Smart cities are emerging as high-performance urban environments, while the Metaverse is the next generation of the Internet. What does this mean for the built environment? And how do you manage when these two mega trends collide in a cyber-physical relationship?

Join us for an exploration of how emerging technologies like Smart Contracts, Blockchain, NFTs, Avatars, Digital Twins, 3D Virtual Worlds and the Metaverse are directly impacting urban environments in meaningful ways.

Regularly designing zero energy/carbon buildings requires an educated and motivated workforce. Collegiate competitions like the Solar Decathlon are a proven tool to develop this workforce and provide an engaging environment that kick-starts professional learning and success. The observation of trends over 20+ years of the Solar Decathlon program has revealed a knowledge deficit on the basics of how buildings work and the vocabulary that is used; to address this deficit, the Solar Decathlon Building Science Education series was developed.

Communities leverage federal grants to address hazard mitigation issues. The increased frequency and severity of disasters has disproportionately impacted historically marginalized and underserved communities. These communities usually have limited personnel, time, or expertise to apply for the numerous grants available through multiple federal agencies. The goal of this facilitated discussion is to discuss the ethics of the current hazard mitigation funding and application methodology, especially from the perspective of historically marginalized and underserved communities.

As the world increasingly shifts towards a more sustainable future, the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in the built environment cannot be overstated. This panel discussion will explore the crucial role that ESG plays in enhancing building performance and value, with a focus on four key learning objectives.

Homes are the largest and most important purchase we make in our lifetime, and they should be built that way. Despite a global pandemic, tumultuous economy, and fears of a housing bubble, the societal value we assign to owning a home remains paramount.

Geospatial Technologies and Building Information Modeling (BIM): Advancing Construction and Infrastructure Development