Engineering

PHRC Housing Conference to be held March 4-5

Attendees at the 27th Annual PHRC Housing Conference in 2019 Credit: Pennsylvania Housing Research Center. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Housing Research Center (PHRC), housed in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Penn State, will host the 28th annual PHRC Housing Conference from March 4-5 in State College at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. The industry-focused PHRC Housing Conference is part of the 2020 PHRC Conference Week, concurrently running with the research-focused 2020 Residential Building Design & Construction Conference (2020 RBDCC).

The two-day PHRC Housing Conference has multiple tracks each day, bringing together all sectors of the housing industry to provide information and updates on issues of interest to those in the residential construction field. Invited speakers will present on a wide range of topics about innovative technologies, regulation and best practices in the industry. 

The first day of the conference will focus on session tracks pertaining to high-performance homes, construction, and codes and regulations through the Pennsylvania Construction Codes Academy Symposium Central. Brian Wolfgang, associate director of the PHRC, will provide a welcome during breakfast. Clayton DeKorne, chief editor of the JLC Group at Hanley Wood, will give the keynote address, “How Will Construction Solve the Skilled Labor Shortage?” With 40 years in the residential construction industry, DeKorne will address the ongoing labor crisis in the residential construction industry. 

Following the keynote, sessions will include such topics as HVAC in high-performance homes; finding the balance in building performance from good, better and best; and inspecting manufactured and industrialized housing. 

An evening reception with food and drinks will conclude the first day of the conference. Called “Happy Hour on the Exhibit Floor,” the reception will allow conference attendees to network with industry exhibitors, 2020 RBDCC attendees and the next generation of residential construction professionals. The reception is included with the two-day registration fee. 

The second day of the conference will focus on session tracks pertaining to high-performance homes, construction and code, and land development and planning. Lois B. Arena, director of Passive House Services for Steven Winter Associates Inc., will give the keynote, “Passive House: A Proven Path Toward Resilient, Affordable & Energy Efficient Housing.” Concurrently, the land development and planning track will begin with, “The Future of New Community Development and Housing Choice,” by David Anderton and Michael Snyder of Dewberry. 

Sessions continue with such topics as panelized passive house construction and balancing affordability, feasibility and operability in high-performance multifamily housing.

Up to 12 continuing education credits are available for this conference through the American Institute of Architects, the International Code Council, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Professional Development Hours for engineering, and Landscape Architecture clock hours pending individual session approval.

For more information about the 2020 conference or to register, visit the PHRC website at www.PHRC.psu.edu. Additionally, affordable sponsorship opportunities are still available. 

 

Last Updated February 7, 2020

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