Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Shear Walls and Resilience-Based Design
2022-06-23 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) Shear Wall Design Example
Seismic force resisting systems based on Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) shear walls have garnered considerable attention for use in building structures around the world for many years with standardization as a seismic force resisting system happening in the U.S. for the first time with inclusion of seismic design requirements in 2021 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) and in ASCE 7-22 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures. This presentation summarizes the CLT shear wall design example contained in the 2020 NEHRP Provisions: Design Examples, provides background on the new system, and illustrates application of the CLT shear wall system design requirements through a design example.
Learning Objectives: Participant will:

Learn about the CLT shear wall design example appearing in the 2020 NEHRP Provisions: Design Examples
Learn about seismic design coefficients and the associated height limits for the CLT shear wall system appearing in ASCE/SEI Standard 7-22
Be introduced to design requirements for CLT shear walls appearing in SDPWS-21 Appendix B
Gain awareness of application of CLT shear wall requirements for shear strength, overturing, and deflection

Resilience-Based Design and the NEHRP Provisions
This talk presents the new concepts of resilience and functional recovery as they relate to earthquake design. Referencing Resource Paper 1 of the 2020 NEHRP Provisions, it looks ahead to how building codes and design standards might begin to incorporate functional recovery time as an explicit measure of performance and basis for design. The ideas are illustrated by hypothetical application to the CLT Shear Wall design example.

Understand resilience and functional recovery as they relate to earthquake design and to each other.
Understand the elements of a functional recovery objective.
Understand the precedents for resilience-based design embedded in current building codes and standards.
Understand how the elements of current earthquake design might be adjusted to achieve a functional recovery objective

Seismic Design of Coupled Composite Plate Shear Walls / Concrete Filled (C-PSW/CF)
2022-08-04 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Composite Plate Shear Wall / Concrete Filled (C-PSW/CF), also known as the SpeedCore system, is an efficient seismic force-resisting system for buildings. Two types of C-PSW/CF systems are possible: coupled and uncoupled. Seismic design requirements for uncoupled C-PSW/CF systems were addressed in ASCE/SEI 7-16 and AISC 341-16, Section H7. Coupled C-PSW/CF systems are more ductile and have more redundancy than uncoupled systems, but ASCE/SEI 7-16 did not assign seismic design factors in Table 12.2-1. A FEMA P695 study was conducted to verify the design factors that should be used for such Coupled C-PSW/CF structures. Adding this as a separate category in Table 12.2-1 was important because they can be used as the elevator core wall systems in modern high-rise buildings. Two line items featuring this system are now added to ASCE/SEI 7-22 Table 12.2-1 under Building Frame Systems and Dual Systems with Special Moment Frames. R = 8, Cd = 5.5, and Ω0 = 2.5 are the design factors in both line items. The height limits are the same as for corresponding uncoupled isolated wall systems.
A definition for the Coupled C-PSW/SF system and its design and detailing requirements were not included in AISC 360-16 or AISC 341-16. A new Section H8 in AISC 341-22 includes specific provisions for the definition and use of this Coupled C-PSW/CF system, including details on the capacity design principle limits on applicability. This presentation outlines the above developments and presents a detailed design example illustrating the Coupled-C-PSW/CF seismic force-resisting system.
Learning objectives:

Seismic design requirements, detailing, and factors for coupled composite plate shear walls / concrete filled
Lateral load behavior of coupled composite plate shear walls / concrete filled
Seismic design procedure for coupled composite plate shear walls / concrete filled
Seismic design of coupling beam-to-wall connections

Essential Infrastructure: Lifelines & Access to Internet
2022-08-16 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
This session of the Infrastructure 2022 series will focus on clean water, electrical grid and powerline resiliency, and closing the digital divide as it pertains to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are an estimated six to 10 million lead service lines across the country. Cities have been taking measures to finance projects that identify and remove the bad lines, but it hasn’t been enough. The U.S. is ranked 26th in the world for safe drinking water and sanitation by the Environmental Performance Index. Knowing that access to clean drinking water is a basic human right, the IIJA allocated $55 billion to further reach this goal.
In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy launched the Building a Better Grid Initiative to make the nation’s power grid more resilient to the impacts of climate change and increase access to reliable and affordable clean energy. The IIJA earmarked $28 billion for resiliency of powerlines and over $60 billion total for clean energy.
Closing the digital divide is more important than ever in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Americans need access to high-speed internet for work, study, and play. Lack of access to broadband infrastructure has become an equality issue in the U.S. The IIJA will work to combat this by delivering more than $60 billion in funds to expand access to high-speed networks throughout the nation.

