Following the successful first conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environments (SASBE2003, Brisbane, Australia), CIB Task Group 55 Smart and Sustainable Built Environments (TG55) was established in early 2004 to help advance the CIB priority theme of Sustainable Construction. During its designated mandate of three years, TG55 became a dynamic operation with a range of deliverables and international synergies to match its rapid growth. In 2007 the CIB board upgraded TG55 to a Working Commission status - W116 – with the same title of Smart and Sustainable Built Environments.

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W116 activities

W116 strives to foster the global awareness of sustainability issues in developing the built environment and networking among all stakeholders. It brings together a cohort of over 100 CIB members and associates around the world to examine the issue of sustainability, building performance, and infrastructure, with a focus on integrated development. W116 encourages CIB members, associates, researchers and professionals for collaborative research. Strategic alliance has been formed by researchers and practitioners between countries such as Japan, USA, South Africa, Germany, Brazil, China, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. Joint research projects are being conducted and explored such as the Living 2030 project proposed between three countries.

Future activities of W116 will seek to:

• facilitate information dissemination and knowledge management on research and best practices through CIB reports, books, conference proceedings and journals;
• conduct meetings, workshops and international conferences; and
• contribute as an influence group to the CIB’s vision of being a globally recognised authority on sustainable construction.

More information:

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W116 Mission Statement

To promote best practices of integrated development of smart and sustainable built environments with knowledge transfer and benefits to all stakeholders.

W116 Objectives

• to encourage global networking, foster awareness and promote understanding of smart technologies and sustainability issues in the built environments;
• to identify, collect, create, discuss, evaluate and disseminate information and knowledge on the strategies and best practices for developing smart and sustainable building and infrastructure;
• to analyse, develop, and apply appropriate knowledge then transfer to stakeholders of the built environments; and
• to promote and facilitate international collaborative research, consultancy and professional education in this field.

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Organisational Structure of W116

Working Commission Coordinator:

• Dr Jay Yang, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

• Africa: Dr Jeremy Gibberd, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa
• Americas: Prof Dr Vanessa Gomes Silva, State University of Campinas, Brazil
• Europe: Dr Andy van den Dobbelsteen, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
• Australasia: TBA – Jay Yang acting

• Prof Frank Schultmann, University of Siegen, Germany (Chair)
• Prof Volker Hartkopf, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA
• Prof Peter Brandon, University of Salford, UK
• Prof Wei Wang, Shanghai Research Institute of Building Sciences (SRIBS), China
• Ms Chrisna du Plessis, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa
• Dr Nori Yokoo, Utsunomiya University, Japan

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SASBE conferences and events

TG55/W116 has successfully established the triennial CIB international conference series in Smart and Sustainable Built Environments (SASBE). This internationally refereed conference supplements the Sustainable Building (SB) conferences and triennial CIB World Building Congresses, in terms of consistency, regional foci and specific disciplinary coverage. W116 workshops and meetings also provide the momentum and cohesion to promote international research and practice in this field. The following SASBE conferences and events were held or planned:

• SASBE2003 – 19-21 November 2003, Brisbane, Australia: international conference, refereed proceedings; attended by 120 delegates from 19 countries
• 1^st CIB TG55 workshop/meeting – May 2004, Toronto, Canada
• 2^nd CIB TG55 workshop/meeting – September 2005, Tokyo, Japan
• SASBE2006 – 15-17 November 2006, Shanghai, China: international conference, refereed proceedings; attended 180 delegates from 12 countries
• 3^rd CIB TG55 meeting – November 2006, Shanghai, China
• 4^th CIB W116 meeting – May 2007, Cape Town, South Africa
• 5^th CIB W116 meeting – September 2008, Melbourne, Australia
• SASBE2009 – 15-19 June 2009, Delft, the Netherlands: international conference, refereed proceedings
• SASBE2012 – September 2012, São Paulo, Brazil: international conference

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W116 publications

Information and knowledge dissemination had been another work focus for TG55/W116. It established a dedicated website for repository of information. Based on the work of its participants, it has published a range of research findings including:

• 1 Book: Smart and Sustainable Built Environments, Blackwell Publishing, 2005
• 1 journal: Special Issue of Construction Innovation, Emerald, 2007
• 2 Refereed conference proceedings (SASBE2003 and SASBE2006)
• 4 CIB reports on Task Group meetings and conferences.

Collaboration of W116 with other Task Groups and Working Commissions

• TG43 - Megacities
• TG62 - Built Environment Complexity
• TG66 - Energy and the Built Environment
• W060 - Performance Concept in Building
• W077 - Indoor Climate
• W078 - Information Technology for Construction
• W098 - Intelligent and Responsive Buildings
• W099 - Safety and Health in Construction
• W108 - Climate Change and the Built Environment
• W110 - Informal Settlements and Affordable Housing
• W111 - Usability of Workplaces
• W112 - Culture in Construction
• W115 - Construction Materials Stewardship

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