Past Meetings

In new and existing building envelope inspections, Torrance has observed the results of severe catastrophic decisions regarding air barrier design and installation procedures.

This presentation will be a highly-visual lesson on what can happen when some of these choices are made. You will learn from the mistakes of others (including Torrance), and hopefully avoid at least a few of these costly mistakes of your own. Learn the benefits of early third-party plan review and onsite inspections. See twenty years of some of the biggest air barrier flubs from someone who has seen things from the slab to the roof, from inspection to install.

Torrance Kramer is a Certified Energy Manager, Building Envelope Commissioning Professional, amongst other certifications. He is passionate about reducing energy cost and increasing building integrity for his clients. He has completed thousands of comprehensive energy audits on all types of buildings over the last 20 years. Through this it became evident that there was a lack of understanding in the field of building envelope integrity. This led Torrance to focus on specializing in air barrier testing, repairs, and general envelope commissioning for the last 15+ years. For the last 10 years, he has managed and operated Accurate-Airtight Exteriors which provides consulting, training, testing, and repairs building air and thermal barriers.

1 AIA LU/HSW

The Commissioning process has historically attached itself to the active systems, leaving the primarily passive envelope systems undefined and unchecked. However, due to the significant changes in City and State Energy Codes across the US which are addressing envelope design requirements to meet air leakage control and thermal performance targets, a new light has been directed at the importance of commissioning the passive systems. The code changes are requiring designers and contractors to deliver higher performance of their buildings, especially from the building envelope. Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) is a topic that will enable designers to be prepared for not only the new changes being implemented in LEED v4, but also to stay current on how certain building envelope assemblies perform related to energy performance while ensuring long term durability. Commissioning the building envelope is progressively recognized as an important element in achieving optimal building performance.

Stevan Vinci is a building science and sustainability specialist with over 19 years of experience who focuses on passive design, material resiliency and energy efficiency which help create sustainable and durable buildings that give more than they take. He is a LEED Fellow and serves as the Building Envelope Commissioning Practice Lead for Morrison Hershfield and has provided Building Science expertise on high performance building projects in the US, Canada, South America, Europe and China. His experience in building envelope contributes to a better understanding of whole-building energy systems enabling project teams to see the connection between the passive and active energy systems of a building. Steve was also a key contributor to the USGBC for the education component of the online reference guide for LEED v4 in regards to the new Building Envelope Commissioning requirements and is part of a committee developing the training modules for IIBEC’s Certified Building Enclosure Commissioning Provider Certification. Stevan is on MH’s LEED Certification Review Team, and he has completed over 120 LEED project certification reviews on behalf of the CaGBC to date. He serves as a Living Building Challenge Ambassador and served as Faculty for the CaGBC and USGBC.

Nick McElmurry graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2014. He has worked in the field of building science for the last eight years with projects throughout the US, including Florida, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Washington, California and Oregon. Nick joined Morrison Hershfield in 2017. He is involved in all stages of project development, from the initial building assessment, through design and value engineering, to contract negotiation and project oversight.

1 AIA LU/HSW

Management of moisture, air, vapor, and thermal performance, as well as wind resistance requirements, are critical at the wall-to-roof interface. This session will provide guidelines to successfully navigate these often-competing interests and provide strategies for achievable performance through design and specification, without compromising the aesthetics with distracting details, for commercial building wall systems. The impacts of whole-building performance, design requirements, material, and assembly requirements, and installation verification requirements during construction will be discussed.

Benjamin Meyer is the Building Enclosure Business Director with Siplast. Previous experience includes: enclosure consultant principal, technical management for enclosure products, architecture, real-estate development and construction management. Serves as ASHRAE 90.1 Envelope Chair and Full Voting Member, Director of ABAA, and past LEED Technical Committee Member.

1 AIA LU/HSW

Building codes are evolving to create more stringent standards for energy efficiency. Passive techniques were used in building design for centuries to help moderate indoor temperatures before heating and cooling systems become prevalent. Now, passive techniques are making a resurgence because of their effectiveness in achieving ideal indoor environmental conditions. Join us to learn about passive techniques that meet energy codes, including thermal mass, proper day-lighting, and thermal bridging. Hear lessons learned from real-world projects that incorporate passive energy techniques.

