From racecars to computers, the phrase ‘high performance’ is used to describe objects, buildings, environments, industrial processes and even human organizations. In fact, so frequently and widely is the term employed one would think it has lost much of its specificity and/or relevance. A most ubiquitous term in architecture, it is used to qualify the design, construction, and operation of materials, products, building systems, entire buildings, and even construction delivery methods.1