Curious what kind of conversations happen behind the scenes at one of the world’s leading curtain wall manufacturers? In this video and podcast series, GlasCurtain Managing Director Peter Dushenski will share an inside perspective on this fascinating industry through a series of in-depth conversations with industry leaders. Together, we’ll explore new ideas of what's possible with glazed facades. Join us for Curtain Wall Conversations! In Episode 9 of Curtain Wall Conversations, Peter is joined by Ken Levenson, Executive Director at Passive House Network (PHN) and a pivotal figure in the world of sustainable architecture. Ken's career took a significant turn towards sustainability after embracing the Passive House concept in 2009, leading to his certification as a Passive House Designer. Ken has played a pivotal role in advancing Passive House standards through founding New York Passive House, the National Passive House Alliance, and NAPHN. His contributions to energy efficiency standards, including advisory roles for Urban Green’s 90 by 50 report and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, highlight his broad impact. This episode delves into critical topics at the heart of sustainable design. We discuss the unique advantages of Passive House standards, public policy and its critical role in promoting sustainable building practices, and New York City's Local Law 97. We also take a closer look at the Winthrop Centre, the world’s largest commercial Passive House building and chat about the significance of the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) as a tool for architects, and the crucial conversation around embodied carbon and its impact on the environment. Ken, welcome to Curtain Wall Conversations! We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as we did!
Curious what kind of conversations happen behind the scenes at one of the world’s leading curtain wall manufacturers? In this video and podcast series, GlasCurtain Managing Director Peter Dushenski will share an inside perspective on this fascinating industry through a series of in-depth conversations with industry leaders. Together, we’ll explore new ideas of what's possible with glazed facades. Join us for Curtain Wall Conversations! In Episode 8 of Curtain Wall Conversations, Peter is joined by James Satterwhite, who is at the helm of Advanced Glazings Ltd., a frontrunner in North American daylighting technology. As CEO and Vice President of Global Business Development, James has played a pivotal role in transforming the approach to daylight management in architectural designs, ensuring an optimal balance of human comfort and thermal performance. James' leadership has been vital in a multitude of prestigious projects, notably enhancing both the environment and the living experience of occupants. One of the standout collaborations is the Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit, Northern Canada, developed jointly with Teeple and Cibinel, a prime example of our commitment to innovative and sustainable architectural design! It was a pleasure chatting with James about a range of engaging topics. We explored the evolving trends in facade and glazing performance, delved into the unique aspects of his company's Solera product, and discussed the impact of global challenges on manufacturing, highlighting the increasing importance of local production. The conversation also touched on the exciting developments in vacuum insulated glass in North America and the innovative responses in Massachusetts driven by stretch codes. We wrapped up with a look into the future prospects of these technologies and their potential influence on the industry. An insightful and enjoyable dialogue throughout! James, welcome to Curtain Wall Conversations! We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as we did!
In Episode 7 of Curtain Wall Conversations, Peter discusses the complex area of fire standards and codes with Tony Crimi. Tony serves as a member and past Chair of NBC Standing Committee on Fire Protection and was also Chair of Ontario Building Code Conversation Advisory Council. Additionally, Tony is a distinguished member of the International Codes Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), and more, for which his contributions have garnered him several notable awards. If that weren’t enough, Tony is also the President of A.C. Consulting Solutions Inc. where he assists companies in navigating the regulatory landscape. He specializes in providing services related to building and fire protection codes and standards, including assisting clients in achieving successful testing and product approval and recognition from regulatory authorities, advocating for U.S. codes & standards changes, researching product and/or regulatory information, and facilitating product testing and evaluation. It’s been a privilege for all of us on the GlasCurtain team to work with Tony over the last couple of years on the NFPA-285 certification for our new Thermaframe system, which we successfully completed in September 2022, and which opens the door for Thermaframe to be used on non-combustible buildings in the US market. We had a great time chatting with Tony about his background and career trajectory, reflections on codes and standards developments, what exactly "combustibility" really means, innovation in curtain wall materials, future harmonization of fire standards, the difference between Canadian and American standards, the future of North American fire safety, and so much more! Tony, welcome to Curtain Wall Conversations! We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as we did.
