Working Group Meeting:

Greening Structural Systems of Buildings

When:

Friday, June 26th, 2009

8:00am - 2:30pm (Breakfast and Lunch provided)

Where:

University of Oregon/White Stag Building

70 NW Couch Street, Portland, Oregon

Agenda:

1. The Green Structural Materials Gap Analysis Project: preliminary research findings

This research, sponsored by the Oregon BEST Project and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, is a study that is gathering expert opinions from Oregon-based building design and construction professionals.  The research team will summarize its findings concerning the need for information  about, and gaps in availability of, environmentally responsible and economically feasible structural materials and systems in the State of Oregon. 

2. Eco-tools and information sources for sustainable structural materials

This summary presentation of the pros and cons of currently available tools and information sources that can assist designers in the selection of the structural material systems of wood, steel, concrete and masonry will conclude with a discussion of some of the new tools and sources that will become available in the future and research and development opportunities for Oregon-based professionals and academics in this field.

3. The Oregon Sustainability Center: a case study in structural feasibility for a Living Building

Members of the interdisciplinary design and development team of the Oregon Sustainability Center will report on how the design team used an integrated approach to structural system design and material selection and converted structural components from single purpose to multi-purpose elements.

4. Eco-Education Charette

In a break-out session facilitated by UO, PSU and OSU faculty members, interdisciplinary participant teams will propose innovative and forward-looking curricula for continuing professional education and graduate level study in architecture, engineering, and construction management that addresses pressing priorities for the preparation of the next generation of designers who will be responsible for the design and selection of structural materials and systems. Break-out session groups will address the following topics:

Group 1: Selecting and Evaluating Green Materials what information is needed, barriers to implementation

Group 2: Using Less to do More – reducing the amount of material used, thermal mass, architectural finish

Group 3: Longevity and Reuse – adaptive reuse, recyclability, maintenance/warranty, design for disassembly

Click here to Register

Continuing Education Credit Options:

4 Learning Unit Hours for AIA/CES; Construction Specifications Institute; and Professional Engineers

Investigators: