Building connections at building science conference

by | November 4, 2014 2:26 pm

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The 14^th annual Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology (CCBST14) brought some of the continent’s top design and engineering experts to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) in October.

Hosted by the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC), the three-day gathering focused on innovation, energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and performance—most often in multi-unit residential projects. It included more than 40 peer-reviewed papers, along with a trade show dedicated to the materials comprising the building envelope. The technical program’s topics ranged from energy retrofits and materials testing, to better ways to design components in the building envelope to protect against moisture intrusion. Speakers included numerous national and internationally recognized experts in the field, along with several past contributors to Construction Canada.

For conference chair, Gerald R. Genge, P.Eng., C.Eng., BDS, BSSO, C.Arb., Q.Med., the show was an excellent one.

“While we would have liked to have shared the hard work of the presenters with more attendees, OBEC is very proud to have hosted this and we consider it to be an unqualified success,” he told Construction Canada Online. “I am confident the proceedings will be a reference point for researchers and practitioners for many years to come.”

“At many professional development opportunities, you get a day or less of unsupported presentation material and by the end of the day are looking for reasons to leave,” he continued. “I found the day sped by extremely quickly—there wasn’t a dull moment from the product and service expo to the technical presentations, to the awards and the entertainment.

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At the awards gala, Kevin Day—building enclosure expert and Construction Canada author[3]—received the Anthony A. Woods Award, affectionately known as ‘the Beckie.’ Day vice-chairs the Exterior Insulation and Finishing System (EIFS) Council of Canada, and is a former OBEC president. He manages the sales, technical development, and marketing of Dryvit’s architectural products in Canada. Day has also been a member of the faculty behind the Building Science Specialist of Ontario (BSSO) designation.

“It’s humbling to be in the same company as many of the past recipients—and it’s nice to know my personal mission to communicate building science best practice has been well-received,” he told Construction Canada Online.

When asked how he views the Canadian building science/envelope community evolving over the last few years and into the future, Day sees things from two vantage points.

“We’ve got an industry loaded with conflict around contractual obligations—challenging design, long payment terms, value-engineered buildings with no service life expectations. This is all detrimental for the built (or restored) product,” he said. “Conversely, new technologies and improved communications are making it easier to get cost-effective, reliable building envelopes, and service life expectations are now becoming more integrated in the design/renewal process.”

Also honoured at the gala was the company Hydrotech, which received a Distinction for Materials Award in recognition of its self-healing Monolithic Membrane (MM) 6125 for roofing and waterproofing applications.

The next CCBST will be held in Vancouver in 2017, hosted by the British Columbia Building Envelope Council (BCBEC).

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/building-connections-at-building-science-conference/

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