Integrated Building Systems

The building industry is one of the leading U.S. employers, supporting 4.2 million jobs, generating personal earnings of $1.2 trillion per year, and contributing more than $495 billion to the Gross Domestic Product. Current projections are that the building stock will grow by 41 percent between 2005 and 2030 and approximately 60 percent of the existing commercial building stock will be affected by major renovations or energy-specific retrofits by 2030.

This project is to establish a platform for developing integrated buildings systems and innovative building products with the intention of moving them toward market-ready innovations via a cooperative partnership among the building industry, the design & engineering community, regulatory authorities, and academia. The goal of this program is to improve the performance, economy of means, and energy efficiency of commercial buildings, by advancing the state of the art in building systems concepts, by developing and defining methodologies for systems optimization, and by conducting material and technology research and development driven by careful identification of the building industry’s needs.

Integrated building design is a process in which multiple disciplines and building sub-systems are integrated so that synergistic benefits can be realized. The program is supported by a cross-disciplinary team including researchers and practitioners from architectural, structural, mechanical, and material science areas.