Past Meetings

December 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Selecting and Evaluating Fenestration Products for Performance
Location

University of Oregon-Portland
White Stag Building
70 NW Couch, Room 142/144

Presenters
Austin Sloat, AIA
Description

The Building Code defines criteria for air infiltration and structural performance for fenestration products but is essentially silent on the topic of water penetration resistance. The industry standard in the U.S. for determining the water penetration performance for fenestration products has essentially been controlled by the manufacturers of the window products themselves.

This presentation will look at the current standards for determining the necessary water penetration resistance performance ratings of fenestration products both in the US as well as in Canada, Europe and New Zealand/Australia. The various test methods for determining performance, both pre and post installation will be looked at as well.

Austin Sloat, AIA is a committee member of the Portland BEC and is a principal at Neumann Sloat Architects LLP, a firm specializing in building envelope consulting and remedial design.

November 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Energy Consumption of High-Rise Residential Buildings and the Impacts of Building Enclosure Rehabilitations
Location

Walsh Construction
2905 SW 1st Ave. Portland
Forster Room

Presenters
Graham Finch, RDH Building Engineering Ltd.
Description

Many residential buildings in the Pacific Northwest have or are undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation largely to remedy moisture-related problems. The rehabilitation of the building enclosure presents a unique opportunity to examine and assess the actual energy-related performance of the in-service building and to determine the energy impact of the building enclosure improvements (i.e. from increased insulation, thermally improved window frames and glazing, improved air-tightness).

A research project is currently underway with the objectives to review and assess the effects of building enclosure improvements on the space conditioning energy use in typical mid and high-rise multi unit residential buildings (MURBs) and then to develop better strategies that take into account enclosure repairs, energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions. In some instances, this review also provides the opportunity to look at other changes to the buildings while in service, whether it be occupant behavior, or changes to the mechanical systems (such as the domestic hot water system) and associated impact on the overall energy consumption. The research applies to both new and rehabilitated buildings and has national relevance as the buildings selected for the study have similarities throughout United States and Canada. This presentation will discuss part 1 of the study highlighting the energy use within existing high-rise MURBs and the trends and issues affecting consumption and energy efficiency.

Graham Finch is a Building Science Research Engineer with RDH Building Engineering Ltd. in Vancouver BC. He holds a masters degree specializing in building science from the University of Waterloo and is actively involved with numerous research projects at RDH. Graham has several years experience as an engineering consultant on building enclosure issues across North America. This work has included new construction design, hygrothermal modeling, forensic investigation, whole building monitoring and several industry research studies. Graham’s current research interests focus on improving the energy efficiency of high-rise buildings through improvements in the building enclosure.

October 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Description

The BEC will not have a meeting for the month of October. We will reconvene November 12th. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.

September 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Case Studies: the Effects of the Standards on Building Design
Location

University of Oregon-Portland
White Stag Building
70 NW Couch, Room 142/144

Presenters
Wes Chapman
Description

As the Director of the Architectural Group of Orfield Laboratories, Wes Chapman is responsible for the development of applications of the firm's Certified Building Performance Standards and Certified Building Performance Measures. Orfield Laboratories is the nation's only multi-disciplinary architectural consulting lab.

OL specializes in acoustics, lighting, daylighting, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, occupancy & design research and human factors. Our consulting is based on occupancy quality as the primary objective in architecture, with sustainability and energy based design being secondary. OL was contacted by BEC due to an interest by BEC in OL's performance based occupancy quality consulting.

There will be a general introduction to Orfield Labs and our philosophical premise as well as an explanation of testing capacities that have contributed to our unique approach to establishing “performance” based building standards that are measurable and certifiable. Wes will also cover several case studies illustrating the effects of the standards on building design. These case studies will highlight the correlation between how building performance standards focus on satisfaction of users and in doing so address energy and sustainability concerns beyond the realm of LEED and other similar programs. The interest we share with BEC is the relationship between the integrity of an exterior envelope and the integrity of occupancy comfort within the space.

Wes will also talk about the Architectural Research Consortium, our new architectural research group, which will eventually include about 100 architectural firms across the U.S. and Canada.

