Buildings Institute’s criteria review committee for the Advanced Buildings Benchmark™.

Most recently, Wagdy contributed his understanding of the building envelope commissioning (BECx) process to the creation and development of a series of workshop modules comprising a course of study that would lead to a joint ASTM/NIBS certificate in BECx. A team of experts has taken up Wagdy’s vision, and will present three pilot BECx modules during this year’s BEST5 Conference, April 16-18. There will also be a tribute for Wagdy during BEST5, to be held April 17 at 6:30 pm.

To share his knowledge and expertise, Wagdy served as a lecturer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Planning Masters in Architecture program; the Harvard GSD Executive Education course on stone masonry; and visiting professor of Building Enclosure Science in Boston Architectural College’s M Arch distance learning program. Considered a national resource and expert on air infiltration and moisture control in buildings, Wagdy lectured extensively on building enclosure design, building science, indoor air quality and mold avoidance in design.

Wagdy passed peacefully in his sleep and will be remembered fondly by his family, his friends and the building enclosure community. Read more about Wagdy.

FMOC Meets at NFMT

The Facility Maintenance & Operations Committee (FMOC) met March 20 during the National Facilities Management & Technology (NFMT) Conference/Exposition in Baltimore. The committee discussed forming task groups to focus on areas of interest, including: Transition from Construction to Operation; Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Building; Design for Maintainability; Total Cost Ownership; ISO 41000 Standard: Who and How to Use It; and Comprehensive Capital Reinvestment Prioritization for a Property Portfolio: A Risk-Based Approach. Learn more about the FMOC.

Learn About Policies that Drive Energy Performance Outcomes
Institute Has Two Free CxEnergy 2018 Registrations for Members

The upcoming CxEnergy 2018 Conference & Expo, April 23-26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the place to be for the latest on building commissioning, energy management and building diagnostics. The National Institute of Building Sciences is a supporting organization of the Conference, which focuses on connecting service providers with building owners, facility managers and representatives of top commercial real estate, building maintenance and facility services companies.

On Thursday, April 26, Institute Vice President Ryan Colker, J.D. will present Driving to Outcomes: How Evolving Energy Performance Policies Impact the Building Process. In this session, Colker will examine what current and proposed outcome-based code provisions look like (including recent guidance that the Institute issued for cities interested in implementing such an approach) and how commissioning providers and others focused on energy performance can assist building owners in achieving outcome-based goals. Attendee registration is now open. Members of the National Institute of Building Sciences receive 10% discount (use promo code “NIBS10”). The attendee registration includes access to 32 technical sessions, the Expo Hall, breakfast, lunch and two receptions. The Institute has two free registrations available for Institute members. The first two current members to contact us are eligible to get free registration. Register at www.CxEnergy.com.