03/24/2021

Register for Upcoming ACEC Ohio Private Sector Forum

How will COVID-19 Alter Design Standards, Building Codes & Construction Requirements in Ohio?

Clearly for building designers and building owners, one of the major concerns is that the "standard of care" is somewhat unclear at this point and because the definition of what is a "safe" environment for residents and employees has not been clearly defined.  So how are we going to design buildings when the codes don't address the current risks and who is going to be responsible for ensuring that these risks are addressed?  Obviously, there is a lot of ground to be covered and we won't resolve all of the issues in a single session.   But our goal is to create a forum of interested industry parties so that these issues can be effectively discussed and managed. 

In February 2021, the Cogence Alliance, a group united by a drive to improve project delivery and outcomes, invited William Bahnfleth, Pennsylvania State University Professor of Architectural Engineering and Chair of ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force to present his group's findings on some of the issues affecting building design. ACEC Ohio is taking this presentation to the next level at this forum.

Join us in an extended discussion with Mr. Bahnfleth so that we as an industry may better understand design changes that are likely to impact our workplaces and the projects that we participate in over the next several years. Mr. Bahnfleth will explore what the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed about the limited ability of buildings to combat disease transmission and the mediocre state of indoor air quality. He will discuss lessons learned in developing COVID-19 risk mitigation measures and consider how these may change design standards and practices moving forward. 

We will also have a conversation with experts discussing the industry's perspective from their viewpoint.

Panelists Include:

Craig Weise, Chief of Projects, OFCC
Scott Conlon, Associate University Architect, Ohio State University
Frank Eisenhower, Principal, Karpinski Engineering
Dawn Colombi, O&EH Service Leader & Safety Director, LJB

The forum will be held on April 22 at 10 am. Click here to register!