Many of the 60 million housing units in the United States built before 1960 will soon need major systems replaced. A new web seminar from the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Enclosure Council and the American Institute of Architects offers timely techniques for residential energy retrofit work, particularly applicable for older building stock.

The "Deep Energy Retrofits for Existing Homes - Concord House Case Study" webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2;00 -3:30 pm ET. Taught by Betsy Pettit, FAIA, an architect involved in modernization and redevelopment of thousands of homes and multifamily buildings, the presentation will focus on enclosure design and construction details that help to achieve greater energy efficiency. Pettit will present a case study of a house in Concord, Mass., that was retrofitted to reduce its overall energy use by more than 30 percent. Pettit is principal with Building Science Corporation, a Boston-based architecture and building science consulting firm. She serves as project manager on a U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America team, which is exploring pathways to zero energy homes by the year 2020. What You’ll Learn from this Webinar: • How to evaluate the existing conditions of older homes • How to set goals for energy reductions in older homes • How to reduce energy use through enclosure improvements and system upgrades in older homes • How to develop a multi-phase plan that allows for energy use reductions in older homes over time One rate - unlimited attendees! Purchase one site license for the webinar and invite as many people as you can gather at your office, conference room, or auditorium to attend. Webinar Licenses: AIA Members: $75 Non-Members: $100

A three day event, comprising three tracks (Energy Efficiency/Whole Building/Fenestration) that will provide a focus on specific aspects of performance of building systems with a view to high energy efficiency, good indoor climate and long-term performance. The conference will bring together leading research from Europe, Canada and the United States focusing on existing and future buildings. The academic research will be complimented with "real world" applications and case studies. The program will include panel discussions, featured workshops and plenary speakers.

Passive House Northwest’s Annual Spring Conference is just around the corner.  The conference will be held in Olympia, Washington on March 29-30 and features a great lineup of speakers and vendors making this a valuable event for professionals dedicated to high performance building design and construction.  Please see the attached flyer and schedule for more information.  Early Bird Registration ends Wednesday, March 14, so reserve your spot soon!

Since the beginning of the pandemic, building enclosures have received closer scrutiny, with everyone from consumers to building professionals to local and federal government, wanting to know more about their technologies and performance.

The BESTfest seminar brings together industry leaders and experts to discuss how the Building Enclosure Science & Technology field has changed since COVID-19 shook the world.

This four-hour virtual program is brought to you by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) , alongside the Building Enclosure Council (BEC) chapter networks.

Building enclosures are expected to be durable and provide a degree of environmental separation. They increasingly must focus on energy efficiency, daylighting, indoor air quality, fire safety, thermal comfort, and carbon footprint. Now, there’s a need to explicitly ensure these performance objectives are fully defined in the planning and design stage and efficiently executed through construction and operations.

As construction technology has become more complex and standards are more demanding, now is the time to hold a broader conversation on innovations in the field. Our panel will discuss changes in materials and methods that have resulted from the latest technology advancements. Please join us as we continue on the shared mission of BETEC and the BEC Chapters to transform the vision of building enclosure design into the built form.

Schedule (All Times Pacific) 9 AM - 1 PM

• 9:10 – 9:55 Achieving Zero Carbon
• 9:55 – 10:25 The Best of What's New in the Building Enclosure Thermal Bridging Guide
• 10:35 – 11:05 Trends for Healthy, High-Performance Buildings in the Post-Covid Age
• 11:05 – 11:35 Utah's Ultra-High Performance Building Standard Enclosure Program
• 11:45 – 12:15 ASTM Building Enclosure Commissioning Updates: An Overview and Discussion of Recent Changes to ASTM E2813 & E2947
• 12:15 – 1:00 Round Up: The Best of the BECs and BETEC

This seminar introduces the Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) process by outlining key quality based activities that achieve a successful building enclosure. The seminar will include overviews on such design phase BECx activities as developing the Owner’s Project Requirements, the BECx plan, and critical building science and architectural issues to address in the design review and specifications, and construction phase BECx activities such as construction observation and performance testing. The seminar will aid in understanding how BECx contributes towards commissioning goals and requirements and LEED.

Lothar will make a series of expert presentations from Vancouver BC to San Francisco CA. Lothar will present how to build safe, healthy and durable constructions that maximize energy savings, minimize the risk of damage to the structure and prevent mold and rot for wood framed and masonry retrofit assemblies with in-depth discussion of building physics, including WUFI analysis and assembly options specific to our climates in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.

