In the realm of high-performance building and cutting-edge construction, there’s a standout name: Peter Yost, owner of Building-Wright in Brattleboro, Vermont. With over three decades dedicated to building, renovating, researching, and consulting on high-performance homes, Peter is not just any builder – he’s a master puzzle solver, a technical virtuoso, and a champion of building science. As the Technical Director at GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, a research associate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a lecturer at Yale University’s Graduate School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, a certified instructor/course author for the NAHB Advanced Green Building: Building Science certificate program, and the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 2014 Educator of the Year, Peter Yost is the foremost authority on understanding the inner workings of buildings. He’s the go-to expert for unraveling the mysteries of design, construction, and performance assessment.
So what better person, than Peter Yost, to answer some questions about building science training.
Peter Yost: On Building Science Training
1. SEON
Peter, you’ve mentioned before that building science is like solving puzzles. Can you share a real-world example where your approach to building science helped you solve a challenging problem on a construction project?
Yost
Simple example: on a recent project we traced moisture in a garage cold joint where the foundation wall meets the garage slab to a clogged drain-to-daylight perimeter footing drain. The problem solving I do following water is like a basset hound on a scent…
2. SEON
In your experience, what are the most common building science misconceptions or mistakes that builders often make, and how can they avoid them?
Yost
• Vapor diffusion is the big bad wolf, when in almost all cases, moisture problems are related to bulk water and/or air leaks.
• Thinking that they understand how to make a building “airtight” but have never submitted their buildings to a blower door test. Your first building blower door test is always shocking, disappointing, and frustrating….
3. SEON
Why should builders/carpenters engage in continuous learning of Building Science? They’re already busy and making good money.
Yost
Despite how gratifying it is to understand how buildings actually work, it is the decreased liability and risk that learning and using building science that should motivate builders and carpenters.
4. SEON
For builders interested in improving their building performance skills, what are some valuable things they will learn? What have you seen as the benefit for those who have taken the course Basics of High Performance Building?
Yost
We build stuff focused on construction, not how the bloody final product WORKS. I think the most valuable learning is to move to being building STEWARDS rather than just handing off the building when we are done building it.
5. SEON
What are the advantages to an in-person course vs online – how is the hands on aspect different from the Zoom perspective.
Yost
Oh boy: anyone who got in to building or carpentry is a DOER, not a passive student. Everyone in our industry needs the theory and classroom delivery translated into job site action.
6. SEON
By focusing on high-performance building are we not pricing the average Vermonter out of the new home and renovation markets?
Yost
Yes, you have to sell high performance based on VALUE. Everyone understands greater value when it comes to performance-based products such as cell phones and laptops and flat screen TVs. The easy trick is to turn buildings into high performance products; they are but most lay folks do not see buildings as such.
For Peter Yost, building science isn’t just a profession; it’s a passion, a puzzle, and a pathway to a better-built future. His dedication to unraveling the secrets of building science and sharing that knowledge with the world is nothing short of inspiring. When it comes to building science, Peter Yost is the one to watch, learn from, and be inspired by.
Ready to take a building science training course with Peter? Head over to SEON’s Building Science Training & Certification link.