Welcome to the first issue of the RCI Building Envelope Committee e-newsletter. In 2005, the membership voted to move RCI forward to include a keen focus on the building envelope and waterproofing, which resulted in a name change to RCI, Inc. and adoption of the tag line - the Institute of Roofing, Waterproofing, and Building Envelope Professionals.

In order to advance this mission, President Patrick Downey has tasked the Building Envelope Committee (BEC) with meeting the needs of the membership. As was voiced at the convention by Downey, the BEC was given a tall order to fill and I am happy to report that a number of individuals came forward and volunteered to be part of this exciting new opportunity.

Your BEC is composed of the following members:

• Bill Waterston - Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, Inc.
• Bill Adams - PSI
  
• Sid Hankins - Roof Design & Consulting Services, Inc.
  
• Don Kilpatrick - Inspec
  
• Karim Allana - Allana Buick & Bers Inc.
  
• Judy Holleran - Henry Company
• Paul Bertram - NAIMA
  

It is hoped that this newsletter will become a bi-monthly communication from the Building Envelope Committee to the membership, and a forum for learning and sharing.

The committee recently met via teleconference and voted to reorganize. Five areas of concentration have been formed, each headed by a member of the committee.

Following are the subcommittees and subcommittee vice chairperson(s):

Each of the subcommittee vice chairs will sit on their related RCI committee to see that building envelope issues are represented.

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Building Envelope Symposium: The response to the call for abstracts was extremely well received, with the greatest amount of abstracts ever received. Bill Waterston's committee has selected 12 excellent topics for presentation. Topics cover curtain wall, masonry, roofing, and waterproofing. As I write, the papers are being submitted for peer review.

Be sure to mark your calendar to attend the 12th Annual RCI Building Envelope Symposium on November 8-9, 2007 in Boston, MA. Check the RCI Web site www.rci-online.org for registration information.

Education: Don Kilpatrick and Karim Allana, who have over 50 years of empirical experience, are taking charge of the building envelope education. They will work to identify areas of educational needs. They have a number of unique ideas for education on the numerous characteristics of the building envelope, from Web-based case studies to manufacturer-based educational opportunities created specifically for RCI.

Jerry Teitsma will unveil the Vertical Wall Technology and Science (working title) class this summer, giving attendees the basics of the building envelope.

Chapters: Bill Adams will work closely with Doug Fishburn to facilitate the incorporation of building envelope issues into chapter meetings. Chapters, who are interested, should contact Bill at bill.adams@PSIUSA.com or by phone at (770) 424-6200.

Registration: Sid Hankins has undertaken this audacious goal. As with our RRC, RRO, and RWC registration programs, the goal is to establish a registration program for the building envelope professional. Sid has already performed a due diligence search of potentially similar programs and this information will be shared with the board later this summer.

RCI Convention: Bill Waterston, by his position with this subcommittee, will sit on the RCI convention committee representing the interests of the Building Envelope Committee and see that they are included in the convention scheduling. Specifically, Bill will work with Steve Alberico, chair of the Document Competition Committee, to develop criteria for building envelope submittals.

Marketing: Judy Holleran is putting together a list of potential building envelope exhibitors to be approached for the 2008 convention. The hope is to bring new components of the building envelope industry for attendees' information and that this list and participation will grow over time.

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RCI members Dr. Ralph Paroli, Dr. Bas Baskaran, Keith Roberts, and I recently presented at the 2007 ICBEST (International Conference on Building Envelopes, Systems and Technology) Symposium in Bath, England, where building envelope specialists from all over the world presented technical papers on a variety of topics, from the testing of high-performance curtain walls, to window systems and metal panel wall design, as well as roofing issues.

Dr. Paroli, who sits on the ICBEST symposium organizing committee, has brought RCI to the committee's attention. The next ICBEST Symposium will be held in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. Due to the efforts of Dr. Paroli, RCI has an opportunity to have a seat on the ICBEST symposium organizing committee, which I will fill, and to become a sponsor of the symposium. With board approval, this will become a reality.

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At the request of Immediate Past President Gary Cattel, James Birdsong, Executive Vice President and CEO of RCI, sought out and developed a Memorandum of Understanding between RCI and the NIBS (National Institute of Building Sciences) chapter arm, BETEC. The goal is to work together to bring building envelope issues to the design and consultant community. At the Orlando RCI convention, David Harris, president of NIBS, attended RCI's board meeting and explained the mission, goals, and activities of NIBS. Reciprocally, I will attend the BETEC board meeting this June in Washington, D.C. I am looking forward to this meeting of like minds and to working with BETEC.

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I have always believed in continuous education for professionals. RCI Interface has developed into a premier publication. However, for those who are not aware, there are a number of other industry periodicals that offer excellent articles on the building envelope. If you are not currently receiving the following periodicals, I would suggest you do so:

The Envelope Design Guide (EDG), a comprehensive federal guideline, is available through a site maintained by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and is downloadable for free at www.wbdg.org/design/envelope.php.

Building Envelope

Glazing

It is my hope that this column will become a forum for educational opportunities.

I look forward to being your Building Envelope Committee chairman. With President Downey's support, RCI staff assistance, and the commitment of the Building Envelope Committee members, I see nothing but great things ahead.

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Hutchinson, FRCI, RRC, AIA