Strengthening Infrastructure: Mitigating the Climate Crisis
2022-12-06 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
This session of the Infrastructure 2022 webinar series will highlight disaster preparation projects to address worsening natural disasters. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is the largest-ever federal investment in climate change.
The IIJA earmarked $8 billion for wildfire management, $6 billion for drought management, $8.3 billion for water storage and sanitation, and $12.5 billion for flood mitigation. Funds will be filtered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Department of the Interior to state and local governments.
Join our expert panel, as they discuss community resilience, the role infrastructure plays, challenges and opportunities, and perspectives from researchers, practitioners, federal programs, and policymakers.

Hindsight 20/20 - 20 Years of Leak Detection
2025-05-28 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
As architects and planners seek to maximize the use of all available space, the next generation of low-slope roofs are not only waterproof coverings, but platforms for assets such as solar panels, green roofs, water storage, and amenity spaces. With so much value tied up in our roofs, their resilience is more important than ever. This resilience is measured not in the immediate ability of the roof to withstand the elements, but in its performance over years and decades. As owners and property managers come and go, long-term roof maintenance can become a forgotten issue and defects that have been present since construction can lead to water intrusion that degrades the roof and greatly reduces its lifespan. In response, automated leak detection systems have emerged as a technology adding value for both quality assurance during the construction process, and as an early warning system alerting building owners to developing issues within their roof. Used properly, these systems extend the lifespan of the roof which in turn minimizes disruption to the assets on or below the roof, as well as increasing the quality of life of occupants using the building.
Automated leak detection systems continuously monitor the roof membrane environment, transmitting data which is used to provide a report on the health of the waterproof membrane. Stakeholders gain access to critical information as the roof system is completed – identifying damage caused during construction and verifying repairs prior to commissioning the building. During the operational life of the structure, automated leak detection systems employ sophisticated algorithms, enabling predictive leak detection, location, and assistance with preventive maintenance strategies – significantly reducing the cost of repairs.
This presentation explores the utilization of automated leak detection systems in low slope roofing, with a particular focus on Vancouver, BC lower mainland area. Drawing on experience installing and operating leak detections systems across North America, we highlight several areas in which construction practices inevitably leave defects in the waterproof membrane. Our case studies range from the very common occurrences of construction material being accidentally embedded in the layers of the roof, to chemical burns from adhesives, and risks unique to green-roof infrastructure. In explaining how these defects allow moisture to ingress into the roof environment, we will elaborate on what kind of issues can occur, with reference to real-world instances where substantial maintenance was required just months into the operational life of the roof. Finally, we demonstrate how automated roof leak detection can be used to mitigate the risk of membrane defects going unnoticed by actively monitoring the roof and guiding repairs when necessary. Case studies of both conventional and inverted roof assemblies will demonstrate how automated leak detection systems have protected the inherent value of the roof, and added value of their own over the life of the structure.
Speakers
JASON TEETAERT
CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, SMT RESEARCH
Jason Teetaert is co-founder and president of SMT Research, a structure monitoring company based in Vancouver BC. Teetaert graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and has over 20 years experience in the construction industry; developing numerous turnkey solutions for building envelope monitoring with a strong focus on moisture. He holds patents in the areas of moisture detection, and patents pending in roof monitoring and low powered hybrid wireless/wired networks. Teetaert leads the design of moisture detection systems in residential, educational, and institutional projects related to sustainable buildings and investigations.
CAITLIN HAY, AA MACS
TECHNICAL ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, SMT RESEARCH
Caitlin Hay is a dedicated Technical Engagement Manager at SMT – Structure Monitoring Technology, a leading firm specializing in advanced solutions for leak detection and structural health monitoring for commercial, research and mass timber buildings. At SMT, Hay has played a pivotal role in shaping and executing strategic communication and education initiatives that aid in the company’s commitment to innovation and quality assurance in construction. As a speaker, Hay offers valuable insights into building roof leak detection through data-driven storytelling.
Hay has leveraged her expertise to enhance sensor and leak detection technology awareness on a global scale. Her work involves creating impactful communication strategies that support the industry goal of advancing infrastructure quality assurance, resilience and sustainability.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify risks to the waterproof membrane during construction.
Plan quality assurance for roof installations.
Analyse patterns in monitoring data.
Apply automated roof leak detection to long term maintenance planning.

