October 5

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7:00 - 8:00 AM  |  Breakfast

+ ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence and The Future of Project Delivery

Speaker: Hugh Seaton

He's a familiar face to the CSI community, and he's bringing his knowledge and passion for artificial intelligence to the 2023 CSI National Conference main stage in Minneapolis in October.

As startup founder, product manager at CSI, and other roles, Hugh Seaton has led the creation of a series of products using AI. In his Pre-Con Keynote presentation, Hugh will introduce a simple framework for understanding AI, and discuss the impact it is likely to have in the near, medium and long term for specifiers, designers, contractors and owners involved in project delivery.  

You'll leave this session with more knowledge about the different types of AI and powerful tools such as ChatGPT, as well as a framework for thinking about AI in the future.

Learning Objectives:

  1. The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in project delivery​
  2. The different types of AI​
  3. Introducing “Failure modes”​
  4. A framework for thinking about AI in the future

Sponsored by   WR Meadows Logo

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7:00 AM - 5:00 PM  |  Registration Open

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7:00 - 8:30 AM  |  College of Fellows Annual Meeting & Breakfast

+ College of Fellows Annual Meeting & Breakfast

Join the CSI College of Fellows at their Annual Business Meeting and Breakfast. Exclusively for Fellows of the Institute, you can hear about the activities of the College of Fellows during the past year and see the outcome of the annual election of College of Fellows leadership.

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7:30 - 8:30 AM  |  First Timers Orientation Session

+ First Timers Orientation Session

Welcome all first-time attendees! Attend this orientation presented by CSI staff to meet other newcomers, learn about CSI offerings, and get tips on how to maximize your experience at your first conference.

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8:30 - 10:00 AM  |  Welcome & Opening Keynote

+ The Future Doesn’t Have to Be Scary. How and Why to Master Change

Speaker: Joel Albizo

The profound effects of the pandemic on our industry — and on how we design, build, and specify projects — are still being discovered. If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the next few years are unpredictable. Your professional success hinges on your ability to roll with the punches, stay agile, and remain on top of what’s new and what’s next.

In this year’s opening keynote, Joel Albizo, CEO of the American Planning Association, will offer unique thoughts on how you can prepare yourself to thrive in the future. 

With a focus on how to create the great community spaces of tomorrow — including land development and use, artificial intelligence, climate impact, and density and transportation policy — Joel will deliver a nuanced (and often provocative) exploration of the trends that are already transforming our work.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the role that smart planning will play in the future of the built environment.
  2. Identify the biggest industry trends you should address right away (and how to do so).
  3. Understand the future of planning.

Sponsored by   Sherwin Williams Logo

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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM  |  Headshot Hub

+ Professional Portrait Studio

Put your best foot forward with a free professional photo. Stop by the Headshot Hub for a new picture to use on your CSI Profile or your LinkedIn profile.

Sponsored by   RIB Logo

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10:00 - 10:15 AM  |  AM Break

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10:15 - 11:45 AM  |  CSI Foundation Annual Meeting

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10:00AM - 12:15 PM  |  Speed Networking

+ Speed Networking

Design professionals and conference sponsors will connect one-to-one to discuss specific product needs, cool new products, and tried-and-true solutions.

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10:15 - 11:15 AM  |  Breakout Sessions

+ What Every Architect Should Include in Drawings and Specifications

Speaker: Corey Zussman

Clear and complete specifications for the building envelope, common interior and exterior building elements, and building life safety components are essential to the success of any project. Not only that, but the architect, engineer, and contractor all have to understand how to make the building perform properly. In today’s environment of different codes, environmental concerns, and various construction materials, getting it right at the early stages is imperative and will facilitate a successful quality project. That means knowing what to include in the construction documents and paying constant attention to the little details, joints, and penetrations. We will dissect and discuss lessons learned from over 30 years and hundreds of projects in the design and construction industry to create a better understanding of what is needed to create clear and complete specifications and drawings.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Coordinate between the specifications and drawings to understand how different building components currently do not address the specification gaps and prevent constructability issues during design development.
  2. Review common interior and exterior building elements, life safety components, and the ramifications of incorrect specifications in construction.
  3. Understand tolerances regarding the construction process and methods to address the concern.
  4. Assess and apply lessons learned to your specifications and construction documents for a more confident design and detailing.

