Mark those calendars! The second annual celebration of High-Performance Building Week will be June 13-19, 2010. Now is the time to start thinking about ways to celebrate and to begin planning activities.
High-Performance Building Week is the perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of high-performance buildings to federal, state and local policymakers and the general public. Think about ways to recognize those organizations, industries and workers that contribute to widespread achievement of high-performance buildings. Contact representatives, write an article to the local paper, plan a visit to Washington, D.C. During the week, activities in the nation’s capitol will include high-performance building site visits, Congressional briefings and a reception to honor high-performance building achievements.
The first national celebration of High-Performance Building Week occurred in 2009. Co-chairs of the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus, Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), introduced a resolution, which was passed by the House of Representatives, to honor the goals and ideals of High-Performance Building Week. During the week, activities included a site visit of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), virtual Congressional visits, and Congressional visits by building community leaders.
High-Performance Building Week is one of a number of activities sponsored by the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC). A private-sector coalition, the HPBCCC provides guidance and support to the High-Performance Buildings Caucus of the U.S. Congress. A member of the Coalition’s steering committee, the National Institute of Building Sciences is chairing this year’s celebration. In recognition of its mission to facilitate action and discussion of building science issues across the building community, the Institute will serve as the lead organization in planning the week’s activities.
To learn more about High-Performance Building Week, including publicity materials, schedules of events and how building community representatives can get involved, visit the HPBCCC website.
The National Institute of Building Sciences, authorized by public law 93-383 in 1974, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to identify and resolve building process and facility performance problems. The Institute serves as an authoritative source of advice for both the private and public sectors with respect to the use of building science and technology.