AIA Conference 2025
2025-06-04 - 2025-06-07 | Boston Convention Center, 415 Summer St, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Connect with the AEC industry.

Bioclimatic Skin for Future Environment
2025-06-05 13:00 - 13:55 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
While building physics largely are based on Newtonian principles, physics outside of the built environment have been moving toward quantum mechanics.
This presentation will start to see environmental factors through the lens of quantum mechanics. It also will include future bioclimatic elements and how the above may inform facade design.

Learning Objectives

Learn how quantum mechanic thinking can impact architecture design
Understand how future climates can impact our facades
Reveal the limitations in current facade testing
Learn the bioclimatic factors that transfer from outdoors to indoors through the facade

Groundbreaking Women in Construction
2025-06-08 - 2025-06-10 | Town and Country Resort, 500 Hotel Cir N, San Diego, 92108, United States
Groundbreaking Women in Construction is heading to San Diego from June 8-10, 2025, after a successful expansion to New York City! This is your chance to be part of the construction industryʼs most influential talent management conference—where leadership skills are sharpened, connections are forged, and inspiration is ignited.

Singularity Unveiled: Exploring the Future of Spatial Computing and Digital Twins
2025-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Dive into the transformative world of Singularity, where artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and digital twins converge to redefine how we design, interact with, and understand the built environment.
This session explores the groundbreaking technologies driving this evolution, including real-time data integration, immersive visualization, and predictive modeling, powered by AI.
Discover how spatial computing is reshaping human-machine interaction, creating opportunities for unprecedented collaboration and precision. Learn how digital twins -virtual replicas of physical assets – enable architects, engineers, and stakeholders to simulate, monitor, and optimize structures throughout their lifecycle.
Through practical examples and future-focused insights, this presentation will illuminate how these technologies can enhance your business, streamline workflows, and elevate your creative and strategic potential. Whether you’re an innovator, designer, or decision-maker, you’ll leave with actionable takeaways to harness the Singularity’s promise in shaping the future of the built environment and beyond.

A New Resource to Understanding Advanced Lighting Controls
2025-06-11 14:00 - 14:45 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Did you know that advanced lighting controls could result in an average of nearly 70% lighting energy savings? Unfortunately, there is an industry-wide knowledge gap about how to utilize advanced controls to capitalize on energy savings and ensure buildings run at peak performance. To address this gap, Slipstream was awarded a grant by the Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to develop a comprehensive training resource on advanced lighting controls.
This webinar will briefly describe the project and will show how to access the free training. Additionally, the webinar will go over some lighting controls basics to get you thinking about saving energy in your building.

Implementation of BIM/Digital Twins at MTA NY
2025-06-26 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
This presentation will provide a case study on how the Metropolitan Transportation Authority – NY (henceforth MTA) approaches and implements BIM and Digital Twins, including valuable insights, lessons learned, and best practices. It will also examine the software stack on which MTA has standardized for BIM and Digital Twins, and describe data management practices employed for these technologies.
MTA owns and/or operates significant transportation assets in the NYC Metropolitan Area, including a subway and bus network within the city itself, commuter railroads out to the suburbs, and several vehicular bridges & tunnels. MTA has been implementing BIM on select capital projects for the last 15 years. Over the past few years MTA has started combining other digital data, such as point clouds, reality models, and photogrammetry with the BIM models, thus creating Digital Twins. Since 2022, BIM has been required on a greater portion of capital projects, thus accelerating the rate of implementation. Although MTA’s assets are primarily horizontal, early BIM projects focused on discrete, vertical facilities, such as passenger stations, fan plants, bus depots, and signal buildings. However, over the past few years MTA has also been modeling horizontal (civil) assets that are receiving capital work, such as tracks, bridges, and subsurface utilities. Session Description- This presentation will provide a case study on how the Metropolitan Transportation Authority – NY (henceforth MTA) approaches and implements BIM and Digital Twins, including valuable insights, lessons learned, and best practices.