In Episode 6, Peter sits down with Al Jaugelis. At the time of this interview Al Jaugelis was the Director of Regulatory Affairs at Fenestration Canada and provided education as well as technical and code compliance support to Fenestration Canada member companies. He continues to support the organization as a Technical Consultant. Al shared his knowledge as a conference speaker and host of the Tech Talks podcast, and by actively participating in industry associations and committees: he was the chair of the Windows Experts Team for the Natural Resources Canada “Market Transformation Roadmap” initiative, has been an active member of CSA Committee A119 on Performance Standards for Windows, and continues to be an active member of the Fenestration Canada Technical Services Committee. During his career Al has initiated, written, or contributed significantly to a number of publications, the most recent being: “Canadian Code Compliance Advisory for Imported Windows, Doors and Skylights” (Fenestration Canada); “Reference Methodology for Computing Window Performance Values for Use in the Passive House Planning Package” (FENBC Report produced by RDH Building Science and funded by the BC Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund, 2019).
In Episode 5, Peter dives deep with Andrew Peel. Andrew is the Founder and Managing Principal of Peel Passive House Consulting in Toronto, one of Canada's leading Passive House certifiers, educators, and consultants. Focusing on high-performance residential, commercial, and institutional projects, Andrew and his team bring decades of professional and academic expertise in low-carbon construction and sustainable energy. As one of the Founding Members of Passive House Canada (PHC), Andrew was also a key contributor to the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) that we've come to know so well today. He is also widely published in journals/magazines such as Passive House Buildings - now Passive House Accelerator, and a frequent lecturer at events around the world including The International Passive House Conference, Passive House Canada conference, and the Passive House Network conference in the US. You can contact Andrew at www.peelpassivehouse.ca or email him at andrew@peelpassivehouse.ca. We had a great time chatting with Andrew about his origin story, recent updates to the National Building Codes of Canada, the limits of mechanical systems compared to investments in better building envelopes, the impact of soaring energy prices in Europe and elsewhere, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as we did.
In episode 4, Peter dives deep with Brandon Gemme. Brandon works at RJC Engineers in Toronto as a Building Science Engineer. Prior to working at RJC, Brandon has worked at OHE Consultants and Build Max Limited. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto and is a certified Professional Engineer and Building Science Specialist, as well as a Certified Passive House Designer. We recently met Brandon in-person at the Passive House Canada conference in Victoria, BC, where he presented his research paper comparing North American Fenestration Standards to the Passive House standard and European standards that Passive House references. This paper was written for the Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology (CCBST) and is scheduled to be published in advance of their October 2022 conference. Brandon welcomes any questions about the research paper and can be reached at bgemme@rjc.ca . We had a great time chatting with Brandon about the differences between North American and European modeling software and how their respective assumptions impact real-world projects, what boundary conditions are and how they differ internationally, what “hygiene” is in the context of Passive House, air tightness requirements in building codes, and so much more! We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
In Episode 3, Peter dives deep with Chad Howden. Chad has been in the Glazing industry for 12 years. He has worked at Blackcomb Façade technologies since moving to Canada in 2014 and is now a Technical Director for the company. He found a love for technical drawing at an early age, winning a number of awards throughout his high school years that ultimately led to being acquired by Overdraught CAD Services (now known as Commercial CAD) as an apprentice. The profession followed him to Canada when he found JF at Blackcomb and the opportunity to grow with the company was one he couldn’t turn down. We had a great time chatting with Chad about energy codes, modeling vs. production, the challenge of integrating European components in North American projects, fire rating challenges, supply chains, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as we did!
In Episode 2, Peter dives deep with Alex Worden. Originally from Calgary, Alex has lived in the states for over twenty-two years. Completing his Master’s in Architecture at Virginia Tech, he would go on to specialize in parametric workflows, digital modelling and fabrication techniques, working at several high-profile envelope contractor and engineering firms as well as co-founding Boulder based, StudioTJOA with his wife and business partner, Audrey. Since graduating in 2011, Alex has worked on numerous world-class projects, such as VIA W57th by Bjarke Ingles Group, the SoFi Stadium by HKS and Zahner, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art by MAD Architects, and closer to home, the 9th Avenue Parking Garage by 5468796 Architects. We had a great time chatting with Alex about facade retrofit considerations, embodied carbon, supply chains, the challenges of flame-spread testing, and much more. We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as we did!
Peter dives deep with Phil Parker. Phil was Principal and Group Leader of the Calgary Building Science team at the nationally renounced building consultancy, RJC. We had a great time chatting with Phil about adaptive facades, durability, upgradeability, the challenge of innovation, and so much more.