Building Science: Volume 1, Issue 10

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In this issue

  • Message from the Executive Director
  • Training Classes – Eliminate Callbacks!
  • Our members – in action
  • Our members – look back
  • Our members – a little fun
  • Interesting Links
  • Resources
  • Meetings & Conferences
  • Job Opportunities
  • Welcome New Members
  • Thank you, Members

It’s October Folks!

Exploring the intricacies of energy and safety codes, the State’s “Building Energy Code Study Committee” is on a mission, carved out by 2023’s Act 47, to bolster compliance with RBES and CBES, all while navigating the nuanced waters of cost-effectiveness. Despite unison on the educational imperative, and with a final draft earmarked for fall, the quest for staunch Building Science advocates proves challenging. Amidst this, the Contractor Registry Program, though active, wrestles with resource constraints, veering its focus towards mitigating fraud. Stay tuned for the unfolding chapters in this code compliance journey.  You can find the Minutes on the website of the Department of Public Service.

The answer to my question is that we must all be advocates and ambassadors to advance our workforce in high-performance building. We must each have continuous learning as a guiding principle. Rarely is there an ideal time for education and training.

Guy Payne: Growth must be pursued consciously and sustainably – VTDigger

On a very happy note, we need to give SEON’s Marketing Director, Sarah Fox, and her husband Mark, heartfelt congratulations for their move to Westminster West, Vermont. It took them a year of trying and now Sarah is just 20 minutes from our office in Brattleboro.

Finally, please, consider sharing our training – this is the backbone of what we do!

Onward! And until November.

Guy Payne
Executive Director

Training Classes Are Now Open

(Please share: buildingscience.org/training)

SEON’s fall training classes are now open for enrollment.
We have multiple dates and locations for you to seize the opportunity to learn:

► Basics of High-Performance Building — builders are in colossal demand, now more than ever, and the key lies in high-performance expertise. Embrace the chance to reshape the world through our top-notch High Performance building course. Unite with industry experts and champion the cause of change. Seize the opportunity, redefine your impact, and be the catalyst for a greener, better world.
► Crew Leadership Development — learn the skills that foster a culture where each team member develops their technical skills and takes ownership of their roles, as well as how to create an enjoyable work environment that promotes excellence, pride, growth, respect, and collaboration.
► Sign up for both today

Our Members – in Action

Unity Homes “Streamlined” high performance home designs
These high performance home designs are built at a fraction of the cost of custom designs. Unity homes offers pre-engineered Streamlined designs for each of their five design platforms; Tradd, Zum, Värm, Xyla, and Nano. Each design has pre-designed components that can be configured easily, without the added time and cost of starting from scratch. Learn more
Mathes Hulme Builders putting ingenuity and teamwork to good use.Getting the last few windows in at their Lake Raponda Project. Learn more
Our Members – A Look Back

All Seasons Construction Corp:
The general contractors for the historical restoration and preservation of the Langdon Meeting House in NH.Replacement of the building’s failing fieldstone and granite slab foundation in October 2010.  The original but failing foundation was replaced by a continuous concrete foundation. The entire Structure was lifted about six feet off its foundation in order that partial basement be dug, rubble removed, footings installed and concrete walls poured. Not one window pane was broken in the process of lifting or lowering the structure. (Architect Richard Monahon.)
Learn more
Our Members – A Little Fun!
Owl’s Head Builders – a contractor’s ode to sticking on schedule at the beginning of a project:
Whether the weather be fine 🤞
Or whether the weather be hail 😱
Whether the weather be blisteringly hot and humid
Or whether the weather be torrential downpours

We’ll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not…Learn more
Mindel and Morse – keeping the play in their good building science.
John just saying hello!Learn more
Interesting Links
► Fact Sheet | Building Sustainably: Mass Timber & Commonly-Asked Questions ► Implementing strategies like motel shelters and mobile home programs, amidst challenges in affordable housing and program complications. ►  ClimateReadyVT aims to enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of small businesses in Vermont by facilitating risk assessments, mitigation strategies, and tailored resilience plans amidst the escalating climate challenges. ► A 728-page state report guided flood projects in 5 communities after Tropical Storm Irene. What worked? Including a look back at the recommendations from the VERI project — which featured Woodstock, Brattleboro, Brandon, Barre, Enosburg and the Village of Enosburg Falls — and it shows a complicated picture of climate resilience work already undertaken in Vermont. ► Over 800 LEED-certified buildings, including Vermont’s Department of Public Safety headquarters, face substantial flooding risks. ► Interim Vermont State University President proposes merging a program in architectural & building engineering technology with a program in architectural engineering technology. ► ‘A lot of history under its roof‘: Vermont’s Old Constitution House to get facelift ► 13 Vermont communities will be receiving a combined $10.8 million from NBRC’s Catalyst Program.► ‘We’re losing the battle,’ lawmakers told as they mull ‘modernizing’ Vermont’s shelter program. ► Help wanted: Lawmakers, Scott administration trying to tackle shortage of plumbers, electricians.
Resources
► Best Practices for Internal Communication & Digital Organization (HELM)
Meetings & Conferences

