Trends of the Trade Marketplace
New Site Provides Easy Access to Research on the Built Environment
BRIK is an interactive portal to professionally reviewed research and case studies on all facets of the built environment.
The Building Research Information Knowledgebase (BRIK) is a new resource from the American Institute of Architects and the National Institute of Building Sciences. The website, www.brikbase.org, is an interactive portal connecting individuals to professionally reviewed research and case studies on all facets of the built environment, from pre-design through occupancy and re-use. The tool was created to support builders, designers, researchers, clients, and occupants in the quest to design, build, own, and operate high-performance buildings. Visitors to the site can easily search for information based on the category of research they are interested in, such as performance, infrastructure, materials, or systems. The categories are further broken down into subcategories for more tailored searches. in January with a database of 500 reports. Initially, efforts will focus on gathering research related to healthcare facilities, learning environments, and high-performance buildings, but research in other areas is welcome. The website presents research programs and products in three, clearly defined and identified levels: • Partners’ research will be vetted under a Memorandum of Agreement with partnering non-profit associations, educational institutions, national labs, and government agencies. • Contributors’ research provided by firms and companies will be reviewed before posting. • Individuals may submit research that will also be reviewed before posting. There is no cost for contributing research to the site. For more information, see “Frequently Asked Questions” on the BRIK website. BRIK launched
3/4 2013
Texas Architect 73