July 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Integrated facades: High Performance Innovations from Northern Europe
Location

University of Oregon-Portland
White Stag Building
70 NW Couch, Room 142/144

Presenters
Mark Perepelitza, AIA - Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP
Description

The essential role of the building envelope—providing shelter, form, and image—can be expanded to significantly improve building performance, including major reductions in energy use. Mark Perepelitza, a ZGF architect, will be presenting his research on effective applications of high-performance integrated facades for the Northwest. Supported in part by a Van Evera Bailey Fellowship, the research has included five weeks of travel in Northern Europe to tour buildings and interview key team members, as well as collaborations with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley, BetterBricks, and the University of Oregon Energy Studies in Buildings Lab.

As shown by Northern European examples, extremely high-performing buildings can be aesthetically compelling with pleasant and comfortable interior environments. Rather than a static enclosure, the building skin has the potential to capture, filter, and integrate natural ventilation, daylight, manage solar heat, and provide visual and physical connections between inside and out.

May 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Improving the Hygrothermal Performance of Wall Systems in Building Construction
Location

University of Oregon-Portland
White Stag Building
70 NW Couch, Room 142/144

Presenters
Dr. Robert Tichy, PhD
Description

Uncontrolled moisture accumulation in building envelopes leads to mold infestation and structural degradation in buildings. A 2004 survey conducted by the City of Seattle documented 52 recent moisture-related building failures, costing $98 million (Aoki-Kramer, Karagiozis). This same study speculates that as much as 20% of the multi-family housing stock built in Seattle since 1984 could be affected. The Natural Exposure Test (NET) facility, located in Puyallup WA has been collecting real-time hygrothermal performance data for nearly five years on both traditional and innovative full-size wall systems. Dr. Tichy will be presenting research results from the NET facility.

Dr. Tichy joined the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory at Washington State University in 1992. His primary research areas involve development of wood-based composites and building construction systems. Prior to joining WSU, Dr. Tichy was the Manager of Engineering R&D for the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA), Portland Oregon and Senior Engineer of Engineered Systems and Products for Weyerhaeuser Company, Federal Way Washington. For WWPA, Dr. Tichy provided consulting and technical direction for the engineering use of wood products. While with Weyerhaeuser Company, Tichy managed product and market development efforts resulting in several new engineered strand products businesses.

April 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Mercy Corps Headquarters Building – Enclosure Construction Tour
Location

University of Oregon-Portland
White Stag Building
70 NW Couch Room 152

Presenters
Mike Steffen, AIA
Bhavna Kumar
Charles Dorn, AIA
Description

This month’s BEC meeting will feature a construction site tour of the Mercy Corps Headquarters in downtown Portland. The tour will focus on the design and construction issues associated with the building enclosure systems for this project that is pursuing LEED Platinum certification.

Tour leaders will include Bhavna Kumar and Mike Steffen of Walsh Construction Co./OR and Charles Dorn of THA Architecture. The meeting will commence in Room 152 of the White Stag Building at 3:30pm, where a brief overview of the project design and detailing will be provided. Participants will then adjourn to the building site for a one hour tour. The building site is one block south of the White Stag Building. Please note: participants should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes (work boots preferably). Hard hats will not be required for this tour.

March 2009 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Thermal Imaging in Commissioning
Location

White Stag Building

Presenters
Mike Williams
Description

This month’s topic will be the use of infrared thermal imaging on existing buildings to diagnose thermal and air barrier discontinuity and the development of procedures to use this technology as a commissioning tool for new buildings. Mike Williams with White Glove Building Maintenance will discuss how the technology works, its possibilities and limitations and what information it provides to those in the design and construction industry to support the goal of high performance envelopes. Mike will be using images from buildings in the Portland metro area as a way of illustrating these particular issues.

Mike Williams with WGBM (White Glove Building Maintenance) owns a high-rise exterior building maintenance company that focuses on building envelopes. Specifically, that focus includes leak investigations, waterproofing, sealant and elastomeric coatings applications and window cleaning services. Mike has over 30 years experience in the construction industry, with 20 years experience working on building envelopes. A principal part of his business includes assisting architects and engineers on facade/envelope investigations. After the earthquake in Olympia at the Capitol, he provided rope rescue, rope access and fall protection for three months for the state of Washington while the damage was assessed and repairs were made. His recent emphasis on thermal imaging as a diagnostic tool is a natural progression in using leading edge technology for investigating problems on building envelopes.