This Week’s Speaker:
Our first Speaker Series will be held on Wednesday, September 24th at 6:30 PM in Snell Library 031.
Stay tuned for more information.
FALL 2024 SPEAKERS:
NUSBO hosts the SBSY (Sustainable Building Systems) Speaker Series, a seminar series where members of the building industry share their experiences with students to connect academia to the ‘real world.’ This provides exposure to the field and helps create relationships between current practitioners and eager students who will be the future of the industry.
Below is a list of this semester’s Speaker Series. It is required for SBSBY students to attend at least four seminars in the semester, however, the speakers are also open to ANYONE and ALL undergrad/graduate students.
SPRING 2024 SPEAKERS:
Speaker: David Fannon
Date: April 10, 2024
Title: Professor Fannon: Beyond Northeastern
Abstract: What does it mean to integrate research, teaching, and practice as an architect and building scientist? Attend this talk to learn about some of Prof. Fannon’sconsulting projects and design work outside his faculty role at Northeastern.
Speaker: Chris Schaffner
Date: April 3, 2024
Title: The Electric Grid is Getting Cleaner – Now What?
Abstract: Massachusetts is targeting Net Zero Carbon by 2050. As the electric grid gets cleaner, all-electric buildings will reduce their emissions, while fossil fuel-based heating systems will become an albatross around their owner’s neck. For this reason, we’re seeing a push for electrification of building systems by owners and by industry regulations such as the new MA Stretch Energy Code. And with the promise of clean electricity reducing operational carbon, there is increased emphasis on reducing embodied carbon in construction. In this session we’ll explain the changes we’re seeing in the industry, and what this means for existing buildings and new construction.
Speaker: Sachin Patel
Date: March 20, 2024
Title: Distributed Generation Opportunities
Abstract: The future of electricity is not in building mega scale power plants, but in developing small renewable energy projects on rooftops, parking lots, backyards, landfills and gravel pits etc. The speaker will discuss how to identify these opportunities and what it takes to develop such distributed generation projects.
Speaker: Nicole Voss
Date: Wednesday, March 13th
Title: Resilient Design for Facilities, Communities and Climate
Abstract: In October 2022, Boston Medical Center opened an 82 bed behavioral health center unlike any other. We’ll explore how a former 1960’s nursing home was transformed into an NZE inpatient facility that engages both physical and social resilience strategies. This case study illustrates how designing for the dignity and safety of all occupants, along with back-up power systems and robust programmatic flexibility, combine to benefit the building’s community and healthcare ecosystem.
Speaker: Rob Durning
Date: Wednesday, February 21st
Title: Energy Efficiency and Building Performance Strategies
Abstract: GreenerU is a design-build climate action firm providing institutions with planning, engineering and construction management services to deliver on their energy efficiency, deferred maintenance and decarbonization goals. This seminar will cover the types of challenges institutions face when seeking to decarbonize their existing building stock, and the solutions GreenerU develops to help them achieve their goals – from tried and true low-hanging fruit like lighting and controls up through electrification and building envelope improvements.
Speaker: Amey Patil
Date: Wednesday, February 7th
Title: Passive house – The new normal in Massachusetts
Abstract: Since the launch of the Passive house multifamily offering in 2018, there has been a consistent rise in the number of developers opting to explore the benefits of an energy efficient development. We currently have 161 projects enrolled in the Mass Save High Rise & Passive House path that are considering or committed to Passive House certification, nearly 40% of those projects are low income. How did this transformation happen and what were the major catalysts for this change?
Speaker: Michael Orbank
Date: Wednesday, January 31st
Title: Be Loud and Question Norms – Implementing Sustainable Innovation In Construction
Abstract: As one of the largest sources of carbon emissions across the globe, the construction industry struggles to tackle the climate crisis and reduce their staggering carbon impacts. This doesn’t need to be the case though, and simplifying long held beliefs around sustainable construction can oftentimes lead to surprising progress. Come hear how persistent action, a focus on collaboration, and a passion for circularity has helped Michael Orbank (NU ’15, ’18) inject innovation into the construction process, and how students and professionals can help move the needle in the fight to decarbonize the built environment.