Event: Yestermorrow’s Intro to Revit Architecture
Date: Oct. 12
Place: OnlineEvent:  Open House at a Unity Zum Shell Date: Oct 14
Place: Washington, NHEvent:  How Unity Prefabricates QualityDate: Oct 18
Place: Keene, NHEvent: BuildHelm Webinar: Strategic Thinking
Date: Oct 19
Place: OnlineEvent: Yestermorrow’s Women’s+ Basic Carpentry
Date: Oct. 20 
Place: Waitsfield, VTEvent: Webinar: Strategic Thinking: HELMDate: Oct. 26
Place: OnlineEvent: Unity’s Lunch and Learn: An Intro to our Streamlined Designs
Date: Oct. 26
Place: OnlineEvent: Yestermorrow’s Women’s+ Carpentry Fundamentals
Date: Oct. 29
Place: Waitsfield, VTEvent: BuildHelm Webinar: Management Versus Leadership
Date: Nov 2
Place: OnlineBuildHelm’s Fundamentals of Pre-Construction and Project Management (7 weeks)
Date: Nov. 7
Place: OnlineEvent: 2023 New England Home Performance Conference & Trade Show
Date: Nov. 7-8
Place: Springfield, MAEvent: Apples & Oranges: Connecting the Dots between Air Leakage Numbers and HVAC Load Calculations
Date: Nov. 7
Place: Springfield, MAEvent: Yestermorrow’s Tiny House Design
Date: Nov. 14
Place: OnlineEvent: BuildHelm Webinar: Primer on Estimating
Date: Nov 16
Place: Online Event: Yestermorrow’s Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Design
Date: Nov. 16
Place: OnlineEvent: Yestermorrow’s Intro to Adobe Brick Architecture
Date: Nov. 16
Place: OnlineVisit Yestermorrow Design Build for their on-site classes
yestermorrow.org/learn/coursesVisit Efficiency Vermont’s website for listing of their upcoming courses. efficiencyvermont.com/events
Job Opportunities
Experienced Estimator, Project Manager, Experienced Site Supervisors, Carpenters, Carpenter Helpers, Laborers
All Seasons Construction Corp: Springfield, VT
Experienced Carpenter, Weatherization Professional, Energy Auditor, Project Developer
Earthshare Construction: Lebanon, NH
Experienced Carpenters, Cabinet Maker, Project Coordinator, and Skilled Finish Painters
HouseWright Construction, Inc., Newbury, VT
Experienced and General CarpentersMathes Hulme Builders, Brattleboro, VT
For more jobs, check out Helm’s Job Board
Welcome New Members
Andrew Dey, Consutlant, Walpole, NH
Thank you, Members

All Seasons Construction, Springfield, VT Delta Energy Works (DEW), Brattleboro, VT Duane Case, Bellows Falls, VTEfficiency Vermont, Winooski, VTFarnum Insulators, Dummerston, VT Friendly Homes, Brattleboro, VTGPI Construction, Inc, Brattleboro, VT Green Mountain Enclosure Consulting, llc (Nate Gusakov), Bristol, VTHELM Construction Solutions, LLC, Brattleboro, VTHousewright Construction, Inc, Newbury, VTIntegrated Solar Applications Corp. Brattleboro, VT JA Saccoccio Workshop PLLC, Brattleboro, VT  Junio Anthes-MoodyTim Lillis, Builder, Bellows Falls, VTMindel & Morse Builders, Brattleboro, VT Owl’s Head Builders, Guilford, VT Shelterwood Construction Sierra Pacific Windows, Red Bluff, CA The Wadsworth Company LLC, Jamaica, VTWright Builders, Inc, Northampton, MA