Learning Objectives

Learn about MTA’S- BIM Directive & Evaluation Criteria, BIM Statistics.
Learn about MTA- Data integration and Standard Libraries.
Learn about- MTA’S Digital Twin Platform.
Learn what Digital Twin Implementation challenges MTA has faced, and related Lessons Learned.

2025 BOMA International Conference & Expo
2025-06-28 - 2025-07-01 | Boston Convention Center, 415 Summer St, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
The BOMA International Conference & Expo is known as the ultimate destination for property professionals—and not just because of the top-quality educational programming and the business solutions found at the Expo. This is your opportunity to step outside your day-to-day and celebrate your industry, discover how best-in-class properties are navigating changes in the market, see the latest trends come to life … and you can even win prizes! Take a look at what’s happening this year, then get ready for an unforgettable trip to Philadelphia.

Part 1: Electronic Leak Detection for Roofing, Waterproofing, and the Building Envelope
2025-07-16 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
This one-hour course will cover electronic leak detection (ELD) testing methods used for quality assurance of roofing and waterproofing membranes.
Participants will learn about the principles outlined in the ASTM Standard Guide D7877 and ASTM Standard Practice D8231 and will be able to identify which assemblies are compatible with electronic testing and active monitoring.

Learning Objectives

Recognize the differences between the four electronic testing methods for roofing and waterproofing membranes.
Understand the capabilities and limitations of electronic leak detection (ELD) as outlined in ASTM Guide D7877 & ASTM Practice D8231.
Identify potential future design and construction failures based on analyzed data from real time construction monitoring.
Distinguish different applications for fully monitored embedded leak detection systems and how they function.

Part 2: Electronic Leak Detection: Lessons Learned from ELD Testing and Continuous Monitoring
2025-07-17 01:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
In this session, we will cover the lessons learned from multiple case studies regarding electronic leak detection (ELD) quality control testing as part of new construction, forensic testing in existing buildings with active leaks, and continuous moisture monitoring for conventional roofing.
Participants will learn about the principles outlined in the ASTM Standard Guide D7877 and ASTM Standard Practice D8231 and will be able to identify common causes for moisture intrusion.

Learning Objectives

Understand the science, capabilities and limitations of ELD, as outlined in ASTM Guide D7877 & ASTM Practice D8231.
Recognize common causes of failures found in numerous types of roofing and waterproofing membranes.
Identify potential future design and construction failures based on analyzed data from real-time construction monitoring.
Distinguish different applications for ELD testing and continuous moisture monitoring for risk mitigation and loss control.

Aligning Resilience Goals in the Built Environment: How Risk Management Processes & Standards Incentivize Resilience
2025-07-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Given the increasing frequency and severity of natural hazards and the dire predictions of climate scientists, it is imperative to redouble efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to reduce the catastrophic risks of a worsening climate and sea level rise. Likewise, it is important to proactively address natural hazards caused by geological processes, such as earthquakes.
However, there always are competing priorities within capital and operational budgets for buildings and infrastructure, making it challenging to appropriately allocate funding to mitigate potential future risks. For investors, lenders, insurers, and property managers, it is increasingly important to assess climate and natural hazard risks and vulnerabilities, and to prioritize, plan, and implement resilience measures to guard against future losses.
This interactive panel session will introduce the emerging practice of climate and natural hazard risk assessment. We will learn about some of the tools and methods currently being used to assess and mitigate vulnerabilities, while improving the resilience and performance of new and existing buildings.
Panelists will explore how the standards and information gathered during commercial real estate (CRE) finance and development can drive resilience investment. This will include an introduction to the new ASTM E3429 Standard Guide for Property Resilience Assessment and its application in CRE transactions, as well as a guide for resilience-focused capital improvement planning. Panelists also will share an overview of new resilience requirements included in frameworks and new voluntary standards, such as the USGBC’s LEED version 5 rating system, the application of U.S. Resiliency Council (USRC), and the FORTIFIED program standards by IBHS, all currently being used in CRE finance and development.

