HAVAN eLearn

The building envelope of a house needs to be designed and constructed to have satisfactory moisture management and thermal performance. The HVAC and mechanical systems, on the other hand, need to be designed and constructed to provide appropriate indoor environmental conditions for the occupants. Although these two disciplines are separate, there is quite a noticeable overlap between the two, to a point that the performance of one will affect the other one. These overlaps are often not effectively coordinated, leading to compromised moisture management and/or thermal performance of the building envelope, or compromised efficiency and performance of the HVAC and mechanical systems. In either case, the end result is the performance and long-term durability of the house have been compromised.

• Discuss the overlaps in the scopes of the building envelope and HVAC/mechanical disciplines
• Show examples where a lack of coordination of these overlaps has led to performance problems
• Demonstrate the required coordination measures and provide practical solutions to effectively handle the overlaps of the two scopes

Key Learning Objectives:

• Best practice coordination strategies to address the overlaps between the scopes of the building envelope and HVAC/mechanical disciplines during the design and construction phases
• Effective airtightness measures around pipe and HVAC duct penetrations through building envelope
• Proper waterproofing strategies around penetrations such as exhaust vents, pipes, and electrical conduits/boxes
• Optimal location of HVAC and mechanical systems in relation to the building envelope
• Conditioned versus unconditioned spaces, and associated implications on building envelope and HVAC design
• New section 9.36 BC Building Code energy efficiency requirements, and their impact on the overlap of scopes between the two disciplines, including insulation requirements behind ducts and pipes in the wall cavity, the trade-off option, etc.
• Increased airtightness of the building envelope and its impact on ventilation efficiency
• Excess summer heat gain and the associated occupant discomfort, and their relation to the overlaps of scope between the two disciplines

Approved for 1.5 CPD points under the Construction Technology category

Note: If you have already taken this course in person, repeating it online will not qualify for additional CPD points.