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Atlanta — Building on past outreach, ASHRAE and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, committing them to working together in a variety of built environment areas.
The memorandum was signed recently by ASHRAE President David Underwood and AIA President Russ Davidson. The agreement says the two organizations will work jointly in areas related to development of young professionals, advocacy and public outreach, publications, education, technical activities, and research.
“ASHRAE and AIA share many common technical interests, including health and safety, energy efficiency, and resilience,” said David Underwood, ASHRAE president. “This agreement formalizes our plans to foster technical cooperation in these areas, providing needed guidance to the industry.”
“We are at a pivotal juncture as an industry to address the growing number of design challenges,” said AIA President Russ Davidson. “The extension of this agreement is important for our organizations to continue to work together to further sustainable design strategies, to be active on building-codes-related issues, as well as for providing tangible resources that are useful for our respective members in their daily practice.”
In relation to past projects focused on improving energy efficiency of buildings and systems, ASHRAE and AIA are part of a group that is developing a new version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The code, scheduled to be released in 2018, will be powered by ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings developed using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved ASHRAE consensus process.
ASHRAE and AIA also joined together with IES, USGBC, and the Department of Energy (DOE) in developing the Advanced Energy Design Guide series. The nine books in the series provide recommendations for achieving 50 percent and 30 percent energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The society and its more than 55,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration, and sustainability.