+ Decarbonizing Concrete Now: Reports From the Field

Speaker: Frank Mruk

Concrete has long been the material of choice for energy efficiency and disaster resilience. The most used human-made material on the planet, some 14 billion cubic meters are produced each year for use in everything from roads to bridges, tunnels to homes, and hydropower installations to flood defenses. No other material equals its resilience, strength, and availability, yet it is responsible for 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Communities are beginning to collectively commit toward achieving a decarbonization of the infrastructure in their surrounding environment. The session will discuss and analyze some the strategies/tactics and best practices successfully used to help communities decarbonize their infrastructure.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the basics of embodied carbon of concrete.
  2. Learn about immediate steps that can be taken to reduce carbon footprint when specifying concrete.
  3. Evaluate current technologies and design tools that can provide  significant reductions in carbon footprint.
  4. Explore how innovative technologies will result in zero carbon concrete in the future.

+ The Deep Energy Retrofit Initiative: Maximizing Enclosure Performance in Existing Buildings

Speaker: Chuck Bundrick, David Hutchinson

The Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) initiative is quickly expanding as a holistic analysis and construction process to reduce energy consumption by buildings. This session will instruct attendees on how to rectify existing building inefficiencies and become proficient in retrofit solutions as this wave of construction innovation continues to evolve. Attendees will understand the building typology that is being targeted for retrofits and the nuance in solution by building type.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define key reasons to apply energy-efficient measures to existing buildings resulting in improved aesthetics and decreased operational costs.
  2. Establish a process for evaluating the energy performance of existing buildings and identify courses of action to achieve cost-effective and sustainable outcomes.
  3. Outline the benefits and advantages of implementing deep energy retrofit to existing building stock as the industry evolves to accommodate policy changes, market trends, and occurrences of natural disasters.
  4. Examine holistic design solutions that incorporate complete building envelope systems into renovation to improve enclosure performance and exterior façade appearance.

+ Influencing Our Industry’s Future Though Participation in Education

Speaker: Mark Ogg

Leadership is not a spectator sport. If we are going to lead our chosen industry into the future and not simply leave it to chance, we need to participate in the education of those who follow in our footsteps. This course will discuss who is next in line to take on our role and how we can influence their ability to succeed and grow. This session goes beyond merely how to teach and focuses more on how to actually influence what is being taught.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the various educational resources that industry learners are accessing.
  2. Understand how these resources are developed from analysis of industry needs and how content is developed for learners.
  3. Inventory your own resources and ability to help inform educators and trainers about the stages of the facility life cycle, the roles and responsibilities of the project team members during each stage of the facility life cycle, the documents produced and utilized by each project team members, among other industry needs. 
  4. Develop methods to influence the content that will be provided to our industry’s learners and next generation of professionals.

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11:30AM - 12:30 PM  |  Breakout Sessions

+ Engineered Building Solutions for Continuous Surface and Air Disinfection

Speaker: Andrew Miller

Explore how natural catalytic conversion (NCC), as an indoor air and surface quality technology, improves the safety, health, and wellness of the building occupants through no-operator, no-touch, continuous pathogen reduction.

NCC technology creates disinfecting oxidizing molecules (primarily vaporous hydrogen peroxide) that supplement standard episodic cleaning procedures. This process continuously neutralizes viruses (including virus that causes SARS COVID 19), bacteria, other pathogens including hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), mold spores, allergens, and odors, thus creating safer, healthier, more pleasant indoor building environments while also providing significant energy savings.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Contrast how NCC technology compares to passive air filtering and other episodic surface cleaning systems or procedures.
  2. Properly position the NCC product specification within a project manual division and integrate the key elements of NCC products for a proper pathogen reduction construction product 3-part specification.
  3. Understand the sustainability benefit of significant reduced energy consumption to achieve high levels of indoor air quality vs. guidelines from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
  4. Learn how sanitization has evolved over the past 120 years from when hand-washing became an accepted pathogen reduction strategy to current autonomous building air purification and surface sanitization technology.

