This week saw over 400 building professionals attend the annual OK Building Summit, by far the best turnout we have seen. What were the reasons for such success?
First, we listened to the participants from previous summits. While "green building" is still a big deal, and energy efficiency was still addressed, more was needed. The IRC (International Residential Code) 2009 code was adopted, with some amendments, by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission (OUBCC). This meant a uniform code across jurisdictions that builders needed to follow. The builders asked for and received training from experts on what exactly was required.
Building Professionals listen to Dr. Chris Ramseyer from
OU discuss wall bracing requirements of the IRC.
So, we expanded and rebranded the Summit. No longer the Green Building Summit, we changed it to the OK Building Summit and added more tracks to address what the builders wanted.
Second, we listened to those vendor (and sponsors - thank you!) about how they needed time to visit and answer builder's questions. The format of this year's summit allowed time to meet one on one. You can see a complete list of our sponsors at www.okbuildingsummit.com.
Lastly, we listened to building code officials. They shared some of the areas where there were issues of compliance. We addressed those during the summit.
The feedback has been tremendous. Education of Oklahoma's building professionals gives assurance to the buying public that their new homes are built to the best standard possible. Look for an OSHBA builder when buying your next new home. They know what they are doing.
Looking forward to 2014 already!
