Industry Advisory Board Meeting Spring 2026

Welcome and Participant Introductions

Decarbonizing Concrete: Overcoming Challenges, Unlocking Opportunities

Franco Zunino, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Many practical strategies can be used to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint while maintaining performance and durability.

Beyond the Building: Defining the LCA of Landscape Architecture

Angela Kou, MS Student in Building Science, Technology and Sustainability

Quantifying the embodied carbon of landscape materials on the UC Berkeley campus, using three case study sites and remote sensing.

Adaptive Reuse for Equitable, Low-Carbon Housing (30 min.)

Ramon Weber, Assistant Professor of Architecture

Integrating design simulation and urban data, new computational tools can evaluate and optimize low-carbon retrofit strategies for converting offices into affordable housing.

Break (20 min.)

An Acoustical Case Study at AIA San Francisco

Charles Salter, President, Salter Inc.

This case study evaluates the acoustical design and measured performance of a lecture hall at AIASF headquarters, demonstrating how to achieve speech clarity without amplification.

Effect of Indoor Temperature on Work Performance

Tobias Kramer, Postdoctoral Researcher

Results from a controlled experiment in the CBE climate chamber that tested cognitive performance across four temperatures showing implications for HVAC design strategies.

Assessing Ozone and Secondary Byproducts of Far UVC Disinfection

Jiayu Li, Assistant Professional Researcher

This full-scale lab study within an occupied office examines whether using ultraviolet light at 222 nm wavelength for disinfection alters ozone levels or creates secondary pollutants as a by-product.

Development of Window View Clarity Metrics for ASHRAE

Sun Woo Chang, PhD student in Building Science, Technology and Sustainability

A new project to develop and validate view clarity metrics, and create a product rating framework to quantify window view quality.

Updating the Ankle Draft Risk Model for Winter Conditions

Junmeng (Patrick) Lyu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

A recent human subject experiment conducted in the CBE controlled climate chamber aims to refine the current ASHRAE 55 ankle draft risk model.

Using Fans to Reduce Heat Stress in Manufacturing Environments

Charlie Huizenga, Research Specialist

Findings from a field study in a manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, LA, highlighting the potential of using fans as a safe, cost-effective alternative to mechanical cooling.

Lunch (1 hour)

Keynote Speaker: Louise Bedsworth

Executive Director, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at UC Berkeley

Louise Bedsworth is an expert in climate policy and sustainable development with over a decade of leadership experience in California state government and non-profit research. Her career has focused on advancing environmental stewardship, social equity, and climate resilience initiatives.

Partner Presentations

CMTA, Kajima

Break (20 min.)

Adjusting Building Performance Standard Targets for Unit Density in Multifamily Buildings

Quinn Graessle, MS Student in Building Science, Technology and Sustainability

Using the City of Berkeley's energy benchmarking data and a national dataset to explore equitable policy adjustments for higher density buildings.

Creating Effective Guidelines for Naturally Ventilated Spaces

Charlie Huizenga, Research Specialist

This new project will use advanced simulations and full-scale lab experiments to update ASHRAE’s natural ventilation standards.

Advancing Air-to-Water Ultra-Low GWP Heat Pumps with Thermal Energy Storage

Carlos Duarte, Assistant Professional Researcher

We are developing and testing a residential multifunction heat pump with thermal energy storage through lab testing, field studies, and simulations.

Automating Functional Performance Tests for Commercial Building HVAC

Aoyu Zou, PhD student in Building Science, Technology and Sustainability

An automated HVAC commissioning workflow using a brick metadata schema was tested in CBE’s climate chamber; results demonstrated robust scalability.

Reducing Building Emissions by Dynamically Switching Between Heat Sources

Paul Raftery, Professional Researcher

This project evaluates a real-time switching strategy between air-source heat pumps and gas boilers, based on grid condistions and equipment efficiency, to reduce emissions in large office.

Closing Remarks for Zoom Participants [Conclude Zoom webinar]

Break (20 min.)

Breakout Table Topics

CBE staff and partners will lead roundtable discussions with in-person participants, focusing on current topics of concern to research and industry. (Topics will be made available soon.)

Conclude Plenary Session

Cocktail Hour then Dinner

The Faculty Club at UC Berkeley (Minor Lane, Berkeley, CA) Only open to invited guests and current industry partners. RSVP required.