+ Cultivating Collaboration In a Changing Industry

Speakers: Julie Foley, Caitlin Morgan, Hana Nguyenky

Virtual networking platform, Emerge AEC, will guide a series of conversations about change in professional practice through encouragement, engagement, and experience. During this interactive session, participants will connect with industry peers of all experience levels, share practice methodologies, and learn how to build their own pathway in an ever-changing industry.
Each one of us has a story to tell, whether a seasoned professional, recent graduate, or anywhere in between. Those shared perspectives help us elevate the industry together.
www.emergeaec.com

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Encourage: Recognize the inherent traditions of life-long learning in the AECO industry and how knowledge informs development.
  2. Engage: Identify "outside-the-box" methods for networking with professionals across the AECO industry.
  3. Experience: Apply lessons learned from other industry professionals who have modified their own behaviors for better collaborations to deliver a successful project.
  4. Emerge: Implement new ways to successfully navigate AECO industry changes.

+ Evolving Project Delivery: Mastering Change with AIA Contract Documents

Speaker: Ronald L Geren, Tom Hysell, Patrick O'Connor

The AIA has provided contract documents to the design and construction industry for over 130 years. During that time, project delivery has evolved into many forms beyond the basic design-bid-build, and the corresponding contract documents have evolved along with them. The entity responsible for the oversight and development of AIA’s contract documents is the AIA Documents Committee. This session will give you insight on how the Documents Committee performs its responsibilities, plus give you a sneak peek into AIA's latest series of documents on “collaborative project delivery.” The session will conclude with an introduction to AIA's new editing platform powered by Catina.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Recognize the document structure used to organize AIA's contract documents.
  2. Describe the committee process used by AIA to develop and revise its families of contract documents.
  3. Describe the available contract documents for use in a modern collaborative project delivery method.
  4. Discuss upcoming changes to the editing platform used to generate contract documents for project use.

+ Mastering Solar/Roof Integration

Speakers: Shelly Higgins, Mark Gies

Rooftop solar installations are flourishing thanks to the increasing desire to maximize energy output and reduce long-term maintenance costs. As a result, the federal government as well as more and more states and local jurisdictions are enacting regulations and building codes for solar PV or solar-ready design on new building construction. The key to complying with solar mandates is to master solar and building integration. This means considering the roof and solar as a single system and helping ensure non-traditional design elements can accommodate rooftop solar installations. In this session we’ll discuss how structural analysis must include all the system elements and full load path, including solar mounting systems and roof structures. We’ll also review case studies, examine the effects of weather conditions, and discuss solar/roof integration testing.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify building codes and regulations that mandate solar PV in design and/or new building construction.
  2. Illustrate the benefits of solar, roof, and building integration to minimize cost, meet new code changes, and increase safety during installation.
  3. Understand how pre-engineering properly transfers the load path to optimize the structure to meet ASCE 7 requirements.
  4. Examine testing methods, case studies, weather-related system failures, and the recommendations to create better integrated solar systems.

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12:30 - 1:15 PM  |  Lunch

+ Thank you to our Lunch Sponsor

Sponsored by

Kwik Wall Logo

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1:15 - 2:15 PM  |  CSI Keynote

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2:30 - 3:30 PM  |  Express Sessions

Please plan to attend these 15-minute nano sessions and soak in the knowledge.

+ Fireproofing Methods

Speaker: Trish Brindle

Being the premier provider of architecturally exposed fireproofed columns, Fire Trol's presentation will discuss various types of fireproofing methods, compare the finished look of each of them as well as talk about price comparisons. Attendees will also view a brief slideshow of Fire Trol columns used throughout the US.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the various fireproofing solutions used on structural steel in commercial construction.
  2. Discuss costs associated with different fireproofing solutions and become informed about lifetime savings using architecturally exposed fireproofed columns.

+ When Marketing is Sales in Commercial Construction

Speaker: Brian Miller

Building product marketers can either make the sale by facilitating the product selection process, or they can break the sale by being either absent during the initial stages of consideration, or by disrupting the process once it has begun.  This is especially significant in an age of digital marketing.