Learning Objectives

Assess how hazards are impacting buildings and infrastructure
Understand how regulatory and industry trends are affecting commercial real estate
Review the primary risk management processes and standards for hazards
Consider how these processes and standards can be used to reduce risks and create value in commercial real estate

Coastal Resilience Planning and Adaptation for Waterfront Facilities
2025-07-31 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
In 2023 and 2024 a two-part workshop on Resilience of Naval Waterfront Facilities in a Changing Climate was held, co-sponsored by the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAV-EXWC) and the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) of ASCE. Part I of the workshop focused on developing non-stationary extreme wind speeds, sea level rise, and flooding loads on waterfront facilities, while Part II of the workshop exclusively involved life-cycle assessment, performance-based resilience planning and adaptation design to help protect public safety and to enrich the life quality in coastal communities including military installations. Resilience-based decision-making ensures community stakeholders have quantifiable information to select the most effective and efficient mitigations and/or adaptation strategies. Such quantification requires community-level models of physical infrastructure such as buildings, roadways, and water/power networks to be fully coupled with social and economic models by using computational tools and platforms, such as the Interdependent Networked Community Resilience Modeling Environment (IN-CORE). The impact of coastal multi-hazards is assessed in terms of infrastructure damage and service loss (e.g., disruption of goods flow through port and intermodal transportation). The potential to leverage robust community modeling, often referred to as digital twins, to assess the coupling between short- and long-term impacts is also highlighted.
This webinar intends to present the lessons learned from the workshop, based on the group discussions of over one hundred coastal resilience leaders and professionals from government agencies, industry, and academia. A discussion will focus on implementation of innovative methodologies and techniques on updating the structural design loads on waterfront facilities for non-stationary extreme wind speeds, sea level rise, and flooding hazards; developing performance-based and site-specific resilience planning and adaptation for coastal operation continuity; and promoting computational tools and platforms, such as IN-CORE.

Learning Objectives

Review available datasets and tools on establishing the relationship between extreme events and performance of coastal structures and infrastructure systems;
Establish the basic concept of extreme event effects (e.g. winds, floods, and tsunamis) on structural design codes and standards;
Inform best practices of life-cycle adaptation and a risk-based decision-making process to decision-makers for coastal resilience planning strategies; and
Promote interdependent community and infrastructure system models that are available for use in engineering practices (e.g., IN-CORE) and the training necessary for civil engineers and government planners who may use these models.

Harnessing the Power of Cool Exterior Walls to Enhance Heat Resilience
2025-08-05 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Extreme heat causes more deaths in the United States than any other natural disaster.
Discussions around the role of buildings in heat mitigation and resilience often focus on air-conditioning, and while A/C can be lifesaving, it also increases peak cooling demand, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste heat released back into the environment. Further, regions with historically cooler climates and low percentages of air-conditioned homes are now experiencing longer, more frequent, and more intense heat waves, leaving residents without A/C at risk of heat illness and death.
Incorporating passive cooling strategies in new construction and building retrofits is critically important to improve heat resilience in buildings without access to A/C and to reduce A/C demand in conditioned spaces.
Like cool roofs, which are required for most buildings in California and for commercial buildings in several other U.S. cities and states, cool exterior walls efficiently reflect solar radiation back into the atmosphere instead of transferring it as heat into buildings. For a single building, this helps reduce solar heat gain, indoor temperatures, and A/C use, while increasing resilience to extreme heat, particularly in buildings with little insulation or that do not have or are unable to operate A/C. On a larger scale, this helps raise the community’s albedo, lower outdoor temperatures, mitigate heat impacts, reduce peak cooling demand, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
This presentation will describe the impacts of cool exterior walls on buildings and communities and the radiative properties of solar reflectance and thermal emittance, which determine the coolness of a wall surface. It also will provide examples of potential HVAC energy cost savings resulting from cool exterior wall use in different U.S. climates and equip attendees with the ability to estimate building-specific savings using a publicly available tool developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Additionally, the presentation will summarize wall radiative property provisions in codes, standards, and programs, including the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, ASHRAE Standard 90.1, and LEED v4.1, and provide a tutorial for how to find and interpret independently verified radiative property data for exterior wall materials.

