Airtightness: Ultimate Benefits and Decisions Stakeholder Interests

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Ehab Naim Ibrahim, BArch, Dipl Ing Architekt, MRAIC, BSS®, LEED® AP, CPHD
Meena Hamati, Ing (Eng), MEng, PQS

Knowledge Level: Advanced
Credits: This session has been approved for 1.0 IIBEC CEH. | This session has been approved for 1.0 AIA LU/Elective. | 1 hour (60 min) of Education is eligible for 1 BSS Credit | 1 OAA Core Learning Hour | Session may qualify for PEEK CPD.
Session Topics(s): Building Commissioning: BECxP, Codes & Standards: C&S, Sustainability/Resilience: SUS

Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, the attendee will be able to:

• Discuss developing codes and standards.
• Compare energy conservation objectives.
• Interpret parameters, measuring tools, and correspondences evaluation. 
• Manage authorities, builders, and public expectations. 
• Explore enabling feasibilities to achieve aimed performance.

Description
Airtightness is an impactful dynamic toward reduced energy consumption, occupant comfort, and building resilience at large. Disclosed building energy use intensity (EUI) operational data is alarming. In times where our expertise should unite to conquer this air and energy leakage beast, air permeability expectations from distinct components and buildings are ultimately blurred and are often deranged. Although anticipated conservation targets appear mostly clear while initiating projects, whole-building airtightness performance and resulting energy exhaustion declare major misperceptions in applied methodologies. Many construction stakeholders aren’t necessarily proceeding in harmony. Designers, developers, and legislative entities confuse requirements and standards. To build a truly airtight building, it's important to plan carefully and use tools to find and seal up any gaps during construction. This can help us cut down on wasted energy. The research presented intends to clarify construction’s most employed airtightness approaches, those in light of stockholders’ diverse interests and contributions toward achieving a certain enclosure performance. The analyses will include commonalities and differences between predominant standards and testing parameters, as well as subsequent energy consumptions/savings. The aimed airtightness study will help minimize confusion and propose practical paths forward with relevant stakeholders’ interests, arriving at sustainability.

Presenter/Author

Ehab Naim Ibrahim, B.Arch, Dipl. Ing Architekt, MRAIC, BSS®, LEED® AP, CPHD

Building Physics Consultant

Ehab Naim Ibrahim focuses on building envelope improvements, developing innovative solutions, and establishing nontraditional facade concepts. He joined UL Solutions in 2024 after three decades with Gamma, WSP, and other Canadian and German consulting and architectural firms. He is a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, has served as the president of the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC, 2020–2021), and is a guest lecturer, design studio assistant, and critic at the University of Toronto school of Architecture master’s program. He is the registered inventor of the patented first North American Passivhaus Certified Unitized Curtainwall.
 

Co-Author

Meena Hamati, Ing (Eng), MEng, PQS

Meena Hamati has worked with building envelope contractors in Canada and internationally for more than 10 years. He is an engineer certified by the Order of Engineers of Quebec and a professional quantity surveyor member of the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors. He holds a master’s degree in building engineering.