This session explores innovative approaches to transforming existing buildings into high-performance, sustainable spaces. The first presentation highlights the remarkable adaptive reuse of Building 48, a World War II munitions plant converted into an award-winning office space achieving LEED Gold and SITES Silver certifications. Attendees will learn about the net-zero strategies employed, the advanced MEP systems that elevate sustainability and performance, and the building envelope and lighting upgrades that enhance energy efficiency and occupant comfort. The second presentation offers a broader framework for revitalizing historic structures, equipping attendees with practical methods to breathe new life into aging assets. Emphasizing a tailored, iterative cycle of assessments, audits, and maintenance, it underscores how existing buildings—often overlooked compared to new construction—hold immense potential for innovation and sustainability. Together, these talks provide inspiration and actionable insights for architects, designers, and building owners seeking to elevate the performance and future of historic structures.

This session explores cutting-edge AI applications in building portfolio management and design, demonstrating how new tools can address persistent challenges in the built environment. The first presentation introduces a machine learning metamodel that leverages few-shot and zero-shot learning to rapidly estimate life cycle metrics for large building portfolios, overcoming traditional data limitations. The second presentation showcases a custom conversational AI assistant that automates early-stage building energy benchmarking, offering accessible and streamlined data analysis for both experts and non-experts. The final presentation examines how AI and traditional methods compare in modeling airflow and exhaust dispersion in complex building designs, discussing AI’s potential to enhance laboratory air quality and system performance while acknowledging critical physics constraints. Together, these talks highlight how AI-driven strategies and metamodels are redefining design workflows, accelerating energy benchmarking, and addressing climate-related demands in the built environment.

This session explores cutting-edge AI applications in building portfolio management and design, demonstrating how new tools can address persistent challenges in the built environment. The first presentation introduces a machine learning metamodel that leverages few-shot and zero-shot learning to rapidly estimate life cycle metrics for large building portfolios, overcoming traditional data limitations. The second presentation showcases a custom conversational AI assistant that automates early-stage building energy benchmarking, offering accessible and streamlined data analysis for both experts and non-experts. The final presentation examines how AI and traditional methods compare in modeling airflow and exhaust dispersion in complex building designs, discussing AI’s potential to enhance laboratory air quality and system performance while acknowledging critical physics constraints. Together, these talks highlight how AI-driven strategies and metamodels are redefining design workflows, accelerating energy benchmarking, and addressing climate-related demands in the built environment.

Representatives from the conference sponsors discuss tools, techniques and policies that are available now to help improve productivity in design, construction and operations.

The relationship between the indoor environment and the health of building occupants is complex. Local air quality, occupant’s activities, building construction, and HVAC design are just a few of the variables that make it difficult to provide optimal indoor air quality. This session will focus on strategic CO2 monitoring & sensor placement, ventilation rates, and air filter selections that lead to improved indoor air quality. ASHRAE Standard 241 will be referenced when presenting strategies for various programmatic space types. The importance of CO2 sensor placement in naturally ventilated classrooms will also be discussed.

A core concept of sustainable buildings is the balance of thermal comfort and optimal indoor air quality against energy consumption. Improved comfort and enhanced air quality typically demands increased energy consumption. This session will present how occupant-centric modeling can contribute to energy saving strategies; the session will also discuss how properly designed energy optimizing control systems can lead to energy saving predictive control strategies. Finally, the participants will learn how retro-commissioning and computational fluid dynamics can be leveraged to improved thermal comfort. Case studies will be reviewed to illustrate the findings through real-world examples.