Learning Objectives

Explain how cool exterior walls can reduce a building’s solar heat gain and lower temperatures of buildings and surrounding communities.
Describe the surface radiative properties solar reflectance and thermal emittance, which influence the coolness of building exteriors.
Estimate building-specific cool exterior wall HVAC energy cost savings using Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Cool Surface Savings Explorer and local electricity cost data.
Compare the radiative properties of exterior wall materials and understand which materials will meet project requirements using a third-party database of rated products.

2025 Vitruvian Honors & Awards Ceremony
2025-09-18 15:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Pl, New York, 10012, United States
The Facade Tectonics Institute’s Vitruvian Honors & Awards program celebrates excellence and innovation in the field of facade design and delivery. This program honors outstanding projects, project teams, and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to facade design, engineering, fabrication, installation, and lifecycle performance. These achievements exemplify FTI’s mission to advance the art, science, and technology of designing, planning, and constructing high-performance building facades for the benefit of both people and the planet.
FTI’s 2025 Vitruvian Lecture & Awards Committee has curated thirteen distinct categories that align with The Institute’s vision and mission, celebrating innovation, collaboration, and achievement within the AECO industry.

Smart Home and Furnishings 2025
2025-09-24 - 2025-09-26 | Rosemont, IL, Rosemont, IL, United States
Smart Home and Furnishings Conference and Exhibition is the premier event dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements in smart home technology. From groundbreaking products and expert presentations to interactive demos and invaluable networking opportunities, this event is designed to inspire and connect everyone passionate about enhancing modern living through smart solutions. Discover the trends, tools, and technologies that are shaping the way we interact with our homes. Join MIE Group in bridging global markets, connecting the brightest minds and most innovative companies from the United States, MENA, and GCC. Together, we will explore smart living solutions that are shaping the homes of tomorrow.

BEC-N Symposium on Building Science and Enclosure Technology
2025-09-25 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
The Chicago Building Enclosure Council has been chosen as the host of the 2025 National BEC Symposium. This year’s event will be held at the Chicago Architecture Center. Please visit the event website for more information.

Healthy and Efficient Buildings: Policy Frameworks, Standards, and Tools for Improving Indoor Air Quality
2025-10-01 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Healthy buildings are critical for resilient communities. With advances in science, policy, and technology, buildings can now promote occupant well-being while enhancing energy performance. This session will examine emerging policy frameworks, standards, and tools designed to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and foster healthier environments across sectors.
Leading experts will present the scientific and economic case for healthy buildings—linking enhanced ventilation and IAQ to reduced disease transmission, improved cognitive function, higher productivity, and better quality of life for vulnerable populations. The session will explore current ventilation standards that integrate disease risk management, as well as practical strategies for implementation by building professionals.
While momentum for energy efficiency is growing, parallel federal support for healthy buildings remains limited. This discussion will outline a forward-looking policy roadmap for advancing IAQ at the state and federal levels—including opportunities through the U.S. Department of Energy, EPA, CDC, and GSA. Participants will learn how low-cost sensors and performance-based IAQ targets can be integrated into existing infrastructure to sustain healthier indoor environments with a case study from the commercial sector.
Learning Objectives

Understand the impact of improved ventilation and indoor air quality on building occupants, both for health and productivity
Identify tools and guidelines that building managers and engineers can use to improve the health of building occupants and reduce risk
Understand state and federal policies that drive healthier buildings, along with policy gaps
Learn about simple targets for indoor air quality and an implementation framework for building managers, using building performance air quality standards