+ Consideration for Specifying Expansion Joints

Speaker: Chris Kasa

We’ll address the intricate process of specifying expansion joints during the “8 Things to Consider When Specifying Expansion Joints” session. With buildings subjected to movement, temperature changes, and structural shifts, selecting the right expansion joints is pivotal to ensuring durability, safety, and functionality. We present a comprehensive exploration of the factors pivotal to successful expansion joint specification. From material choices and movement considerations to load-bearing capacities and seamless architectural integration, we offer insights into the strategic decisions that influence successful project outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understanding the importance of expansion joints
  2. Safety precautions for pedestrians, floor loads and fire
  3. Integrity maintenances of sound and moisture
  4. Thermal calculations and wind

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2:30 - 3:30 PM  |  Breakout Sessions

+ Specifying Sustainability in a Rapidly Changing Market

Speakers: Kaley Blackstock, Tarek Khan, Sneh Kumar, Alejanrda Nieto

At the United Nations in 2019, Diane Hoskins, co-CEO of Gensler, announced her company’s  commitment to design carbon neutral projects by the year 2030. Many A/E firms and global companies have publicly committed to reducing the impact of their facilities and services within a certain timeframe, often guided by industry-wide calls to action: AIA2030, SE2050, MEP2040, etc. To meet these goals, however, the AECO industry relies on manufacturers to provide building materials that comply with rapidly evolving sustainability performance requirements. This panel, moderated by Gensler, will leverage their expertise to discuss the drivers and obstacles for how they meet current sustainability performance requirements. Attendees will gain insight into how these manufacturers balance requests for different compliance documents, how requests for new environmental data are changing industry practices, and how specification practices can be a tool to help advance industry sustainability goals.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define and apply new key terminology for sustainable design practices (“EPD”, embodied carbon, etc.).
  2. Summarize current and forecasted trends for sustainable architectural specification practices.
  3. Identify ways to establish manufacturing and operational goals that align with AECO sustainability performance targets.
  4. Recognize the coordinated effort between design specifications and manufacturer performance data in achieving a carbon neutral future.

+ How Digital Delivery Changes Your Practice AND What You Deliver

Speakers: Connor Christian, Timothy J Dufault, Scott Neal, Adam Wilbrecht

New construction systems like robotics, pre-fabrication, and modular depend on design-driven data, but contractors and fabricators must re-create that data by interpreting the architects’ drawings. And while BIM changed the way architects designed and how they created instruments of service, it didn't change the way they practiced. It is time for architects and specifiers to step forward and own the processes that create design data and for design to lead the industry into a new digital platform. New tools now protect data from corruption and establish, in clear terms, how data drives construction activities. In this session a panel will discuss these tools and challenge the audience to transform their practices to be not just consumers of data but creators of a new data ecosystem.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the difference between a traditional and digital practice.
  2. Gain a deeper understanding of the management, contract, and design tools available to digital leaders.
  3. Communicate more effectively in the digital design and construction ecosystem.
  4. Leverage data to improve efficiencies throughout the design and construction process.

+ CHANGE IS HERE: Helping Professionals Navigate Rapid Shifts in the AECO Industry

Speakers: Kevin Wang, Melody Fontenot, Jennifer Friedland, Cynie Linton, Carlota Longo

As Albert Einstein said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”  Where do you start?  How can you learn in the right way? One of the big shifts in workforce development is the increasing diversity of potential employees. CSI is here to help guide you, because, let’s face it, changing is hard.  We have a way forward and through all these changes for you. One where you will drive innovation and profitability, so you aren’t left complacent or obsolete in the AECO industry.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the most pressing demographic changes impacting AECO and how they can benefit your work and projects, both creatively and financially.
  2. Gain insight into how those demographic shifts will change workplace cultures, processes, and outcomes.
  3. Learn how to apply specific tools and resources in your daily practice to manage these changes.

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3:30 - 3:45 PM  |  PM Break

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3:45 - 4:45 PM  |  Express Sessions

Please plan to attend these 15-minute nano sessions and soak in the knowledge.

+ Moisture Madness: Unraveling the Flooring Fiasco and How to Prevent it!

Speakers: Dan Corum, Lynsey Hankins

Learn about the problems moisture can cause for an epoxy flooring system, the proper moisture testing techniques and solutions to protect your flooring investment.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify moisture problems for epoxy flooring systems. 
  2. Specify proper moisture control testing and systems. 

+ Firestopping in Mass Timber - How Is It Different?

Speaker: Keith Sanford

In fire, wood behaves differently than concrete, masonry and gypsum assemblies...it burns, chars and insulates...so how does mass timber affect firestopping of penetrations, joints and perimeter gaps? Find out here during this short but informative educational session.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the effect of mass timber on firestop systems. 
  2. Understand the challenges of testing firestop systems with mass timber.

