Session

Climate change, building resilience, and sustainability top the list of critical issues facing every profession making up today’s building industry. To tackle these problems head on, knowledge of basic building science is critical now more than ever for those working at the front end of the building’s lifecycle, namely architects, designers, and builders of our built environment.

Building on workshops in 2012 and 2016 that emphasized the need for increased building science education for architects, NIBS’ Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) is teaming up with the AIA Building Performance Knowledge Community to explore the state of building science education and develop a roadmap of options for how it can be accelerated. In July, to re-spark broad-based interest in moving beyond debate, three BETEC members offered a 15-minute presentation to the Society of Building Science Educators. The BETEC team—Daniel LeMieux, FAIA; George Reichard, PhD, PE, and Keith Simon, FAIA—is bringing this well-received presentation to this BI2022 session.

To deepen the discussion, Michelle Cohn, Assistant Vice President, Examination for the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB), will brief participants on how building science currently plays into architectural licensure. Likewise, Winifred Elysse Newman, PhD, Acting Director, PDBE Program Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs and professor of architecture at Clemson University will present an overview of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture’s current research and views about building science in architecture education.

This hour-long session, moderated by Justin Boone, AIA, will be used to determine the next steps for moving forward. Bring your questions, concerns, and suggestions to this kickoff discussion and help us strengthen the case for basic building science education.

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