Greater Detroit Building Enclosure Council Annual Symposium
2025-10-21 07:00 - 16:30 (America/Chicago) | Livonia, MI, Livonia, Michigan

Extreme Heat 101 & the Policy Landscape
2025-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Extreme heat is the most lethal weather hazard in the United States and has an economic burden of over +$160 billion a year. This introductory webinar will explore the growing threat of extreme heat and the evolving policy responses across all levels of government. Participants will hear directly from local, state, and federal officials about their roles, responsibilities, and strategies to mitigate heat risks and build resilience.
For all AECO professionals and legislators, this session will equip you with foundational knowledge and insights to engage meaningfully in the heat resilience movement.
Learning Objectives:

Understand the Basics: Define extreme heat and explore its causes, health impacts, and social implications, especially in the context of climate resilience.
Navigate the Policy Landscape: Identify key policies, frameworks, and initiatives addressing extreme heat at the local, state, and federal levels.
Clarify Government Roles: Learn how different levels of government coordinate and respond to extreme heat.
Explore Opportunities for Action: Discover ways individuals, organizations, and communities can support and influence heat resilience efforts through advocacy, planning, and partnerships.

ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Every four years, America’s civil engineers provide a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s 18 major infrastructure categories in ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Using a simple A to F school report card format, the Report Card examines current infrastructure conditions and needs, assigning grades and making recommendations to raise them.
Learning objectives:

Overall performance and status of the nation’s infrastructure
Leading issues which affect the U.S. infrastructure network and main barriers to addressing these
Solutions to address longstanding infrastructure needs and promote improvements
How the report can help to inform key infrastructure stakeholders including Congress and federal agencies as well as private, and non-profit organizations

What Should Drive the Sustainability Bus, IEQ or Energy?
2025-11-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Sponsored By:

Efficiency programs seem to ignore the fact that the only reason why society uses energy in buildings is to condition people and generate domestic hot water. One would then think that all design ought to begin with the physiological and psychological needs of the occupants. However, in the real world most energy efficiency programs focus exclusively on enclosures and equipment and have superficial Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) requirements. The hope is that the assembled systems will deliver the desired indoor climate with the modeled energy. The flaws in this approach are demonstrated in the poor results from thousands of post occupancy evaluations.
During this session, participants will learn the human sciences behind thermal comfort and air quality and how energy and exergy efficiency is the natural outcome from engineering the indoor environment using human factor design tools.
Learning Objectives:

Avoiding discomfort within the built environment is what drives energy use.
Occupants don’t care about energy models, they care about how they feel.
The body’s respiratory systems and how they are impacted by the quality of air.
The body’s thermoregulatory systems and how they are impacted by the architecture, enclosure and interior systems as the primary control points before mechanicals.

A Cooling Conundrum: Setting the Stage for Resilient Cooling
2025-12-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Every region in the U.S. is experiencing record-breaking heat. More households now require home cooling solutions to maintain safe and liveable indoor temperatures. While air conditioning (AC) can offer immediate relief, the rapid scaling of AC has created new vulnerabilities: rising energy bills are straining people’s wallets, while surging electricity demand mounts pressure on an aging power grid increasingly prone to blackouts.
What Americans need to be prepared for more extreme temperatures is a resilient cooling approach. Resilient cooling works across three interdependent systems — buildings, communities, and the electric grid — to affordably maintain safe indoor temperatures during extreme heat events and reduce power outage risks.
This webinar will overview resilient cooling, implicated technology systems and the policies needed to affordably cool people and communities under extreme heat conditions. Participants will hear directly from experts about dimensions of access and affordability, public health, workforce development, and grid reliability.
Learning Objectives

Understand the Basics: Define extreme heat and the vulnerabilities created by the rapid scaling of air conditioning and mechanical cooling systems.
Clarify the Landscape of Need: Explore the essential imperatives to rethink the way we cool as heat waves increase in duration.
Explore Strategies for Action: Discover the concept of resilient cooling as a strategy to address existing cooling needs, while ensuring affordability, health, sustainability, grid resilience, and workforce development.
Clarify Stakeholder Roles: Learn how different levels of government and non-governmental organizations coordinate and play a role in advancing resilient cooling for both households and communities.

