The Code Council's Sustainable Building Technology Committee (SBTC) wrapped up its work in drafting the Public Version of the new International Green Construction Code (IGCC) at its fifth and final session January 28-30 in Austin, Texas. The 29 committee members, along with dozens of Work Group participants, labored in three intense days of amendments, debates and consensus, which will result in a March 15 unveiling of the first IGCC Public Version. This will provide an immediate resource document for current efforts underway in state and local jurisdictions, as well as the basis for public comments and subsequent hearings to provide a second Public Version for consideration at the Code Development Hearings in 2011.

The IGCC efforts launched last summer in Washington, D.C., with subsequent SBTC meetings in Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Ft. Myers and Austin. The open meetings drew a large group of observers, many of whom participated in Work Groups or in providing testimony to the drafters.

SBTC Chair and Code Council Board Member Ravi Shah opened the proceedings with a recap of the committee's efforts. He reminded everyone of the SBTC "mantra" that the resulting code must be "useable, adoptable and enforceable." Shah said over 200 conference calls had occurred with the participants since last July, and that there was a consistently high level of dedication throughout the process.

Code Council CEO Rick Weiland, along with senior officials from Cooperating Sponsors AIA and ASTM-International, attended the Austin meetings to personally thank the participants and encourage a continued level of participation and energy going forward. Weiland praised the work of the Committee, Work Groups, ICC staff and Cooperating Sponsors. He said, "I hope each of you who have observed and/or participated in this process appreciate the significance of this effort and your part in it. Never before has there been a focus on designing an integrated code, complimentary to the family of I-Codes and utilizing our consensus process, which addresses green construction for commercial buildings."

Highlights of the Austin proceedings include the incorporation by reference of the administrative provisions of the family of I-Codes for permits and certificates of occupancy; a revised Chapter 9 title to address commissioning "pre- and post-occupancy"; a new Chapter 11 to address "existing sites" with reference to the existing buildings provisions of Chapter 10; a roadmap for use and enforcement of the IGCC; and refined provisions regarding site and land use, materials, energy emission calculations, and water and indoor environmental quality.

SBTC Vice Chair Chris Green, representing the AIA, said the IGCC "is a game-changing code." Green emphasized the volume and quality of work accomplished in a short amount of time, and that he and others had gained new knowledge and respect for all the participants.

Code Council Deputy Senior Vice President Mike Pfeiffer served as the SBTC Secretariat. Pfeiffer announced that in addition to posting the Public Version by March 15, the Code Council Board will appoint a 12-15 person Public Comment Hearing Committee that will include some SBTC members as well as new members. The public comment deadline is May 14, with public hearings scheduled for August 14-22 in Chicago.