News & Insights

The Winooski School in Winooski, Vermont, has been recognized for commissioning excellence by the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants’ (IIBEC) Excellence in Building Enclosure Consulting Awards. Salas O’Brien provided building envelope commissioning services and applied an innovative approach that delivered high-quality outcomes.

The 142,000 square foot school in Winooski, VT was built in 1957 and included five different additions constructed between 1964 and 2000. Because the school was continuously occupied, construction required 19 different phases. Air leakage requirements were a major reason that building enclosure commissioning was specified for this project.

Because of a new commercial energy code in VT, it was critical that a method be identified to verify the air barrier installation. The Salas O’Brien team developed a unique approach using a fog generator that allowed testing of a much larger sample size and more complicated details in a fraction of the time it takes for traditional chamber testing.

Through the team’s dedication and inventiveness, the whole building, both existing and new construction, was able to meet the air leakage requirement.

Read more about the unique project approach and outcomes in the March/April 2024 issue of Interface, the technical journal of the IIBEC.

The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) is an international association of professionals who specialize in roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall specification and design. From sprayed polyurethane foam to cedar shakes, from parking garages to air barriers, IIBEC has a member expert for every type of roof, exterior wall, or waterproofing issue in the world today.

The Excellence in Building Enclosure Consulting Awards recognize outstanding contributions by building enclosure professionals, their collaborators, and their clients, in support of the design, delivery, and advancement of building enclosure performance.