April 2023 Monthly Meeting

As we move toward higher performance buildings supported by advanced technologies, we require more advanced tools to not only analyze but also disseminate the information. This session will use data driven guidance and highly visual tools to communicate a more complete picture of whole building energy performance. The frameworks presented will highlight the relationships between multiple performance variables, allowing designers to make more informed decisions and building energy policy makers to focus attention on areas of higher priority. The session will include a brief overview of the recently published Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide (available publicly, free of charge), followed by a “how-to” use the guide, using building case studies and hands-on examples. The exercise is meant to teach participants how to use the guide, but also to understand the implications that the information has on opaque building envelope performance.

The second part of the session will introduce the concept of building energy performance mapping (BEPM) using unique visualization techniques. With a case study as a backdrop, we will explore how the use of BEPM can put into context building performance characteristics, such as thermal bridging and wall R-values in comparison to glazing, architectural massing and other parameters. Highly visual tools will be used to consolidate vast amounts of data into a package, allowing architects and designers to make informed decisions throughout design without relying solely on, or waiting for, project-specific calculations. The ease at which BEPM helps visualize results makes it accessible to all designers, allowing this part of the presentation to be highly interactive.

Stevan 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 seven 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 provided by Morrison Hershfield