Human Connection: the Roles of Materials, Human Performance, and Research Translation in Health-Centered Buildings

Event Description

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health in Buildings Roundtable (HiBR), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) invite you to a one-day meeting on November 10th that will explore the impact of building materials on human health and performance in health-centered buildings.

The health-centered building community currently is focusing on two important dimensions: (1) the impact of materials selection on human health and (2) how key attributes of the built environment affect human performance, including behavior and physical activity. This meeting will speak to the basic and practical science behind both of these topics, then use it as a lens to examine how different sectors of the building industry use science to make decisions and increase the translation of scientific research to practice.

Agenda

8:00-8:30am Registration and continental breakfast

8:30-8:40am Opening remarks

Charles Blumberg, Research Architect, Division of Environmental Protection, NIH

8:40-9:30am Keynote presentations

Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Chris Pyke, Vice President Research, U.S. Green Building Council

9:30-10:45am Panel 1: Fundamental Health Issues in Materials

10:45-11:00am Break

11:00am-12:15pm Panel 2: Human Performance and the Built Environment

12:15-1:30pm Networking Lunch

1:30-2:45pm Panel 3: Decision Making that Promotes Health

2:45-3:00pm Break

3:00-4:15pm Panel 4: Translating Research to Practice: What are the Barriers?

4:15-5:00pm Wrap up session and closing remarks

5:00-6:00pm Reception

Cost: Free

Panel Descriptions

Panel 1: Fundamental Health Issues in Materials

This panel will explore how the health and environmental impacts of materials change throughout a building’s lifecycle, taking into consideration hazards and exposures. Panelists will discuss tactics for addressing the health impacts of materials and the consequences of status quo decision making. Panelists will also examine what health and environmental performance outcomes and impacts guide comparison and selection between materials. Lastly, the panelists will discuss metrics for evaluating success.

Charlene Bayer, Chairman/CSO, Hygieia Sciences and Principal Research Scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute

Russell Perry, Co-Director of Sustainable Design and Office Director, SmithGroupJJR

Megan Schwarzman, Researcher and Associate Director, University of California Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry

Christopher Weis, Toxicology Liaison, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH

Ashley White, Senior Fellow and Materials Research Program Manager, U.S. Green Building Council

Gail Brager, Associate Director, Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley (moderator)

Panel 2: Human Performance and the Built Environment

This panel will explore how buildings influence human performance, the psychology and science of building design, and tactics used to promote human performance. Particular emphasis will be given to measuring improved health in buildings, innovative solutions in materials selection geared towards applying the science, improving human performance, and identifying metrics for success.

Rachel Ballard-Barbash, Associate Director of the Applied Research Program, National Cancer Institute, NIH

David Bassett, Professor, Dept. of Kimesiology, Recreation and Sports Studies, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Gail Brager, Associate Director, Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley

Dina Sorensen, Project Designer, VMDO Architects

Esther Sternberg, Director of Research, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona

Angela Smith (moderator), Orthopaedic Surgeon, Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children

Panel 3: Decision Making that Promotes Health

Practitioners are confronted with an incredible menu of options that may promote health and reduce risk. This panel will explore why health is not currently a more important factor in decisions around materials selection, design, and operations in the building industry. Panelists will discuss questions such as: How are decisions made, particularly when those decisions involve trade-offs among health, economics, risk, and liability? How is success measured, and using what metrics?

Claire Barnett, Founder and Executive Director, Healthy Schools Network

Steve Breslin, Senior Architect, Standards and Policy Branch, NIH

Kirsten Ritchie, Director of Sustainable Design, Gensler

Lorna Rosenberg, Green Building Specialist, U.S. EPA, Region 3

Charlene Bayer (moderator), Chairman/CSO, Hygieia Sciences and Principal Research Scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute

Chris Pyke (moderator), Vice President Research, U.S. Green Building Council

Panel 4: Translating Research to Practice: What are the Barriers?

This panel will examine why research is not more influential and relevant to professional green building practice. Discussion topics will include: What are federal research priorities and how is translation of research into practice being promoted and implemented? How can the gap be bridged between scientific research and informing decision makers? How can the feedback loop be completed, so that key practitioner problems are researched in the lab? Finally, how is success measured, and using what metrics?

Michael Bloom, Program Advisor, Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings, General Services Administration

Sheila Fleischhacker, Senior Public Health and Science Policy Advisor, Division of Nutrition Research Coordination, NIH

John Mlade, Senior Sustainability Manager, YR&G

Margaret Montgomery, Principal and Sustainability Design Leader, NBBJ

Judith Heerwagen (moderator), Program Expert, Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings, General Services Administration

Matt Trowbridge (moderator), Associate Professor, University of Virginia School of Medicine