Chris Laney and Terry Estus on CSI

And no, we aren’t talking about the popular TV cop drama.

CSI, Construction Specifications Institute, is a national association of construction professionals that includes specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, manufacturers, product representatives, and owners amongst others. Basically, membership is comprised of the vast group of people involved in creating the built environment. There are more than 140 CSI chapters across the nation, and membership provides much more than social networking; key programs of CSI include certification, education, and standards and formats.

We were first introduced to CSI through the local chapter’s yearly product show. This yearly event provides product representatives and manufacturers a venue to showcase the latest construction products while giving the local design community an opportunity for fellowship and… well, door prizes. We were invited to join CSI by CDFL principal Gene Crager and found that the organization was much more than just a yearly product show.

How does CSI benefit us? Our local chapter meets once a month and aside from a good lunch and fellowship, the monthly meetings provide continuing education, many of which are AIA accredited. CSI also offers other education opportunities in the form of certifications.

Earlier this year I (Chris) sat for the Construction Document Technology certification (CDT). This test is a comprehensive overview for anyone who writes, interprets, or manages construction documents and is a prerequisite to the other certifications CSI offers. This certification process opened my eyes to parts of construction document production and execution that I was not previously familiar with, and will help me going forward. CSI also benefits us by providing a link to professionals with expertise in other areas of the construction field that may be able to provide with design process assistance. These connections and collaborations are beneficial to the client, as they will allow us to produce an even higher quality product for our clients.