April 25, 2008

WILLIAM CONWAY/PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Workers install section of curtain wall at the RBC Centre in downtown Toronto. Curtain-wall technology continues to evolve because of advances in building science, the subject of a certification course administered by the Ontario Building Envelope Council.

Getting the envelope wrong is just too costly

The Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) exists for the sole purpose and benefit of its members and the public at large to facilitate the Continuing Education of Building Science Practitioners; owners, architects, engineers, contractors, public agencies and students in the state- of-the-art construction and rehabilitation of the building envelope.

Why? Because getting the envelope wrong is just too costly.

Take, for example, Toronto’s aging stock of 20-storey buildings, built primarily in the 1960s and 1970s.

Yes, they are still standing, primarily because we have always known way more about structural engineering than any other aspect of construction.

But, over time, we have come to understand that without the practice of the discipline now known as building science, these buildings, and all others constructed without the benefit of a building science perspective, just don’t function properly, efficiently, effectively or with any degree of comfort for residents.

Water either runs in, is blown in, or is “wicked” in, as is both cold and warm air.

The occupants of these buildings have to live with mouldy walls and floors, temperatures that are too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, and the operators must continually try to figure out how to pay for the ever rising energy costs and maintenance issues that arise when building science has not been employed in the building’s design.

OBEC was formed over 20 years ago, by some of the leading minds in this burgeoning field of building science. Imagine — people actually started to worry about how materials function together, the relationship between the envelope and the HVAC system, the variables inherent in the type of occupancy and how the wall assembly actually performs in a climate that is both freezing cold in the winter and hot and humid in the summer.

Think about this for a minute — If you are building a structure to house anything in, say Florida, you can count on a fairly consistent climate year-round, and you build accordingly. When building in Ontario, your design considerations have to reflect the fact that your wall and roof assemblies will have to endure the climatic differences between Toronto and Miami, and these climates will all occur within the thickness of your eight-inch wall!

Fortunately, it is a challenge that we are up to here in Canada, more out of necessity than anything else, because paying to fix it the second time around is just way too costly.

In 2004, OBEC launched what has become the industry’s leading indicator of proficiency in building science, the BSSO Designation.

The Building Science Specialist Ontario Designation is awarded to those individuals who seek and qualify for accreditation.

This accreditation will provide members of the industry, including building designers, specifiers, developers, contractors and owners, the knowledge that any person with such a designation has a high level of education, understanding and experience in the field of building science, as deemed by the BSSO Advisory Board, drawn from key industry sector representatives.

To become eligible, a member in good standing of OBEC must have:

• An engineering or architectural undergraduate degree OR

• Engineering or architectural diploma from a recognized college or polytechnic institute and three years related experience OR

• Significant work related experience in building design, construction or maintenance, as deemed appropriate by the Advisory Board and and have successfully completed the Building Science Certificate Program offered by the University of Toronto, Professional Development Centre, which offers 8 modules, of which 6 must be successfully completed.

The continuing education component of the BSSO designation also requires that individuals maintain their designation with the latest in industry developments and submit proof of this every two years.

Is building science the answer to all of the problems facing buildings today? No, but it sure goes a long way towards keeping both costs and problems way down in the long run, and is one of the “greenest” initiatives you could undertake. Getting it right the first time!

Brian Shedden, BSSO, is vice-president of J. McBride & Sons Ltd.

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