‘High-Performance’ Schools Book Updated

Schools with superior acoustics and lighting, accessible classrooms and safe campuses are among the subjects of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council’s updated book, High-Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide.

The book, which is in third edition, describes the characteristics of high-performance school buildings and details a process that reportedly ensures school planners get the best design possible within their budgets.

Written primarily for those who make decisions about the design and construction of K-12 schools, the 96-page Guideis said to be useful for community leaders, parents, teachers, architects and engineers.

The book is organized into three sections. Section 1 provides an overview and describes high-performance schools and why they are valuable. Section 2 provides issue-specific questions for decision makers to ask architectural/engineering teams at each stage of the design process. Section 3 describes 17 key building blocks that reportedly result in a high-performance building.

The principal author is Deane Evans, director of the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Center for Architecture and Building Science Research.

The book is $55 or $46 for SBIC members. Visit www.sbicouncil.org on the Internet or call 202-628-7400 for more information.

BIM Committee Launched

The Alexandria, Va.-based Construction Specifications Institute has announced that it has formed a Building Information Modeling Committee. The group will guide initiatives within CSI to advance the use of BIM in the planning, design, construction and operation of the built environment.

“CSI has an important role to fulfill in the implementation of BIM by developing knowledge classification systems, formats, standards, practice guidelines and education to support collaborative practice,” says CSI Executive Director and CEO Walter Marlowe.

The committee has formed the BIM Practice Group to gather practitioners who are dealing with BIM implementation. Under development is a building information management roadmap to identify requirements and define programs the CSI will be pursuing to meet industry needs.

In a related development, CSI recently launched an AudioCast series called “bimWITS” in conjunction with the buildingSMART alliance. The programs draw on the knowledge and “wits” of BIM experts to share their experiences with other practitioners about how BIM affects the way they do their jobs. The free series is available at http://audio.csinet.org.

ASA Wisconsin Elects Three Members

The American Subcontractors Association in Milwaukee has elected three new directors:

Glen Borchardt, vice president of Milwaukee-based L&S Insulation Co.; Jeff Hintze, controller of Oak Creek-based Grunau Co.; and Jullane Jackson, general counsel of Milwaukee-based Edward E. Gillen Co.