BEST Conferences Look at Green Glazing and Trends

About 235 attendees, mostly architects and engineers, gathered at the Minneapolis Convention Centre for the first biennial Building Enclosure Science & Technology Conference June 10-12. The conference programme included about 60 paper presentations and four keynote speakers covering three themes: energy efficiency in buildings, fenestration as a solution to energy concerns and moisture matters. About 15 companies exhibited in a table-top display area.

Glass industry-related presentations covered everything from blast codes to dynamic glazing, and thermal comfort to the National Fenestration Rating Council's nonresidential rating programme.

The conference was hosted by Building Envelope Council Minnesota and organised by BEC-National, a Research Coordinating Committee of the Building Enclosure and Environment Council. BETEC and the National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington, D.C., the American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C., and the National Building Envelope Council of Canada, signed a memorandum in May to promote future collaboration. BEST conferences will be every two years, alternating with the Canadian NBEC conferences. The next BEST conference is set for 2010 in Portland, Oregon.