The conference opened with the Chapter’s first Sustainable Expo, in which nine exhibitors—Albert Kahn Associates, Big Ass Fans, Ghafari Associates, Griffin International, Leviton, Lochinvar, Peter Basso Associates, RL Deppmann Co., and Thermal Wall Construction Systems—participated. This is a change from last year when only non-profit groups exhibited.  2008 Exhibitors were able to showcase new sustainable products, services, and technologies and to discuss potential applications with specifying engineers and owners. “This was a great opportunity. I will definitely be back next year,” said Jim Quain, of the Thermal Wall Construction Systems. 
Detroit Chapter President, Janice K. Means, was joined by Lawrence Tech President, Dr. Lewis Walker, in formally greeting conferees at the noon kickoff luncheon.   All were welcomed on behalf of the Detroit Chapter and the Lawrence Tech Center for Sustainability, which co-hosted this event.

The luncheon keynote address by Dr. Kathryn Savoie, Director of Environmental Programs for the Arab American Center for Economic and Social Services, gave conference attendees a broad overview of the issues underlying the need for more sustainable practices in the design, construction and operation of buildings.  Following Dr. Savoie’s presentation, attendees selected any four of the 16 seminars offered on topics ranging from an “Energy Analysis Demonstration for LEED® and ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Appendix G” presented by Carrier Corporation software engineer, Robert Feduik, P.E., to “Using Water Source Heat Pumps to Create Energy Efficient Buildings” presented by Robert Roop, CPD, of Peter Basso Associates, to “Sustainable Cooling Water Treatment through Non-Chemical Technologies” presented by Leon Shapiro, JD, of VRTX Technologies. “The topics were all so good that [my colleague], Megan, and I had trouble deciding which ones we each would go to so we could take information back to our office,” said Nate Stalker, Detroit ASHRAE Chapter member and mechanical engineer with DiClemente Siegel. SHW Group’s Eric Haley commented that he “really got a lot out of this—this is why I belong to ASHRAE.” Although highly technical, all the seminars presented practical information that can be immediately applied in the development of sustainable projects. ASHRAE certificates of professional development hours were available for members of the American Institute of Architects and engineers with licenses in other states.

Following the afternoon of education, we enjoyed a second hour of the Sustainable Expo combined with our traditional social hour. The Arts League of Michigan’s (ALM) Jazz Ensemble, comprised of high school students in the ALM’s artist mentorship program, provided live entertainment. The band was selected because mentorship, as a means of sustaining the art form, is at the heart of the jazz tradition. Mitchell Swann, P.E., one of two ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturers to participate in the conference commented that “[t]his band was really a nice touch.” 

Conferees converged for dinner and a brief Detroit Chapter business meeting, at which the 2008-2009 slate for the Board of Governors were nominated.   (See accompanying article.).  Lawrence Tech Provost, Dr. Maria Vaz, thanked the Detroit Chapter for their sustainability educational efforts and announced that a new Architectural Engineering Degree offering was eminent.  Several of our member AE firms have expressed interest in the forthcoming AE Degree program.  She recognized Past Chapter President and Adjunct Professor, Filza Walters and Professor Janice Means for their preliminary work in bringing the AE Degree program to fruition.

   Glen S. LeRoy, FAIA, FAICP, Dean of the College of Architecture and Design at Lawrence Technological University closed the conference with an enlightening and inspiring dinner keynote address entitled “The Context for Sustainable Design.” Dean Leroy commented that, regardless of whether we believe humans are in any measure responsible for climate change, all the peer-reviewed scientific data indicate that climate change is indeed occurring. Moreover, the data indicate that local changes will leave Michigan, which is already relatively immune to natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, with a more temperate climate. Considering this and the characteristics of places U.S. Americans deem most desirable for living, LeRoy concluded that, since Michigan has one of the longest continuous shoreline’s in the U.S., and since the infrastructure of Detroit can, with minor upgrades, support a population twice its current size, Michigan in general and Detroit specifically, are uniquely poised to become a state and city of preference in the wake of climate change. The Dean invited us, as metro Detroit building design and construction professionals, to embrace the rare opportunity this preference will provide. He urged us to reconsider the City of Detroit, to replace the less than accurate view of the city as hopeless and helpless and to instead adopt a new view of what is possible in the city, because what is truly possible in Detroit, in southeast Michigan, and in all of Michigan, will never be more than what we, who live and work here, believe and claim is possible.