Understanding the Challenges of Preventing Construction Site Fires
2025-12-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Sponsored By:

Construction sites present a unique set of fire safety challenges due to their dynamic nature, temporary infrastructure, and evolving occupancy. The session will delve into real-world case studies, regulatory frameworks, and emerging technologies that influence fire prevention efforts. This panel discussion convenes leading experts from the construction industry, fire service, code enforcement, and government agencies to explore the persistent issue of construction site fires. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the causes, consequences, and mitigation strategies associated with fire incidents during the building phase.
Learning Objectives

Identify the risk & hazards associated with construction sites.
Examine the codes & standards that govern buildings under construction.
Analyze how new technologies can help keep construction sites fire safe.
Explore enforcement strategies to safeguard construction.

Clearing the Air: Advancing IAQ Policy for Healthier Communities
2025-12-16 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Indoor air quality (IAQ) has emerged as a critical public health and building performance issue, especially in the wake of rising temperatures, pandemics, and increasing urban density. This virtual session, hosted by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), brings together a panel of leading subject matter experts to explore the evolving landscape of IAQ policy, standards, and implementation strategies across the built environment.
Attendees will gain insights into:

Federal and state-level IAQ regulations and emerging policy trends such as The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act
The role of codes, ventilation standards, and energy efficiency mandates
Access to IAQ improvements for schools, housing, and workplaces
Pathways for women in the industry to promote innovation in IAQ policy

Whether you’re a policymaker, architect, engineer, facility manager, or public health advocate, this session will equip you with actionable knowledge to shape healthier indoor environments.

Building-System Strategies for Resilient Cooling
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
The existing building stock in the United States was not designed to cope with current extreme temperatures. Much needs to be done to fix aging housing, from upgrading poor insulation to fixing ineffective air conditioning, while also designing new buildings for future temperatures, if warming trends continue.
This webinar will focus on building-system strategies to reduce the impacts of extreme heat on buildings, showcasing cooling solutions beyond conventional air conditioning. Participants will hear directly from experts on the policies that will enable greater proliferation of resilient cooling solutions that offer co-benefits for energy efficiency, reduced household energy burdens, and greater energy reliability.
Learning Objectives

Understand the Link Between Heat and Housing Affordability: Scope how housing infrastructure is unprepared for current temperatures, impacting consumers costs to adequately cool their indoor environments.
Explore Technology Solutions: Discover how resilient cooling technologies can offer co-benefits for energy efficiency and reduced household energy burdens, as well as resilience during power brownouts and blackouts.
Examine the Policy Landscape: Understand how existing federal, state and local policy levers and strategies can increase access and affordability of resilient cooling technologies, and discover real-world examples of implementation.

Community-System Strategies for Resilient Cooling
2026-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Community infrastructure, such as thermal energy networks, district geothermal, urban forests, shade structures, and smart surfaces, can have a collectively lower upfront cost and lower community-wide energy consumption and the costs of cooling. For example, strategic deployment of cool roofs in Atlanta, mandated by ordinance, are expected to cool the city by 2.4°F in peak summer, deliver $310 million in direct energy savings, and generate $760 million in net financial benefits
This webinar will explore community-system technologies and strategies for resilient cooling and their benefits for community-wide energy reliability, grid resilience, and extreme heat preparedness. Participants will hear directly from experts on targeted solutions and the policy levers needed to scale up their broad adoption.
Learning Objectives

Explore Technology Solutions: Discover the range of solutions that can be implemented at a community-system level to lower temperatures outdoors and indoors.
Clarify the Co-Benefits for Mitigation: Learn how shared cooling infrastructure can provide community-wide energy reliability, grid resilience, and extreme heat preparedness.
Examine the Policy Landscape: Understand how existing federal, state and local policy levers and strategies can increase access and affordability of resilient cooling technologies and discover real-world examples of implementation.
Understanding Traditions of Community Cooling: Connect Traditional and forward-thinking community-level cooling solutions.
