Primary Objectives of CBE
Our mission is to improve the design, operation, and environmental quality of buildings by providing timely, unbiased information on building technologies and design techniques.
Our projects fall into two broad program areas: First, our research team and industry partners are developing ways to "take the pulse" of occupied buildings - looking at how people use space, asking them what they like and don't like about their indoor environment, and linking these responses to physical measurements of indoor environmental quality. This feedback is highly valuable those who manage, operate, and design buildings.
Secondly, we are studying technologies that hold promise for making buildings more environmentally friendly, more productive to work in, and more economical to operate. This helps our manufacturing partners to target their product offerings, and facility management and design partners to apply these new technologies effectively.
CBE’s Organizational Structure
The Center operates under the National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) program. The Center is guided by an Industry Advisory Board (IAB) that meets semi-annually to discuss research directions, approve annual budgets, and plan future research.
Our Advisory Board represents the diversity of the building industry, including manufacturers, building owners, facility mangers, contractors, architects, engineers, government agencies and professional associations. During these meetings partner representatives provide CBE researchers with valuable comments, feedback, and knowledge gained from practical experience.
Advisory Board members evaluate all active CBE projects to assure that the Center is responsive to its membership. Past evaluations have been highly favorable; an independent NSF reviewer reported that the industry evaluations showed "overwhelming support for the direction of CBE's research," and that the Center is "especially good at responding to industry partners' needs and desires."