+ Integrated Door Systems

Speaker: Candace Kitchen

This course runs through the International building code surrounding safe egress passageways for vertical and horizontal openings in a building. We will cover how the proper protection matters and how it will save lives. Testing, certifications, labeling, and following guidelines for code in the field will allow us to compare real life examples to code an dhow disaster could have been avoided.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify driving factors for fire and smoke protection systems.
  2. Know the code surrounding egress stairwell doors.
  3. Identify elevator lobby and elevator shaft protection guidelines.
  4. Understand labeling and field finishing options for fire-rated doors.

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3:45 - 4:45 PM  |  Breakout Sessions

+ Steady the Ship: Achieving Budget Stability Through Intentional Cost Planning

Speaker: Michael J Parkyn

Stories of projects running over budget are all too common, putting financial strain on resources and causing frustration arising from unfulfilled goals. With public projects, society carries a sustained irritation or even anger at what is perceived to be over-spending with taxpayer money. Sometimes poor project definition, inefficient design, unexpected market conditions, or adversarial contract relationships are to blame. But two other reasons turn up over and over: the budget was unrealistic and/or the design was not developed within an established cost framework to stay within the budget. In this session we will explore best practices that help validate budgets, map realistic benchmarks, engage intentional cost-planning techniques, and allow stakeholders and service providers to proceed with confidence towards on-budget outcomes. With this fresh look at cost planning, you’ll take away practical steps towards developing better results on your projects.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Be able to update historic project cost data to be relevant when setting budgets in changing markets.
  2. Learn how to align budgets with evolving programming needs during project definition.
  3. Know how to bring stability and confidence during the early design process through intentional cost planning.
  4. Understand and articulate three proven techniques to help ensure project bid-day success in a world of rising cost.

+ Mushroom Mycelium for Construction Materials

Speaker: Jay Yowell

The construction industry has made significant strides to reduce its impact on the environment, but there are still areas we can improve. One of them is in the insulation products we use. These materials offer good thermal performance, but their production is from a non-renewable source, creates hazardous waste, and is slow to break down at the end of its life cycle.

For now, it’s impractical to completely stop using all conventional insulation, but we can replace more of them with a product that is better for the environment while still performing well. Nature itself offers a solution in the form of mycelium—the network of roots for mushrooms. This resource can be used to create building products that are made from renewable materials, produce beneficial waste, and are biodegradable.

This session will highlight research on mycelium bricks along with compression, fire, and durability testing. We’ll also explore how to incorporate this alternative material to make “green” products even better for the environment.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Investigate alternatives to styrofoam-based products using mycelium.
  2. Discover how mycelium-based products can be manufactured.
  3. Distinguish the positives and negatives of utilizing mycelium as a building material through the testing investigated in this research.
  4. Assess which existing building systems could be replaced by mycelium building products.

+ Firestopping and Specifications: 2023 and Beyond

Speaker: Bill McHugh

Firestopping and fire-resistance, while a critical part of any building, is a discipline that seems to lack thorough guidelines, even with formal specifications. Learn how to clear up issues and specify new ratings for firestop systems. The International Fire Code (IFC) has new requirements for firestopping that have important ramifications for specifiers. This session discusses CSI/CSC’s MasterFormat Division 1—used by specifiers to communicate maintaining protection for the building life cycle. Communication to the building owners starts through documentation - an “Inventory” of fire-resistance-rated and smoke resistant building elements and assemblies.  Every part of the building life cycle is touched by section 701 of the IFC, from original installation to inspection and maintaining protection.

This session is approved for: 1 CSI LU and 1 AIA/HSW LU

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn about new standards in addition to fire, temperature, smoke, water, movement, exposure, and more.
  2. Understand International Fire Code, NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 requirements for maintaining protection of fire-resistance-rated and smoke-resistant assemblies.
  3. Specify firestopping for new construction for the building life cycle.
  4. Learn about new requirements from building and fire codes.

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5:30 - 6:30 PM  |  CSI Celebrates

+ Honors & Awards

Sponsored by:

ARCAT logo

FireTrol Logo

Nystrom logo
PPG logo Specified Technologies logo Total Door logo

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7:00 - 8:30 PM  |  CSI Celebrates

+ Reception

Sponsored by:

ARCAT logo

FireTrol Logo

Nystrom logo
PPG logo Specified Technologies logo Total Door logo

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