Cole is an architectural designer with a demonstrated history of working in the architecture and planning industry.

Before joining IMI, he worked for a variety of architecture firms in Oregon and Washington. In addition to project design and construction administration, he has served in project management and BIM leadership roles.

1 AIA LU/HSW

Over the course of its history, Architectural Aluminum Framing Systems have grown and multiplied to meet the changing demands of building envelops. This industry started by meeting the demand for a sustainable storefront solution in the early 1900’s. Today architects are faced with selecting from a wide range of system options. Two major types of framing systems are Storefronts and Curtain Walls. In some cases, these systems could occupy the same space but in others, selecting the wrong system could have harmful consequences.

This presentation focuses on the characteristics that distinguish these two systems. This describes how each system is assembled, how they handle water, thermal characteristics, and structural differences. The goal is to give you a good understanding of the differences between these systems and the appropriate application of each. You will have a clear understanding of why a storefront should not be used where a curtain wall is needed and be able to explain this to others.

Bud Henson is the Vice President of Window Tech., Inc., a full-service manufacturer's representative in the Pacific Northwest. Bud's primary responsibilities include working with/supporting architects and glazing contractors focusing on Kawneer glazing systems.

This introductory course presents an overview of common low slope roofing types with information on pros and cons of different systems, selection criteria, performance research resources, and potential issues to be aware of when specifying and designing different low slope roofing systems including energy efficiency issues and durability.

Austin Sloat is a founding principal of Neumann Sloat Arnold Architects, a firm specializing in building enclosure consulting and design. He has over 25 years of experience in enclosure design for new construction, building failure investigation, remedial design, and construction litigation support. Austin has worked on a wide range of building types but has a special interest in low rise residential construction. He is a Portland Building Enclosure Council board and education committee member.

Adhered masonry does not meet code because seismic testing does not exist in our industry; until now. There are a few common examples where a "Standard of Care" is met without meeting Code in common built solutions. 3 years worth of testing finished April 2023. This presentation summarizes the results and how to apply to your building. The process of adding information to the "Field of Knowledge" will be explored.

With 29 years of experience working as an enclosure focused Architect, Building Scientist, University of Oregon Professor and Contractor, Sean Scott has made a habit of contributing to the building industry field of knowledge. He is known as a “process-driven” high value member of the enclosure field in the Pacific North West. With his clear, concise communication style, Sean leads his firm of almost 250 staff for Enclosures through consulting, research, and education. Sean has spoken at over 50 venues some international. Sean is currently an “Associate Principal + Technical Advocate” within Ankrom Moisan Architects. Sean has worked in London, England, Ghana, West Africa, and across the United States.

1 AIA LU/HSW

By now, design and construction professionals are well aware of the significant impact of buildings on the natural environment. That fact is even more prevalent as evidenced with the ever increasing thermal performance provisions in our codes and standards. While the industry has become adept at throwing more and more insulation at these challenges, there are a few exciting insulation technologies, and creative ways to deploy them, than many enclosure professionals may realize.

This presentation will discuss how these options, in the forms of new insulation materials providing designers with more aesthetic leeway in attaining elevated performance levels. Detail-driven dives will also demonstrate how clever approaches to design and construction, as well as innovative detailing strategies, can be leveraged to accomplish these thermal performance goals without sacrificing design intent.

Will is Principal and Façade Design Director for Studio NYL’s Skins Group. As both an architect and an engineer, he has designed, realized, written, and presented on award-winning and high performance building enclosures on local, national, and international levels. Will's passion lies in the leveraging of both high- and low-tech methods to merge high performance and high design.

Will is the current National Past-Chair of the Building Enclosure Council and is AIA’s Liaison to NIBS/BETEC/BEC. He is a leader and active member in other numerous professional organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Building Performance Knowledge Community’s Leadership Group and American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) where he is a voting member on the E06 Performance of Buildings Committee. Will is also a member of the Facade Tectonics Institute's Special Advisory Council, a developer/trainer for ASTM/NIBS new Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) certificate program, and a representative for AIA National on the ASHRAE’s 90.1 Envelope Subcommittee.