Building science is a science and technology based approach to building structures with better indoor air quality, energy-efficiency, and comfort.
It is all about understanding how different elements of a building, like the walls, windows, and roofs, work together to control airflow, temperature, and moisture. By applying building science principles, we can design homes that keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and comfortable in terms of humidity, all while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.
Imagine your home as a giant, breathable outfit, designed to fit perfectly in any weather. Building science helps us pick the right materials and systems to make sure your home’s “outfit” is always comfortable, no matter the season. It is about making smart choices to ensure your living space is healthy, long-lasting, and kind to the planet. So, whether we are talking about insulating your attic to keep heat in, choosing windows that let in light but keep out drafts, or designing a ventilation system that ensures fresh air without wasting energy, it is all building science at work, making your home the best it can be.
The A-Z of Building Science
Advanced Framing
Advanced framing, sometimes called optimum value engineering (OVE), refers to framing techniques that reduce the amount of lumber to build a house. It reduces thermal bridging through excess studs and maximizes insulated wall area.
Air Sealing
Air sealing reduces air leaks to reduce heating and cooling costs, increase comfort, and maintain healthy indoor air. Air barriers are installed on warm side of insulation to prevent moisture in walls that leads to mold, rot, and structural damage.
Blower Door Tests
Blower door tests are used to measure air tightness of buildings and detect air leaks. Utah code requires new residential construction be less than 3.5 air changes per hour (ACH50). Passive house requires < .6 ACH50.
Building Envelopes
Building envelopes are barriers between exterior and interior environments of a structure. They consist of an air barrier, weather barrier, and insulation layer.
Deep Energy Retrofits
Deep energy retrofits involve an extensive systems approach to reduce energy usage in buildings by up to 90% by addressing all energy loads: heating, cooling, hot water, lighting, appliances, and outlets.
Engineered Lumber
Engineered lumber is constructed using adhesives to create wood products that are stronger and more dimensionally stable than raw wood. Examples of engineered wood products include: plywood, MDF, OSB, glulam, LVL, LSL, and CLT.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from cool to warm spaces, making cool spaces cooler and warm spaces warmer. Ductless air-source heat pumps are known as mini-splits. Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality [IAQ] refers to the air quality inside buildings, as affected by occupant use, building materials, and outdoor pollution. Poor IAQ can lead to a dry throat and eyes, fatigue, headaches, congestion, dizziness, and nausea.
Insulated Concrete Forms
Insulated concrete forms [ICFs] are cast-in-place concrete wall forms that consists of two layers of foam on either side of a concrete wall. They remain in place after pouring concrete to provide energy-efficient insulation and furring for finishes.
Modular Building
Modular buildings are constructed off-site using the same materials and designed to the same codes as conventional structures, but in about half the time. Buildings are produced in “modules” and assembled on-site.
Passive House
Passive house is an international building standard to measure comfort, durability, and efficiency. Certification requires energy modeling and performance verification.
Prefab Wall Panels
Prefab wall panels are walls sections built in a controlled manufacturing facility and delivered to a job-site for assembly by crane or lift. They can be constructed to higher quality standards than site-built walls and installed in less time.
Radiant Heating
Radiant heating delivers heat from hot surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings) to people and objects via infrared radiation. It is more efficient and better for people with allergies than forced-air heating because it eliminates duct losses and allergens.
Solar Panels
Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic [PV] panels, collect energy from sunlight and convert it to electricity. These panels can be used to supplement a building’s electricity, push power back to the grid, or provide power at remote locations.
Structural Insulated Panels
Structural insulated panels [SIPs] consist of an insulated foam core between two structural layers of OSB. Manufactured in a shop and assembled on-site, they create high-performance building assemblies.
Super Insulation
Super insulation reduces heat loss through the building envelope, which minimizes heating demand. A typical detail involves double framed walls to create a deep cavity for insulation. Another involves exterior insulation.
Thermal Bridges
Thermal bridges are localized areas of the building envelope where heat flow is different (increased) compared with adjacent areas. Steel, for example, is very conductive and can cause condensation issues due to rapid heat loss.
Triple-Pane Windows
Triple-pane windows, or glazings, utilize three layers of glass with two sealed air spaces to reduce heat and sound transfer. They are more efficiency than double-pane windows and improve building durability by limiting condensation.
Ventilation Systems
Energy recovery ventilation systems provide whole-house ventilation while transferring heat and humidity from warm inside exhaust air to fresh outside supply air. In summer, inside air cools supply air to reduce cooling costs.
Weather Barriers
Weather-resistive barriers are a part of exterior wall systems that protect building materials from exterior water penetration. They perform like a GoreTex shell for buildings, keeping bulk moisture out while allowing water vapor to escape.
Zero Energy Building
Zero energy buildings are low energy or “Net Zero” buildings that use renewable energy to produce as much energy as they use over the course of a year.
