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 showcases innovative computational approaches that enhance building energy analysis beyond conventional methods. Presentations cover integrating stack effect dynamics for accurate high-rise infiltration modeling, comparing centralized versus distributed ground source heat pump systems, developing modularized refrigeration databases for scalable modeling, and using computational fluid dynamics to optimize HVAC design for thermal comfort. These advanced techniques demonstrate the application of advanced physics-based modeling techniques that better captures real-world building performance.

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 presents innovative approaches to enhance building energy modeling workflows and tool integration. A BIM-BEM workflow integrates HVAC and lighting systems through shared occupancy sensor data for coordinated design. Research reveals how independently modeling energy efficiency measures leads to inaccurate savings predictions by neglecting synergies between measures. A Standard 232 case study explores standardized data exchange formats to improve interoperability between building performance software. These presentations highlight advancing methodologies for more accurate modeling and streamlined workflows.

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 presents innovative approaches to enhance building energy modeling workflows and tool integration. A BIM-BEM workflow integrates HVAC and lighting systems through shared occupancy sensor data for coordinated design. Research reveals how independently modeling energy efficiency measures leads to inaccurate savings predictions by neglecting synergies between measures. A Standard 232 case study explores standardized data exchange formats to improve interoperability between building performance software. These presentations highlight advancing methodologies for more accurate modeling and streamlined workflows.

TBA

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

This session brings together innovative strategies to reduce carbon emissions and improve material efficiency across building systems. The first presentation examines discrepancies in material quantity and embodied carbon estimations across different modeling approaches in two construction projects, focusing on MEP systems and highlighting the need for consistent methodologies in embodied carbon studies. The second presentation explores the operational carbon performance of Adohi Hall, a mass timber building at the University of Arkansas. Using real-world energy data and life cycle assessment tools, it demonstrates the significant impact of cleaner electricity and combined heat and power (CHP) systems in reducing long-term carbon footprints. The third presentation delves into circular economy practices within HVAC system design and operations, showcasing how modularity, reuse, and recycling can enhance sustainability while identifying key tools, challenges, and opportunities. Together, these presentations offer critical insights and data-driven strategies for advancing low-carbon, resource-efficient building practices.

This session explores innovative strategies to advance zero-carbon goals across diverse building typologies. The first presentation examines ENERlite's data-driven approach in the California Energy Commission’s Building Performance and Decarbonization Field Study, showcasing how energy modeling, automated calibration, and cost analyses inform policy and investment decisions for achieving zero-carbon targets in multifamily, office, retail, and supermarket sectors. The second presentation focuses on Model/Z’s innovative approach to productized modular construction, demonstrating significant materials waste reductions and embodied carbon efficiencies. Their modular strategy not only addresses affordable housing shortages in Los Angeles but also boosts local economies through job creation and workforce training. The third presentation details two industrial building projects in Montreal that attained Zero Carbon Building–Design v3 certification, comparing fully electric and partially gas-heated approaches. Together, these presentations provide practical, replicable insights into decarbonization pathways, from high-performance design and construction to informed policy and affordable housing solutions.

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.

This session showcases the transformative potential of digital twins and semantic data modeling in enhancing building performance, efficiency, and sustainability. The first presentation highlights the creation of an energy model digital twin for a 356,000 sq. ft. net-zero ready mixed-use building, integrating 8,000+ sensors and live BMS data to enable dynamic calibration, fault detection, and predictive analytics. The second presentation explores a tool that automatically generates semantic models from BIM data using standardized ontologies like ASHRAE Standard 223, streamlining the deployment of software applications such as automated fault detection and diagnostics. The third presentation details how ASHRAE’s Net-Zero Energy Global Headquarters utilized digital twin workflows and BIM data integration to optimize asset management, predictive maintenance, and energy performance. Together, these presentations demonstrate how digital twins and semantic models empower designers, operators, and owners to achieve intelligent, adaptive, and sustainable building management.