Continuing Education for Architects & LEED Professionals
Plan It
A New BIM Plug-In for Wood Specification
Wood is nature’s solution to carbon reduction. A true carbon sink, wood absorbs carbon dioxide, stores the carbon, and releases the oxygen back into the atmosphere. When sustainably sourced, wood is the ideal building material to help meet net-zero goals.

With so many questions on the topic of carbon, architects now have a resource to support the specification of mass-timber offsite-construction:  www.OffsiteWood.org.  

This non-profit open-source software was developed by a large-member co-op led by QWEB (Quebec Wood Export Bureau). Offsite Wood provides two resources for architects:
  • Offsite Wood Autodesk App Free BIM Plug-In in Revit
  • OffsiteWood.org A website featuring an extensive suite of tools

The plug-in is based on how carbon is being modeled in four streams including:
  • post and beam,
  • mass timber floors,
  • custom framed-enclosure systems, and
  • modular/volumetric assemblies (in testing).
With the help of BIM managers and beta testing over the last two years, the plug-in allows criteria-filtering defined by the architect including dimensions, fire resistance, sustainability profile, life-cycle data, and more.

The website provides supplemental resources like container files, template files, textures, detailing, videos, specs, and 3D viewers that allow the architect to view innovative assemblies. Sustainability metrics, pre-construction services, fire-marshal submittals, design assists, and lists of regional producers provide guidance in mass-timber specification.
Inspire
Sunshine Protection Act:
(Proposed) Permanent Daylight Savings Time

It may seem like a small subject but most US citizens would love to see a stop to falling back and springing forward. Moving the clock an hour causes disruption in the days that follow, including increased car crashes and heart attacks.

A permanent daylight savings time has unanimously passed the Senate and will go before the House. Proponents like the idea of brighter evenings and an economic benefit while others worry that kids will travel to school in the dark. If it passes, November 2023 will be the last time change in the US.

Source: Blogger and cartographer Andy Woodruff created the graphic above to show the sunshine impact on the US with each scenario.
Did You Know
Benjamin Franklin originally proposed a form of
Daylight Savings Time in 1784 in his article
An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light.
Learn and Earn
Upcoming Live Webcast Seminars This Spring
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Carbon-Neutral Building
North America
March 30, 2022, Noon Eastern
Mixed Topics:
Hawaii, Alaska, California
April 5, 2022
Multi-Residential High Rise
Mountain and Pacific Time Zones
April 13, 2022
Moisture Prevention
Central Time Zone
April 19, 2022
Fire-Rated Solutions
Eastern Time Zone
April 20, 2022
Outdoor Living
North America
April 21, 2022
Upcoming Live In-Person Seminars
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Fort Lauderdale, FL
May 10, 2022
Atlanta, GA
May 12, 2022
Boston, MA
June 2, 2022
Upcoming Free Webinar on April 12
Healthy Design and Sustainable Design Between Fitwel and LEED
Valid for 1 AIA HSW and
1 USGBC credit
Featured On-Demand Course
Protecting the Built Environment From Formosan Termites
Valid for 1 AIA HSW and
1 USGBC credit
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