You attend meetings to network. At NAREIM, we honor the investment of your time by ensuring our networking, activities and content is focused on helping you build personal relationships with peers, who are facing the same challenges and opportunities as you. 

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The NAREIM Architecture & Engineering meeting is just the place to build genuine relationships and friendships.

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Taking place at the Hotel Ella, in Austin, TX, small group discussions and roundtable sessions will be the key to our content.

 

We will provide networking opportunities through content - and not just during breaks and lunches. And of course, NAREIM will be about candid conversations. You come to NAREIM to learn - and share. NAREIM is about the sharing of best practice ideas, solutions, challenges and opinions. It's a place to explore new ideas among peers and friends. We invite you to come join fellow architecture, engineering and construction leaders in Austin, TX in September.

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Registration fee: $895

Agenda

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Tuesday, September 28

 

5.30pm-6.30pm: Welcome drinks at the Hotel Ella

Members will go on to private dinners

 

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Wednesday, September 29

 

8am: Breakfast

 

9am: Welcome comments

• Matthew Christy, UBS Realty Investors and Chair of the NAREIM Architecture & Engineering Committee

 

​9am: Member orientation and problem-solving exercise

 

9.30am: Climate Risk. The role of A&E in executing and achieving Climate Risk goals

Expert analysis: Understanding provider models, their assumptions and future forecasting plans. Through a 30-min modeling presentation and discussion, followed by 20-min of Q&A roundtable conversations, the session aims to educate members on the following practices:

• A primer on Climate Risk modeling, prevalent models, methodology and outputs; key areas of assessment and impact on investment strategies

• Value-at-risk (Var) Analysis: the impact of Climate Risk on financial value over time

• Acquisition due diligence: Identifying risk, and developing hardening strategies

• • Speakers: Ken O'Brien, Executive Director, and Elizabeth Francis, Vice President, MSCI

  • Introduction by: Chris Wilson, LaSalle Investment Management

 

10.20am: Break

 

10.30am: Critical Path Scheduling: Strategies for evaluation and testing

How are you modeling and analyzing the schedule of projects and where can things go wrong? How much work can you do upfront? This expert presentation and group discussion invites NAREIM members to dive into the complexities, and identify the scope of benefits to be achieved.

• Speaker: William Farneth, VP, and Bill Lockhart, EVP, Capital Construction Consultants

• Introduction by: Matthew Christy, UBS Realty Investors

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11.30am: DEI: Recruitment and strategy for a diverse development and construction supply chain. 

How do we incentivize the supply chain and build the internal pipeline of A&E professionals. What is working? What isn't working? How do A&E group members get management buy-in for diverse interns for their team? Through case studies and expert analysis, we look how to expand representation, where to find the talent at junior, mid and senior levels and how to work with Talent Management to develop diverse pipelines for A&E.

• Speaker: Jason Pugh, President, National Organization of Minority Architects and Senior Associate Architect & Urban Designer, Gensler 

• Introduction by: Jeff Fraulino, UBS Realty Investors

 

12.30pm: Lunch and networking break

 

1.30pm: Net Zero. The role of A&E in executing and achieving Net Zero goals

How do you provide value at the portfolio and firm-level through the execution of Net Zero goals? What are the steps to implementing a real estate net zero sustainability plan? Diving into energy procurement, energy audits and solar energy, NAREIM members and experts discuss net zero strategies and evaluations, and where the real estate investment market is today. Through a 50-min presentation and discussion, followed by 40-min of Q&A roundtable conversations, the session aims to educate members on the following practices:

• How do Portfolio Managers make decisions on net zero effectiveness, and where is the overall impact to the portfolio?

• What is the A&E role going forward? How does A&E provide greater value as a group/department in relation to net zero?

• Decarbonization of the electric grid, CRREM pathways for portfolio risk assessment, the impact of legislation aimed at emission reduction, Negative emissions technologies (NETs), Cap-ex improvements and remediation strategies, Energy procurement: What’s worth knowing, what’s worth getting a handle on, and what shouldn't we spend too much time, Net Zero through the lens of Climate Risk assessments and evaluations of transitional risk.

