Education & Training Resources
Mastering Building Science Fundamentals
Videos and presentations covering the hidden key to smarter home upgrades — from airtightness and thermal bridging to moisture management and heat flow across British Columbia's diverse climate zones.
Why Building Science Matters
The hidden key to smarter home upgrades.
Did you know most older homes in British Columbia waste over 40% of their heating and cooling due to unseen air leaks and inadequate insulation? In regions ranging from the damp coastal zones of Metro Vancouver to the colder elevations near Kamloops, these inefficiencies don't just drive up energy bills — they compromise comfort and indoor air quality.
At the heart of every successful energy retrofit lies a powerful but often overlooked foundation: building science. This multidisciplinary field combines physics, materials engineering, and environmental design to understand how homes breathe, retain heat, and interact with their surroundings.
40%
of heating & cooling wasted in older BC homes
Unseen air leaks and inadequate insulation are the primary culprits. Understanding building science is the first step to fixing them.
What You'll Learn
Core building science principles covered in our training.
Airtightness
Understanding how air movement through the building envelope affects energy performance, moisture control, and indoor air quality.
Thermal Bridging
Identifying and mitigating thermal bridges that bypass insulation and dramatically reduce the effective R-value of wall assemblies.
Moisture Management
Managing vapour drive, condensation risk, and bulk water to protect building durability and occupant health.
Heat Flow Principles
How conduction, convection, and radiation interact in real-world wall, roof, and floor assemblies across BC's diverse climate zones.
Training Resources for High Performance Building
Full YouTube playlist — watch at your own pace, share with your team, and revisit key concepts anytime.
Open Playlist on YouTubeLearning Outcomes
What you'll be able to do after watching.
- Diagnose common energy loss points using basic building diagnostics
- Apply climate-specific strategies across BC's wide range of microclimates
- Prioritize upgrades that deliver maximum impact before investing in solar or new HVAC
- Understand how homes breathe, retain heat, and interact with their surroundings
- Improve skills in enclosure detailing and quality assurance
- Meet Energy Step Code and Net-Zero adoption requirements
Who This Is For
Training built for the whole industry.
Additional Resources
Industry organizations & learning resources.
Wildfire Resilience
BC FireSmart
Provincial program helping BC homeowners and communities reduce wildfire risk through landscape management, building materials, and community preparedness.
Indoor Air Quality
Radon in BC
BC-specific radon awareness and testing resources. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers — critical knowledge for any building enclosure professional.
Energy Planning
Community Energy Association
Supporting BC local governments and First Nations in community energy planning, climate action, and the transition to clean energy.
Industry Training
CHBA Training & Resources
Canadian Home Builders' Association training programs, Net Zero certification, and technical resources for residential builders and renovators.
Research & Education
RDH Learn & Research Library
Building science research, technical papers, and learning resources from RDH Building Science — one of Canada's leading enclosure consulting firms.
Wildfire-Resilient Windows
Cascadia Fire Resilient Windows
High-performance window systems engineered for wildfire resilience and energy efficiency — relevant for BC's interface communities and high-performance enclosures.
Building Materials
Small Planet Supply
Canadian distributor of high-performance building products — air barriers, vapour control layers, insulation, and sustainable envelope materials for net-zero and Passive House projects.
Building Materials
475 High Performance Building Supply
North American supplier specializing in Passive House and high-performance building products including INTELLO, Pro Clima, and GUTEX systems.
Building Materials
Wharehoos
Building product supplier focused on high-performance envelope systems, air sealing materials, and energy-efficient construction products for BC builders.
Building Materials
Cascade Aqua-Tech
BC-based supplier of waterproofing, drainage, and building envelope protection systems for residential and commercial construction.
Building Materials
Convoy Supply
Western Canadian building materials distributor carrying insulation, air barriers, sheathing, and envelope products for contractors across BC.
Education & Training
BCIT High Performance Building Lab
BCIT's Centre for Architectural Ecology and High Performance Building Lab offer industry-leading training in building science, HVAC design, heat pump systems, mechanical ventilation, and energy-efficient construction — practical programs for BC trades and building professionals.
Ready to put building science into practice?
Our consulting services take these principles from the screen to your building. Get in touch to discuss your next energy efficiency project.