BUILDING ENCLOSURE LABS INC.
A client-focused laboratory and consulting company bringing building and sustainability science and education to the industry
EDUCATION
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
BELi staff provide educational offering from online and live events to hands-on workshops.
BELi team members are encouraged and supported in pursuing academic teaching opportunities alongside their professional work. This allows them to both share their knowledge and gain skills.
They have taught sustainability science, building science, and building performance courses at Toronto Metropolitan University and George Brown College in Toronto and at Fanshawe College in London.
BELi team members also share out gathered insights with industry at various conferences and through professional education.
What we offer
Publication Development
On Site and in Lab Training
Conference Presentations
Webinars
See our LinkedIn profile for upcoming learning opportunities.
Science: The systemic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence.
Sustainability: Defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (reference Bruntland). Strictly applying this definition to building is difficult because we currently use fossil fuels and other resources for most of our buildings. Sustainable Buildings are those that make a significant step toward achieving the goal of sustainability relative to a facility of its type that would otherwise be constructed or operated as expected in its application.
Presentations & Publications
- Van Straaten, R. and Zhang, K. “Hygrothermal Models For Heavy Wall Retrofits Assessments To Masonry Material Properties” CCBST Toronto 2022.
- Charron, E. and Van Straaten, R. Interior Insulation Retrofitting Heritage Masonry Buildings – Best Practice Dos and Don’ts. OAA Sustainable Built Environment Committee 2021.
- Charron, E. and Van Straaten, R. “Technical: Retrofitting Heritage Masonry Buildings”. Canadian Architect, Feb 2021.
- Van Straaten, R. “Clay Brick Material Properties” Association of Preservation Technology, Miami, FL, Nov 23, 2019.
- Van Straaten, Randy “Retrofitting Masonry Buildings in Cold Climates: When and What to Test” RCI Interface, July 2017.
- Van Straaten, Randy A. “Pressure Equalization of Wind-Induced Pressures on Residential Vinyl Siding Cladding in Full-Scale.” Doctoral thesis, Western University 2017.
- Van Straaten, Randy, Trevor Trainor, and John Straube. “Wind-Washing Effects on Mineral Wool Insulated Sheathing.” ASHRAE Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XIII, Clearwater Beach, FL, December 2016.
- Van Straaten, Randy, Trevor Trainor, and Chris Schumacher. “Critical Freeze-Thaw Saturation Measurement of In-Service Masonry.” ASHRAE Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XIII, Clearwater Beach, FL, December 2016.
- Roppel, Pat, Ivan Lee, Randy Van Straaten, and Jamie Mackay. “Guiding Design Teams by Hygrothermal Energy and Thermal Comfort Analysis while Managing Uncertainty.” ASHRAE Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XIII, Clearwater Beach, FL, December 2016.
- Van Straaten, R, Straube J., and A. Lukachko, “Durability and Resilience of Tall Buildings with Precast Concrete Enclosure Systems” CSCE Conference, London, ON, June 2016
- Van Straaten, Randy and Trevor Trainor. “Improving Access to the Frost Dilatometry Methodology for Assessing Brick Masonry Freeze Thaw Degradation Risk.” CCBST Conference, Toronto, ON, October 2014.
- Ueno, Kohta, John Straube, and Randy Van Straaten. “Field Monitoring and Simulation of a Historic Mass Masonry Building Retrofitted with Interior Insulation.” ASHRAE Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XII, Clearwater Beach, FL, December 2013.
- Ueno, Kohta, Phil Kerrigan, Honorata Loomis, and Randy Van Straaten. “Retrofit of a Multifamily Mass Masonry Building in New England.” Building America Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, February 2013.
- Ueno, Kohta, Randy Van Straaten, and Chris Schumacher. “Interior Insulation of Mass Masonry Walls: Joist Monitoring, Material Test Optimization, Salt Effects.” Building America Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, May 2013.
- Ueno, K., and R. Van Straaten. Expert Meeting Report. Interior Insulation Retrofit of Mass Masonry Wall Assemblies. No. DOE/GO-102012-3475. Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States), 2012.
- Loomis Honorata, Kohta Ueno, and Randy Van Straaten. “Byggmeister Test Home: Cold Climate Multifamily Masonry Building Condition Assessment and Retrofit Analysis.” Building America Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Golden, Oak Ridge, TN, September 2012.
- Van Straaten, Randy, Greg Kopp, and John Straube. “Testing Water Penetration Resistance of Window Systems Exposed to “Realistic” Dynamic Air Pressures.” ICBEST Conference, Vancouver, BC, June 2010.
- Van Straaten, Randy. “Loss prevention begins at home.” Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction 3, no. 1 (2009) Toronto, ON.
- Van Straaten, Randy et al. “Correlation between Air Tightness and Air Quality in Mongolian Houses.” Indoor Air Conference, Beijing, China, 2005.
- Van Straaten, Randy et al. “Mongolian Housing Energy Efficiency Study and Recommendations for Clean Development Mechanism Project.” Report for United Nations Development Program – Mongolia UNDP Office, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2004.
- Straube, John, Randy Van Straaten, and Eric Burnett. “Field Studies of Ventilation Drying.” Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings IX ASHRAE, Clearwater, FL, December 2004.
- Van Straaten, Randy. “Measurement of ventilation and drying of vinyl siding and brick clad wall assemblies.”Master’s thesis, University of Waterloo, 2004.