  • Speaker: Tony Liou, President, Partner Energy​

  • Introduction by: Anne Peck, AEW Capital Management and Jerry Speltz, Barings Real Estate Advisors

 

3pm: Break

 

3.10pm: Case study review: Timber-framed high rises

An ESG solution, a fire challenge or the way of the future? Is this the new ESG solution? What are the challenges – and the benefits? We dive into the growth of timber-framed high rises and through case study review understand the design, construction and management challenges and the lessons learned from early adopters.

• Speakers: Steve Luthman, Senior Managing Director, Hines and Stephen J. Cavanaugh, Design Leader, Principal, DLR Group 

• Introduction by: Jerry Speltz, Barings Real Estate Advisors

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4.10pm: Work and email check-in 

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6pm-10pm: An evening at Launderette Restaurant
NAREIM members have full access to Launderette's restaurant and patio, run by Executive Chefs Rene Ortiz Laura Sawicki, to connect and engage. During the evening, NAREIM members will take part in the group activity: 

 

The A&E Shark Tank - for managers, by managers

• Three managers pitch their best prop-tech solicitations to the NAREIM A&E group in a bid to find the best technology that will create the most value for the A&E process within the next 3 to 5 years.

• NAREIM members will put their (Monopoly) money behind the best idea. The winner receives a trophy and bragging rights for one year. 

• Hosted by: Belinda Bail, BentallGreenOak and Matthew Christy, UBS Realty Investors

 

The restaurant is located at 2115 Holly Street, Austin, TX.

Uber codes will be provided to members at the meeting. Map.

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Thursday, September 30

 

8am: Breakfast

 

9am: Welcome comments

• Belinda Bail, BentallGreenOak and co-chair of the NAREIM Architecture & Engineering Committee

 

Members will be asked to submit topics for discussion for the '5 topics top of mind' session at 11.20am. During the session, 5 topics will be chosen, with each topic being discussed and best practice solutions shared for 10 minutes.

 

9.10am: ​Nickel Sulfide Inclusions: Spontaneous breakage in tempered glass, and strategies for managing the risk. 

​Spontaneous breakage of fully tempered glass owing to nickel sulfide inclusions (NiS) is unpredictable but on the rise. The dangers and costs to owners, tenants and the public are significant. Expert analysis and member roundtable discussion on the identification, causes and prevalence, as well as the strategies to reduce risk during construction and the range of solutions available on existing buildings.​

• Speaker: John Jackson, Senior Project Manager, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger​

• Introduction by: Jim Kennedy, JPMorgan Asset Management

 

10.10am: Break

 

10.20am: Contractor audits: How to save money and audit contractors before the work begins

With material and labor costs escalating post-Covid, how do you ensure you're getting maximum value from your contractors, how do you keep on top of budgets, how do you minimize double-charges, slippages and bad behavior. Audits of contracts and billing before, during and after construction can reap multiples of the cost of the audit. We walk through real-time cases of what an audit can achieve - and where managers need to keep an eye on their contractors.

• Speaker: Vinson Chapman, Managing Principal, HPM Audit and Contractor Services

• ​Introduction by: Belinda Bail, BentallGreenOak and co-chair of the NAREIM Architecture & Engineering Committee

 

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11.20am: 5 topics top of mind

One of the most valuable parts of the NAREIM Architecture & Engineering meeting is the time talking to peers about what's on their mind and how they're thinking about paths forward. This session is dedicated to learning from peers about the highs and lows of A&E execution and leadership over the past 18 months, from the professional and personal perspective.

• At the start of the day, members were asked to submit topics for discussion. 5 topics will be chosen, with each topic being discussed for 10 minutes. Potential issues include:

  • Surfside, FL: Implications for aging, existing assets in flood-prone areas. What are members doing in real-time, and over the medium to long-term?

  • Extreme heat: The realities and potential deterioration of the building envelope and seals. What are members seeing and mitigating for?

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12.15pm: Lunch and networking break

​End of meeting

 

This agenda is draft and is subject to change at any time. 

Reserve your room

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NAREIM has reserved a limited number of rooms at the Hotel Ella at the discounted rate of $280 per night, exclusive of 17% state and city occupancy taxes.

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To reserve a room, please use the following link below or call the Hotel Ella. Use the code: NAREIM to secure the discounted rate.

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• Online: NAREIM Architecture & Engineering Meeting room reservation

• Tel: 512.495.1800 

 

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NAREIM's room block is allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The deadline for NAREIM's discounted rate is August 27, 2021. Please book early to avoid disappointment. There are only 47 rooms in the entire hotel.

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