Between 1993 and 2000, the Lower Mainland of British Columbia's west coast faced a rash of water infiltration problems in multi-family, wood-frame buildings. The situation has come to be known as the "Leaky Condo Crisis" and the value of the damage is currently estimated to be as much as one billion Canadian dollars. In response to the developing crisis, the City of Vancouver mandated that a certified Building Envelope Specialist firm must be involved in all new residential developments. This requirement was adopted by many of the municipalities in this region. In 1999, a Joint Committee of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia took over the process of managing a list of "Building Envelope Professionals" (BEP). What is a BEP and why did the various stakeholders feel that this was the answer to this crisis? This paper will discuss the role of the Building Envelope Professional in the changes in residential design and construction that resulted from the Leaky Condo Crisis.

Authors: David G. Kayll, P.Eng.

Citation: Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings VIII

Keywords: December, Florida, 2001