Toronto Building Science Education Workshop
The Toronto Workshop on Building Science Education, co-sponsored by ASTM, NIBS, and the Joint Committee on Building Science Education included presentations from invited speakers recognized in Canada and the United States as subject-matter experts in Building Science certification, training, and curriculum development. The Workshop had over 100 participants, including over 21 participants from US and Canadian universities.
A topic that was covered in a number of presentations was the institutional and other issues in universities and associated organizations constraining the offering of good building science curricula. The workshop expanded the findings of the January 2011 DOE/HUD Excellence in Building Science Education workshop. The presentations also included examples of good curricula. Possible solutions were mentioned or inferred – which would be expanded upon in a future workshop. [The sequel to the Toronto Workshop was the January 2016 Workshop on Building Science Education in North America co-hosted by NIBS, ASTM, and the Joint Committee on Building Science Education, adjunct to NIBS Building Innovation Conference in Arlington, VA.]
The Toronto Workshop was held adjunct to an ASTM Committee Week and was originally intended to augment the work of the ASTM committees developing the core competencies for building enclosure commissioning providers. However, with significant interest in building science by the US Department of Energy, and the co-hosting of the Joint Committee on Building Science Education, the workshop provided broader benefits.
Daniel J. “Dan” Lemieux, AIA (Principal, Washington, D.C.) chaired this workshop, and also serves as Chairperson of ASTM International Subcommittee E06.55, Performance of Building Enclosures. Co-Chairing the workshop were R. Christopher “Chris” Mathis, Chairman of the Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) for NIBS, and Paul E. Totten, PE, Chairman of the BETEC Education Committee. Representing the Joint Committee on Building Science Education were Samuel J. Taylor (DOE-BT retired), Coordinator; and Assoc. Prof. Patrick H. Huelman, U. MN. and Chair of the Joint Committee’s Task Group on Excellence in Building Science Curricula.