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AIA and NIBS Launch Free Building Research Portal

BRIK—the Building Research Information Knowledgebase—connects building science researchers, practitioners, and users

Designing for today’s built environment requires architects to offer empirically tested, data-driven designs to their clients, and to share this knowledge and expertise openly and democratically. Both of these goals are addressed by the Building Research Information Knowledgebase (BRIK), a new AIA/National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) interactive research portal, officially unveiled by AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA, and NIBS President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA., on Jan. 9 at the NIBS annual meeting in Washington, DC.

BRIK offers free online access to peer-reviewed research projects and case studies in all facets of the designed environment, from pre-design through occupancy and reuse. With contributions from government agencies, architecture firms, academics, and research groups, the initial offerings will focus on healthcare facilities, learning environments and high-performance building types, initially containing more than 500 different reports. Additional building types will be added in the future.

Features of BRIK research include:

• Interactivity: All users may comment on and rate research projects publicly.

• Comprehensive search ability: Research projects are searchable by text, title, keyword, taxonomy, and contributor.

• Events calendar: BRIK keeps users abreast of research-related events concerning the built environment.

• Connectivity: BRIK will feature RSS feeds, Twitter links, and bookmarking capabilities.

For further information on using BRIK and on how to become a contributor, visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” section on BRIK’s home page, www.brikbase.org.

NIBS President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA, and AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA, at the NIBS annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Photo by Jocelyn Augustino. Courtesy of the National Institute of Building Sciences.

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