The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit, nongovernmental organization that supports advances in building science and technology. The U.S. Congress established NIBS in the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383. Congress recognized the need for an organization to serve as an interface between government and the private sector – one that serves as a resource to those who plan, design, procure, construct, use, operate, maintain, renovate, and retire the buildings, spaces, and infrastructure that make up our built environment.
We bring together experts from the building industry, design, architecture, construction, government, and academia. We lead conversations to ensure our buildings and communities remain safe and seek consensus solutions to mutual problems of concern.
Last year, NIBS celebrated its 50th anniversary. As we start the next 50 years, NIBS is energized and renewed in its focus on the public interest and commitment to strengthening our built environment. We look forward to working with the 119th Congress and the incoming Trump Administration to advance solutions to the pressing challenges that put public safety at risk through the NIBS Legislative Agenda below.
Natural and man-made disasters, from storm events to wildfires, have become more frequent and devastating. Safeguarding lifeline services and accelerating the functional recovery of impacted lifeline infrastructure is critical. These systems include water, wastewater, electricity, natural gas, liquid fuels, communications, and transportation–highways, roads, rails, airports, ports, and harbors. These systems are often taken for granted in their seamless operation, and investments must be made to ensure that they continue to operate through and after a disaster and that communities remain functional. We must ensure the nation’s design standards account for the entire built environment, including lifeline infrastructure.
Over the last decade, the United States has reached a crisis point in ensuring that a “full pipeline” of skilled workers is available to meet the needs of our built environment that is rapidly and dynamically expanding and transforming, often on a legacy foundation of aging and failing buildings and infrastructure. Our nation does not have enough people to build and maintain our bridges, hospitals, data centers, utilities, and other critical infrastructure, making the workforce shortage more than an industry challenge but a national security issue. This gap in the workforce has reached a crucial level that requires the significant and meaningful participation of women, who make up approximately 51% of our population but only 10.9% of all workers in the construction industry in 2022 , to bridge this vast workforce shortage. More women must be recruited, trained, and retained to address this shortage collaboratively across the entirety of the built environment, from material production to the design, construction, installation, commissioning, maintenance, operations, retirement, and renewal.
The U.S. construction sector is valued at around $2.3 trillion but faces increased material costs, labor shortages, and operational efficiency challenges. Streamlined adoption of emerging technology can help alleviate these strains and improve output. For example, modular construction involves building components at a manufacturing facility and transporting and assembling them on-site. This can shorten construction schedules and improve building performance. The installation quality of modular building envelopes was also better than that of site-built enclosures on most projects. However, it remains less than 6% of the commercial construction market in the U.S. and Canada. Digital twins serve as another example. They are virtual representations of physical objects, processes, or systems that can be used to predict changes that may affect their physical counterparts. They are increasingly being used in a wide variety of fields. For example, digital twins are typically deployed in facility operations to support asset management and space optimization, including who will use the space, how, when, and what assets will live there. Adopting codes, standards, and regulatory consistency for these new technologies, like modular construction and the use of digital twins, will help protect the public interest.
Senior Vice President, Professional and Government Affairs
National Institute of Building Sciences
P: (202) 780-1792 ext. 192
Established by the United States Congress, NIBS’ mission is to serve the public interest by advancing building science and technology to improve the built environment.
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