WASHINGTON, DC The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and ASTM International (ASTM) explore the state of building science education in North America and collaborate to examine ways to improve educational training and curriculum development at the second Workshop on Building Science Education in North America: Building Bridges and Bridging the Gap.

University decision-makers and other experts from universities in Canada and the United States present a critical view of college-level building science and work with building industry professionals on how to create new opportunities for professional development and career advancement in architecture and engineering.

Speakers for the second Workshop on Building Science Education in North America will build on challenges identified during the first workshop, held in Toronto, Ontario. Together with the workshop participants, they will explore in detail how climate change; demand for energy-efficient, high-performance buildings; and increasingly savvy clients and building owners have aligned to create an array of opportunities for those building industry professionals with the education and technical training necessary to integrate the art and science of what we design and how we build.

In addition to demand and resulting gaps in the marketplace, this second workshop will focus on solutions that can support the growing readiness of collegiate architecture, engineering, and construction programs to expand and improve building science education while addressing traditional academic constraints. University administrators and directors, educators and students will reconvene with leaders from public- and private-sector real estate development, design, construction, insurance, and legal communities to share examples of how building science has already begun to bridge the gap between academia and the growing demand for design and construction professionals who can deliver truly sustainable, higher-performing buildings. The group also is exploring opportunities to refine accreditation requirements, as well as training requirements for emerging design professionals.