Why do we need to prepare the building for airtightness testing? What does this involve? Are there guidance and tips? Potential heat loss due to air leakage through an enclosure with moderate or poor airtightness has a significant and measurable impact on the required heating energy for a building. An enclosure that has good or exceptional airtightness can provide major energy savings. Building codes require that building enclosures include continuous air barriers; the integrity of those air barriers can only…

This seminar is part of the “Building Smart by Designing for People” series that focuses on creating healthy, safe, adaptive and enriching living environment for building occupants. How do People Respond to Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)? IEQ is an integrated study of an occupant’s response to the built environment. That being one’s ability to sense and perceive the quality of air, thermal, sound, light, odors and vibrations. It also includes a study of imperceptible elements such as asbestos, radon or…

In cooperation with BCIT’s School of Construction and the Environment, the City of Vancouver is giving skilled builders and tradespersons in their communities the opportunity to take this course on Passive House construction at a reduced cost. This five day course provides the knowledge and practical hands-on skills that building contractors, designers, consultants and advanced students need to build to the Passive House standard; an internationally recognized ultra-low energy standard. This course focuses on building enclosure optimization and provides a…

The Passive House Designer/Consultant Exam is challenging, even for experienced architects and building professionals, so thorough preparation is essential. This two-day exam preparation course is specifically designed for those who have completed courses 120A and 120B (or equivalent), and who wish to write the exam to become a Certified Passive House professional. It gives participants the tools required to write a successful test. Overviews of each topic that could potentially be tested in the exam will be presented and participants…

There are two methods of becoming a certified Passive House Designer or Consultant: through submission of a certified Passive House project, or by passing the standardized international exam. Examination dates are fixed by the Passive House Institute (PHI) and offered by Passive House Canada in cooperation with PHI. Certified Designers and Consultants will be listed on our website, as well as the international database. For information on certification via project design and documentation please see PHI’s Project Qualification page. The…

110: Introduction to Passive House High Performance Buildings   Course description An Introduction to the Passive House High Performance Buildings provides an overview of the core principles of Passive House design and building energy efficiency regulations in Canada. The course also covers the history of energy efficient buildings, energy consumption data and environmental impact, case studies and the economics of creating high performance buildings.   Recommended for Anyone wishing to understand the basics of Passive House high performance buildings, including:…

Are you passionate about building and living in sustainable cities? We invite you to join us at the Ecocity World Summit 2019 taking place October 7 - 11, 2019 in beautiful Vancouver, Canada. Ecocity World Summit is the longest running international conference on sustainable cities. Ecocity 2019’s theme Socially Just and Ecologically Sustainable Cities will be explored through insightful presentations, educational field trips, interactive workshops and collaborative discussions. Register by June 14, 2019 to take advantage of the early registration…

Building Smart: Designing Building Enclosures in Wood-Frame Multi-Unit Construction Join us for this Building Smart seminar to learn about industry best practices for designing efficient, durable wood-frame building enclosures in new construction. Explore the latest edition of the Building Enclosure Design Guide now available online.   Speakers will discuss the behaviour of wood as a material, the fundamentals of heat, air and moisture control, durability principles, and current building code energy provisions for the building enclosure. Practical enclosure details, assemblies…

Building Envelope Technology Access Centre (BETAC) PresentsThree-Day Training Course Large Building Airtightness Testing WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: Differences between residential and commercial tests Building science and driving forces of air leakage Testing standards and code requirements Test considerations and planning Required materials and equipment First-hand experience with setup and use of blower door equipment Trouble-shooting common problems encountered during testing This workshop concludes with a full live test at the Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure (CARSI) at Red…

The event will be an exceptional learning opportunity on the very latest innovations and information on wood products and building systems – PLUS – attendees will be among the first to be informed about the early BC adoption of the 2020 NBCC which will increase the maximum height limit for wood buildings to 12 storeys, along with the opportunities and possibilities in this exciting new era of wood construction. Topics will include key drivers in building and design, including enhanced…