The repositioning of the ASHRAE brand is an acknowledgement of ASHRAE’s broadening scope beyond HVACR to include standards, research, publications, and educational resources relating to total building design, energy efficiency efforts, and sustainable building technologies, otherwise referred to as the total building environment, said Ron Jarnagin, ASHRAE president.
“ASHRAE’s original commitment to HVACR engineering excellence remains resolute, even as the society continues to expand its influence into all facets of building design, construction, reconstruction, and operation,” said Jarnagin. “Just as integrated design is the cornerstone of sustainable buildings, ASHRAE members create an integrated body of knowledge to make buildings as high performing as possible.”
The society’s logo, which was created in 1959, has been rebranded and the organization will now solely go by the acronym ASHRAE; not the spelled-out American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. “We want our logo to reflect that we are looking ahead,” said Tom Watson, chair of the logo ad hoc committee. “The industry has changed and so have we. In creating this logo, we wanted to pay homage to our HVACR origins by keeping the familiar hexagon and traditional shade of blue, while looking forward to a more sustainable future.”
ASHRAE has also adopted a new tagline: “Shaping tomorrow’s built environment today.” According to the society, the tagline serves as a promise to members, and the industry, that whatever the future brings in the built community, ASHRAE will be a leader in research and guidance.
ASHRAE also honored 36 individuals for their outstanding contributions to the industry at the Chicago event. This year’s hall of fame inductee was Roderick Kirkwood. Edward Ka Cheung Tsui received the John F. James International award, and Wane Helmer accepted the E.K. Campbell award.
Members Constantinos Balaras, Van Baxter, Vin Gupta, Mark Modera, Darin Nutter, Tom Phoenix, Arshad Sheikh, Edward Vineyard, Iain Walker, Brian Warwicker, and Bill Worek were elevated to the grade of Fellow ASHRAE. Fellow ASHRAE is a membership grade that recognizes distinction in the arts and sciences of environmental technology and is earned through achievement as a researcher, designer, educator, or engineering executive.
ASHRAE also announced its Student Design Project competition winners: Holly Brink, Michael Crabb, James Dougherty, Andrew Gilliam, and Gina Halbom, of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. HVAC system selection first-place winners included Lynn Gualtieri, Evan Oda, Kristin Porter, Navid Saiidinia, Jeffrey Wong, and Cameron Young, of California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. First-place Integrated Sustainable Building Design award winners included Qi Te, Zhang Qiqi, and Chen Yuanyi, of Tianjin University, China.
Publication date: 2/13/2012
