Monthly archive

Chris Benedict, using examples of her own work, will talk about the evolution of the system approach to building design and the profound position that the building enclosure holds as a part of that system. She will lay out her perspective on building enclosure fundamentals, including the management of air, water, vapor, light and heat and discuss how mechanical systems and materials can be refined, reduced or eliminated, while building performance is enhanced, when the relationships within the system are clearly understood.

An unbiased discussion and presentation of scenarios and criteria that are encountered when designing and installing roofing systems. The primary goal of this program is to introduce a way of thinking that will enable designers to select the proper system for the application and to become familiar with some of the more common roof system types used in the Northwest. This seminar is provided by Professional Roof Consultants, Inc. (PRC); a roofing, waterproofing and building envelope consulting firm located in Portland, Oregon.

The use of glass and fenestration as part of the building enclosure material/system has become a significant consideration and component in today’s building design. Glass in a building enclosure is used as the medium that breaks down the visual/psychological barrier between the interior and exterior of a building. Glass introduces natural daylight into a space and provides views of the outside while it simultaneously keeps the forces of nature to the exterior.

The University of California San Diego is has commissioned the design of a new 177,000 square foot Health Science Research Laboratory on its main campus in La Jolla, CA. Based the on the experience and the mission of the institution, one initial goal for the project was to create as nearly as possible a daylight-autonomous laboratory building. The goal was subsequently refined to include the design and optimization of a façade system that yielded the maximum daylight benefit with minimal cooling penalty.

The October meeting will continue the theme of Building Science Basics with a look at below grade waterproofing systems, strategies, and details.

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

For the opening presentation of the 2010-2011 Portland BEC season, we thought it appropriate to begin with some building science basics. Mr. Ariel Levy, P.E., of RDH Building Sciences, Inc., will take a somewhat off-directional and (possibly) entertaining twist to this topic. He will present some different perspectives on the classical heat, air, and moisture control functions, including some side commentary on current building code and general industry practice that may not be all that consistent with general building science principles.

This Month’s Meeting: “Measurement of Green Roof Performance”

The call for higher energy performance buildings is being heard loud and clear. A new state wide code is being released this summer with changes that affect envelope construction and design by changing critical energy performance criteria. In preparation for the July 1 adoption of the 2010 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code (OEESC), based on the IECC, Portland BEC will host a presentation that highlights what changes have and haven’t taken place in this code cycle.

This presentation has been requested and scheduled for the AIA National Convention June 11, 2010. As an early viewing of the same presentation, we will briefly review the latest version of The Living Building Challenge 2.0, while discussing envelope opportunities within this progressive framework. The Living Building Challenge is a measure of sustainability far more progressive than LEED Platinum or Triple Net Zero alone. This system does not contain points, rather 20 simple but profound imperatives that is performance based, not prescriptive.