2017 RAIC/OAA Festival of Architecture: Understanding Durability

David Kayll, Principal and Director, will be presenting OBC Part 5: Understanding Durability at the annual Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) and Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) joint conference.

Presentation Overview:

OBC Sentence 5.1.4.2 (3)  requires that: “…assemblies exposed to the exterior shall be in accordance with good practice such as described in CSA S478: Guideline on Durability in Buildings“.

The implication is that Ontario architects are responsible for understanding and applying durability concepts to environmental separations (building envelopes or building enclosures) and their structure. Failure to do so can lead to catastrophic losses and massive claims against architects. The “Leaky Condo” crisis in British Columbia in the late 1990’s is an example of the widespread economic and social consequences where adherence to the fundamental concept that buildings are required to be “durable” was ignored by the design professions and the development and construction industry.

CSA 478 can be used by architects to support code compliance and good practice. This program is directed towards that objective. It will review the content of the Standard, consider some of the implications impacting architects’ designs and discuss opportunities for architects to reconsider their approach to building envelopes to improve their overall durability.

Included will be a discussion of the critical implications on maintenance that flow from a sound, durability focused design. The communication requirement for architects respecting maintenance has important implications for architects respecting what constitutes “good practice”, code compliance and exposure to claims.