Building Envelope Science – Principles and Practices

This microcredential will teach students about the building envelope, its components, and the building science concepts that determine how a building interacts with its environment and surroundings. This microcredential is designed for anyone with an interest in building science. Whether a season building professional or a savvy homeowner, a knowledge of building science helps make design and material decisions that increase building efficiency and longevity. 

The learner will:

• Define terminology associated with building science principles and practices
• Interpret codes, regulations, and specifications pertaining to building science practices
• Identify building science principles affecting the surrounding environment
• Explain heat transfer principles and their impact on buildings
• Identify energy-efficient construction techniques and considerations and describe their impact on the building as a system
• Identify methods and products that help contribute to an environmentally responsible and sustainable building
• Describe the potential impacts of procedures used to control air leakage, inadequate insulation, and heat transfer in buildings
• Describe the principles of airflow and its impact on buildings and procedures used to control airflow in buildings
• Describe the principles of moisture flow and its impact on buildings and procedures used to control moisture flow in buildings
• Describe the principles of sound transmission and its impact on buildings and procedures used to control sound transmission in buildings
• Describe the concept of off-gassing and procedures used to control or eliminate off-gassing
• Describe types of drainage systems and describe their characteristics and applications, and the procedures used to control surface and groundwater

With energy used for home heating and cooling comprising approximately 11% of Canada’s national energy usage, along with the ever-increasing cost of energy, building more efficient and resilient structures should be of paramount importance to Canadian homebuilders and owners. This micro-credential will educate on energy-efficient building materials and practices that can reduce the energy used to heat and cool, as well as reduce wasted energy and materials used in repairing or rebuilding poorly built structures. 

• Building Envelope Science – Design and Application