2 LU

Jonathan Smegal’s work for RDH includes laboratory research, hygrothermal modeling, field monitoring of wall performance, and forensic analysis of building failures. Jonathan has managed more than a dozen full scale field tests of wall and roof performance including test huts, test trailers, test houses, and production homes in various locations throughout North America.

The Orchards at Orenco Passive House project was constructed through the winter of 2014/2015 and occupied in the summer of 2015. Since its construction, thermal and moisture conditions have been monitored continuously in the exterior wall of four different suites, two on the north orientation and two on the south orientation. This presentation will discuss the wall construction and moisture monitoring equipment, and look at nearly two years’ worth of relative humidity, temperature and wood moisture content data. Using this measured data, we will look at the effectiveness of the continuous exterior insulation in controlling heat loss and condensation in the enclosure. We will evaluate the performance of the wall enclosure, and the implications of different variables such as higher interior relative humidity and colder climates.

This presentation is an interactive discussion of glazing systems ranging from a punched window to monumental tension glass walls. The conversation will weave through storefront systems incorporating common stick built curtain wall and custom designed unitized walls. We will cover water management concepts, anchorage methods and how these systems accommodate the critical building movements. Bring your questions and stories for an informative and useful discussion.

This two-day symposium will explore the state of the art of building science and the sustainability of current materials and enclosure designs.

Maria Spinu: This seminar will describe the sources, mechanisms and consequences of air and moisture transport through the building enclosure and concepts for air leakage control, energy efficiency and moisture management in buildings. These critical functions are performed by "The Three Barriers": air, water and vapor barriers. Often a single membrane performs two or sometimes all three functions. This seminar will also discuss the role of each "barrier" and some critical questions you must ask in order to select "the right barriers" for your projects.

Andre Dejarlais: This seminar will describe a variety of real life situations where using hygrothermal modeling can provide insight into the performance of a building envelope component.

Richard Green: There has been little documented work on the capacity of heat strengthened glass in bolted applications. This talk outlines the design process, modeling, analysis, testing and erection procedures executed to successfully implement new technology in one of the world's largest glass walls.

Tom Liptan: Designing with and re-introducing natural elements such as soil, water and vegetation on rooftops, streets, sidewalks and parking lots is showing promise in Portland. These design techniques are being tested on city streets and private development. Monitoring results show effcient management of precipitation and storm water runoff. Other attributes have been observed including and perhaps most important, public acceptance.

Catherine Houska: An unbiased comparative analysis of the factors that determine the relative sustainability of architectural metals is provided using previously unavailable pollution and energy use data from mining and production, typical service life, metal run-off and the probability of end-of-life recapture and recycling. The significant potential impact of the service environment on life-cycle performance and metal choice is discussed and comparative performance data is provided.

h2. General Information

The Portland Building Enclosure Council will be hosting this day-long event featuring recent national and international research focusing on air barriers in existing and new building enclosure design. Academic research will be complemented with real world applications and case studies.

Up-to-date research on air barrier methodology and technology Observe real-time testing of multiple air barrier assemblies in the conference courtyard. Meet with the local representatives of leading building product manufacturers This all day event includes continental breakfast and seated lunch. *Earn 7 AIA /CEU - LU/HSW/SD learning credits.

h2. Speakers & Sessions

!/files/pictures/dalgleish.jpg! Laverne Dalgleish, Executive Director, Air Barrier Association of America Keynote Address - History of Air Barriers "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDNxQlk5V2FlOG41eDBRc1VjeWtrUEE6MA#gid=0 Lunch Address - How Tight are Buildings? "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDVtdXdPQzBrdU5SQVRkek1zU0RiRGc6MA#gid=0 As Executive Director of the ABAA, Laverne works to champion energy conservation in buildings while educating building owners and designers about the benefits of energy conservation such as durability, comfort, reduced maintenance, reduced HVAC equipment costs and the positive impact on the environment. He was the key developer of the ABAA Quality Assurance Program for the installation of air barrier systems in buildings.

