First envisioned in 1997, the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) would encompass the innovative combination of the Department of Defense (DOD) Construction Criteria Base (CCB), the first electronic comprehensive building library in the United States, with a mandate from NAVFAC to create an online resource for federal agencies to share facility-related criteria and information. Two years later, with ever-increasing interest in providing free and immediate access to energy conservation research, the Department of Energy, joined by other federal agencies, agreed that the WBDG would be the location where information concerning energy and sustainable design should reside for all to access. In 2000, NAVFAC asked the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) to manage and maintain the WBDG and then in 2003, DOD and the Tri-services signed an agreement to make the WBDG the sole portal for their design and construction criteria. By 2005, CCB was merged into the WBDG, united to promote an integrated “whole building design” approach.

The WBDG continues to evolve as the only online portal providing built environment practitioners access to relevant building-related guidance, up-to-date federal criteria, new technology information, and workforce development training from a "whole building" perspective. From the start, NIBS has offered this valuable resource to the building community through funding and advisory support from the U.S. Department of Defense (represented by NAVFAC Engineering Innovation and Criteria Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Air Force Civil Engineer Center), Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Energy, General Services Administration, Department of State Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), and the Department of Homeland Security.

The WBDG is unique as it represents a collaborative effort among government agency subject matter experts as well as private sector companies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions, all contributing their knowledge and experience to better serve the building community. Over the next few hours, NIBS will be releasing newly designed WBDG services – beginning with the comprehensive criteria libraries that NIBS developed for DOD and other federal agencies 40 years ago. All this month, the WBDG will highlight new site features enhancing access to its content as well to the professionally-developed continuing education.

NIBS looks forward to providing this updated WBDG to the building community with the service and information you've come to expect.