HOT/WATER
View of the rainforest enclosure at the Biosphere 2 complex
SBSE retreats are an opportunity to connect and reflect on the present and future of building science education
This year, inspired by the unconference format for participant-driven events, SBSE retreat participants will delve into a topic of mutual interest. Potential topics include:
- The impact of artificial intelligence on building science teaching and architecture
- How building science educators can contribute to workforce development efforts
- Models for enhancing building science education, such as BEENow and ZEDD
- Integrating building science education with the architecture studio
- Understanding NAAB SC.5 and SC.6
- Un-grading
- Advancing experiential learning of building science and climate-responsive design
- Performance simulation in the undergrad curriculum
Don't see a relevant topic? Let us know and we'll add it. The overall theme is HOT/WATER — which is meant to invite reflection on balance, extremes, and change, and to stir up a little bit of trouble by evoking the idiom of being in hot water.
To explore these topics and work toward a coherent, shared outcome, we will use a structured, but open-ended process and employ the Chatham House Rule. Previous SBSE retreats have culminated with the draft of a position paper, which is one possible outcome.
Event Coordination
Conference committee:
- Alex Rempel (arempel@uoregon.edu),
- David Fannon (d.fannon@northeastern.edu), and
- Jonathan Bean (jonathanyb@arizona.edu).
Venue / Lodging
LOGISTICS & THE SONORAN DESERT CLIMATE
For the SBSE 2024 Summer Retreat, we’ll return to Biosphere 2 at the University of Arizona, located just outside Tucson, for an experiential preview of a future climate (*Average high: 100.2° F/37.9° C; low: 76.3° F/ 24.3° C; overall average: 86.1° F/30.0° C; ASHRAE 99% design temperature 106.9° F/41.6° C; mean concident wet bulb 66.4° F/19.1° C.)
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Plan on arriving in the afternoon of Tuesday, July 9.
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The retreat will run Wednesday and Thursday.
- Departure Friday morning will leave plenty of time to explore on Friday and the weekend after.
Lodging & Meals
Biosphere Village lodging is included in the retreat fee. All participants will be assigned a single room in a shared casita. All Wednesday and Thursday meals are included in the retreat fee.
Call for Submissions
SUBMIT A PROPOSAL
Participants: please propose a workshop or panel. It takes only a few minutes!
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If you'd like to give a formal presentation or suggest a theme for discussion, please submit a maximum of 250 words describing what you would like to contribute to the retreat. Be sure to share with the organizing committee how you will structure 30 or 60 minutes of presentation time and describe high-level learning objectives.
Please submit proposals before June 21.
Registration
The 2024 retreat marks 10 years since SBSE held a retreat at Biosphere 2. We are excited to welcome existing and new members to one of the world's most extreme climates: the Sonoran desert.
Register Now
- Registration is $1000 for SBSE members. Registration includes lodging and all meals on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Registration is also available for $1075 for people who have not yet joined SBSE.
APPLY FOR A STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Schedule
WORKING AGENDA
The closest airport is Tucson International Airport (airport code TUS). Phoenix International Airport is a two hour drive without traffic.
Tuesday
Plan to fly into Tucson and transfer to Biosphere. The retreat organizers will help coordinate carpools and ridesharing from the Tucson and/or Phoenix airport. We'll have a heavy snack waiting for you, but plan to eat dinner before you arrive.
Wednesday
Morning group exercise optional
Breakfast, introduction of student scholarship awardees, and welcome lecture on Desert herpetology*
Morning working session: participant introductions & exploration of topics
Lunch and introduction of Jeffrey Cook Memorial faculty scholarship awardees
Afternoon working session 1: deep dive into divergent topics in small group
Afternoon coffee/ice cream break + tour of Biosphere 2
Afternoon working session 2: discuss perspectives and find common ground in large group
Dinner in Biosphere 2
Wednesday's dinner has been generously sponsored by the Stanford Building Decarbonization Learning Accelerator
Thursday
Morning group exercise optional
Breakfast and informal working session
Morning working session: exploring topics through rapid prototyping of visual representations
Lunch and presentation of morning working session outcomes
Afternoon working session 1: open for participant-organized presentations and discussions
Afternoon coffee/ice cream break
Afternoon working session 2: TBD by participants
Dinner and celebration
Sundown Poetry Slam**
Omiyage***
Friday
Depart Biosphere 2 by 11 AM. Breakfast on your own in Tucson. We'll send you on your way with coffee and a few light snacks.
WHY ALL THE ASTERISKS?
SBSE retreats are rich in tradition. Each asterisk represents the continuation of an SBSE tradition:
* The desert herpetology talk will (safely!) introduce you to some of the most interesting fauna in the Sonoran Desert.
** The poetry slam is a lighthearted competition where you get to make building science rhyme or force your colleagues to wedge the words "vapor diffusion" into iambic pentameter.
*** Omiyage is a mutual gift exchange — you'll bring a little something to share with everyone at the retreat, and in return you'll head home with a memento of our time together.
The retreat organizers will provide participants with more information about the above.
And we'll continue another important tradition with very nice food (inclusive of all dietary needs) and plenty of coffee.
Participants
Omar Al-Hassawi, Washington State University
Jonathan Bean, University of Arizona
Jonathan Bluey, Virginia Tech
David Fannon, Northeastern University
Gabriel de Bem, Jeff Cook Faculty Scholar
David Drake, Washington State University
Alysa Fink, UArizona, Student Scholar
Walter Grondzik, BEEnow
Kiran Kumar, Jeff Cook Faculty Scholar
Robert Limanek, Jeff Cook Faculty Scholar
Luming Xiao, TAMU, Student Scholar
Nea Maloo, Howard University
Clotilde Pierson, Oregon State University
Georg Reichard, Virginia Tech
Sue Roaf, Herriot Watt University
Clarke Snell, New York Institute of Technology
Shristi Tamrakar, UIdaho, Student Scholar