Empowering Tomorrow: Where Sustainability Meets Energy Efficiency

Session Outline:
coming soon

Steve Murray, P. Eng (ON, MB), BECxP

Principal, Building Science Stantec

Steve has broad experience in new construction, rehabilitation of existing buildings, and deep energy retrofits targeting Passive House and Zero Carbon performance. Steve has developed expertise with 6-storey timber-framed low-rise structures and multi-story mass timber buildings and the unique envelope challenges they entail. Recent work has focused on high-performance buildings pursuing Passive House and Zero Carbon Building certifications and the Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) processes necessary to achieve these objectives. Steve has particular expertise with Pre-fabricated envelope systems for both new construction and retrofit projects. Steve thrives in providing architect and developer clients with envelope design assistance, design review, and energy optimization advice

Session Outline:
coming soon

Dr. Javeriya Hasan, PhD (Building Science), MBSc, MSc, BEng (Hons)

EIT Associate, Civil & Structural & Building Science
30 Forensic Engineering

Dr. Hasan is an associate with the Civil & Structural Engineering and Building Science & Building Envelope Engineering group at 30 Forensic Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. in building science from Toronto Metropolitan University, where her research involved the development of a machine learning-based tool for solar neighbourhood planning. Her experience lies in the areas of sustainability and built environment, with an emphasis on building energy efficiency, building performance, and resilience.

Robert Hemphill, RBEC, RRC, RWC, REWC

Building Enclosure Specialist
Salas O'Brien

Robert Hemphill is a Building Enclosure Consultant and a Registered Building Enclosure Consultant. He has extensive experience in roofing and waterproofing materials, and is a Construction Specifications Institute Certified Document Technologist. He is a frequent speaker at industry seminars and conventions, and a member of the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants. He worked as a California State Licensed Contractor and worked for 21 years in that capacity.

Session Outline:
With the current housing crisis, it is imperative to increase the current housing stock, and one way to do this is to convert old commercial and industrial buildings into much needed housing. However, many of these buildings use double-wythe structural walls, which need to undergo both structural and thermal retrofits to meet current day codes before they can be deemed fit for use as a residential structure. This research project explored the potential of using structural wood panels affixed to the interior face of double wythe brick walls, coupled with wood fibre insulation, to develop a biogenic retrofit solution that simultaneously provides the required seismic stability and thermal performance. The internal retrofit of brick assemblies poise significant building science challenges, which only increases through the introduction of biogenic insulations to the solution. To determine the potential of the proposed solution, a full scale, 3 m by 3 m mock-up was built and tested within CABER’s guarded hot box for both thermal and hygrothermal performance over a 3-month period in Fall of 2024. This presentation will provide an overview of the experimental testing conducted, and how that data was used to support extensive hygrothermal modelling of the proposed system. The main outcomes of the work will also be presented, along with a discussion around the testing methodologies used to evaluate the full-scale prototype. 
 

Christopher Baldwin

Project Manager – Carleton University’s Centre for Advanced Building Envelope Research (CABER)

Dr. Christopher Baldwin is the Project Manager at Carleton University’s Centre for Advanced Building Envelope Research (CABER). He completed his B.Eng., M.A.Sc., and Ph.D. at Carleton University in Mechanical Engineering, where he focused on developing energy efficient building systems, initially focusing on mechanical systems, before shifting his research focus to improving the design and performance of building envelope materials and systems. Since 2019, he has overseen the design, construction and now research activities at CABER, where he oversees full scale research and testing projects in the state of the art lab, focusing on assessing the performance of new materials and assemblies to improve Canada’s built environment. Current projects focus on development of new construction assemblies for residential and commercial buildings, as well as the retrofit of Canada’s existing building stock.

Session Outline:
Empirical studies have shown that more than 30% of thermal energy consumption can be attributed to enclosure air leakage in North American climates. Retrofitted masonry buildings have the additional challenge of having their existing building enclosure modified from their original design intent. Since occupant comfort, building energy consumption, and building performance models are strongly dependent on accurate enclosure air infiltration rates, measured whole building, compartmentalized and facade airtightness levels will be analysed. The session will compare both Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI), and Peak Power for these measured enclosure airtightness levels. In addition, detailed comparisons between measured and best practice infiltration levels will be discussed. Specifically, the empirically based TEDI and Peak Thermal Power estimates for the existing building will be contrasted to Passive House International US(PHIUS) rates of 0.25 L/s/m² @ 50Pa, Vancouver Green Building Policy rates (Passive House International-PHI), and ASHRAE 90.1 2.0 L/s/m² @ 75 Pa enclosure air leakage rates.

Bomani Khemet, PhD, M.Eng, MBSc, P.Eng

Assistant Professor of Building Science
Faculty of Architecture - University of Toronto
Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (Cross-Appointment)
Division of Forestry (Cross-Appointment)

Bomani Khemet is a professional engineer with graduate degrees Building Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering. His research is focused on the design of thermally comfortable, ultra-low energy, affordable buildings through in situ testing, modeling, and building energy simulation. Prior to joining academia, Bomani had over a decade of engineering experience in both the construction, and transportation sectors. These projects have included the design of emission reduction technologies in heavy vehicles, as well as Reduction of Hazardous Substances initiatives for industrial pressure sensing products. Most notably, Bomani has worked on Toronto’s Union Station Revitalisation project under a comprehensive transit re-signalling construction contract. Bomani's current research is centered on increasing occupant comfort while simultaneously reducing energy demand in existing institutional and residential buildings by passive means. Khemet’s latest projects in West Africa, East Africa and North America examine the how building shape, floor plans, and window placement affect thermal comfort, and resilience.

Session Outline:
coming soon

George Torok, C.E.T, BSS

Stantec Consulting Ltd

George Torok, is a Senior Building Science Specialist with Stantec Consulting Ltd., in Ottawa, Ontario.  George has over 38 years of experience in building envelope design, construction, performance assessment, failure investigation and rehabilitation for public and private sector buildings of all types across North America. George works with building owners and design teams to achieve balanced, practical and innovative solutions, and provides peer support and mentoring within our team.  George is a voting member of the CSA-A119 Technical Committee on Performance Standards for Windows and the CGSB Committee on Glass, and a member of the Algonquin College Bachelor of Science (Building Science) Program Advisory Committee.  George is a past president of BECOR and OBEC.