!/files/pictures/steffen.jpg! Mike Steffen, AIA, Vice President/General Manager Walsh Construction Company/OR "Towards Airtightness: The Contractor's Role in Designing and Constructing the Air Barrier System":https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3qpbinNaDRmRjR2alk3X3ltb3c/edit?usp=sharing "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGMyelV6bEZMY1NXb2tuZDRVNWdwbXc6MA#gid=0 Mike is an architect, builder and educator with thirty years of experience in the design and construction of the built environment. He has a Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Walsh is a Pacific Northwest general contractor specializing in all types of multi-unit housing, building rehabilitation, educational facilities, and commercial buildings - with a commitment to being a leader in the construction of energy-efficient, healthy and durable buildings.

!/files/pictures/speert.jpg! Jeff Speert, AIA, Principal, JRS Engineering "Informed Mechanical Design through Tested Air Leakage Results":https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B91OXwne-4bWc0g3bFU1UHh6d2s/edit?usp=sharing "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHM3dkxwVjNnM2pWbkFTY0JvcnpVN2c6MA#gid=0 Jeff is a licensed architect in Washington and British Columbia. His 15 years of experience has included roles as carpenter, designer, contractor, architect and building envelope consultant. His passion for sustainability has led him to completing numerous projects that focused on energy efficiency and green building systems. Jeff is a nationally certified Home Energy Rating System Rater. He is a principal at JRS’ Seattle office and director of the firm’s whole building air barrier testing service.

!/files/pictures/durston.jpg! Lee Durston, Director of Building Science, BCRA "Summary and Analysis of Large Building Air Leakage Testing for the US Dept of Defense":https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B834vfiqXmHkR2JQbkRUV3ptLUE "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFRXOEg5eG56c0hvS0pnR1hYSldIamc6MA#gid=0 Lee conducts diagnostic studies of envelope performance characteristics and integrates the findings for better design, construction, and overall sustainability. He sits on the High Performance Building Envelope Task Force for the US Army Corps of Engineers and is a contributing editor for the USACE Air Leakage Testing Protocol. He has expertise in the areas of conditions assessment, building envelope, waterproofing, air tightness, and building performance commissioning and testing.

!/files/pictures/zhivov.jpg! Dr. Alexander Zhivov, Senior Researcher, Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory "Air Tightness in Army Buildings":https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B834vfiqXmHkaUZjQW9QZkxadnc "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEJQWFNJUjUwejMwN3gtOUNyWGdJWUE6MA#gid=0 Dr. Zhivov holds a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from Central Research and Experimental Design Institute for Industrial Buildings, Moscow and the Research Institute for Labor Protection, Leningrad and an MBA degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He develops innovative energy conservation strategies and methodologies to solve systemic design, operational quality, and project management deficiencies in the U.S. Architect/Engineer/ Constructor/Operator community. His current projects support a range of Army customers including HQUSACE, Corps Districts, IMCOM, OACSIM, and AMC by promoting improved energy efficiencies, better strategic implementation of new building technologies, improved HVAC systems and controls, distributed generation technologies, renewable energy technologies, modernized heating plants, improved building commissioning processes, and modeling/analysis tools for installation operations.

John Duncan, AIA and Logan Cravens, AIA Field Testing Typical Air Barriers Designed for the Northwest "Course Evaluation":https://docs.google.com/a/portlandbec.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDZUZ3hVaWpsbHBsRFJpZm1JRGphYnc6MA#gid=0

Dave Young, PE RDH Building Sciences Closing Remarks

"Brochure":https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3qpbinNaDRmWkdGUE01ZWk4YkE

h2. Registration Information

Registration is full.

Cost |Membership Type|Prior to May 25th|After May 25th| |Non-Members|$35|$45| |Members|$25|$35|

Because of lower than anticipated costs, excellent sponsor support, and the help of QED, Walsh, EFCO, and Portland YouthBuilders the Portland BEC Board has reduced the registration costs in line with our mission. The Portland BEC is a 501 c 3 non-profit and the intent of this symposium and all of our sponsored events is to provide excellent educational opportunities while covering costs. The Board has determined that our costs will be covered at the reduced registration rates.

h2. Sponsors

Symposium Sponsor

• Henry Company

Meal Sponsors

• BEI/Prosoco
• DuPont

Symposium Supporters

• Georgia Pacific
• Protecto Wrap
• Momentive
• Dryvit
• Sto Corporation
• Vaproshield
• Demilec
• Soprema

Special thanks to QED, Walsh Construction Company, EFCO Windows, Window Tech Inc. and Portland YouthBuilders