by Jonathan DeLaBruere ’15
On Wednesday, February 4th, 2015 and Thursday, February 5th, 2015 the annual Better Buildings by Design came to the Sheraton in Burlington, Vermont. Better Buildings by Design is the region’s premier design and construction conference, which features interactive learning about building durability, efficiency, and value for both residential and commercial projects. This conference is sponsored by EfficiencyVermont which is operated by the private nonprofit organization VermontEnergy Investment Corporation. Efficiency Vermont provides technical assistance, rebates, and other financial incentives to help Vermont households and businesses reduce their energy costs with energy-efficient equipment, lighting, and approaches to construction and major renovation. Additionally, they partner extensively with contractors, suppliers, and retailers of efficient products and services throughout the state. This year the conference theme was “Trends in Cold Climate Construction.” Our northern communities have developed and thrived by relying on cheap energy, but as economics change, these communities will have to adapt or face the consequences. The conference took a critical look at current construction practices for cold climates with the goal of being able to design and build passive and zero-energy residential and commercial buildings in some of the most challenging environments.