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Building Performance Architecture

Name: Building Performance Architecture
Address: 7800 Susquehanna Street, Suite 306, Pittsburgh, PA, 15208, US
Telephone: +14124411075
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Building Performance Architecture

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Building Performance Architecture is a professional services firm that integrates the practices of building energy efficiency, green building, and architecture. For clients with residential, commercial and institutional buildings, we provide energy diagnostics, financial-grade energy assessments, green building consulting, and comprehensive architectural services.

09/03/2026

Hello, Friends! Happy Scary !

"Have you ever seen a ghost with that thing?" people sometimes ask.

Well, no ... but I have seen things worse than ghosts.

Sometimes an IR scan can get eerie, walking around before dawn. Thermal bridging shadows showing through wall siding. Unexplained patches of warmth floating along a wall. The imprint of a window opening that is no longer with us...

Then we hear a scurrying sound at our feet - what was that?!?

Oh, it's just the resident outdoor cat crossing our path ... whew ...

And then BAAAM!!!!! JUMPSCARE!!! High above us, a vivid plume of heat is exploding from the joint between the original house and an addition! A poorly-sealed detail rears its hideous head and cries, pleading with us to please, please help it finally find some peace!

And it's all real - no intricate ruses here, just the stark truth of the world, that our senses sometimes need a little help to detect.

Halloween is coming - let's have a little fun and learn more about the world around us at the same time. Have you ever seen a ghost with that thing?

What other interesting things do you see in these thermograms?

Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) Air Barrier Association of America TruTech Tools, LTD PHRC - The Pennsylvania Housing Research Center Building Performance Association

08/26/2026

Hey Friends! Happy , celebrating a day early for International Flashing Awareness Day!

How's this for a PHlashing PHail?
(PH in honor of Passive House, which does not recommend flashing fails)

Sure, this flashing probably keeps most rain out of the wall assembly. But does it keep heat inside the thermal barrier on cold winter nights? Apparently not.

Looking from street level, it's a little hard to tell, but the flashing with heat escaping below it may be a coping, as the wall plane steps back from the first floor to the second floor.

Flashings are important components in a building envelope's water barrier system. Since the problem we see here looks like air leakage or incomplete insulation behind the flashing, the cause of this thermal anomaly is more likely to be an incomplete air barrier or thermal barrier, not a problem with the flashing itself.

Here's the lesson, though: Covering up an incomplete air barrier or thermal barrier with flashing or other exterior finish material does not solve the problem - it only makes it hard to see the problem, and also hard to fix the problem!

What do you think about this issue? And what other interesting thermal things do you see in the photo?

The identity of this building is not disclosed, to protect the people associated with it. If you know what it is, please keep it to yourself or get in touch away from public posts. 😇

Air Barrier Association of America Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) TruTech Tools, LTD Zero/Six Consulting

08/20/2026

Hey friends! Happy !

Maybe there's not so much science in this week's post - because instead we'll delve into the mysteries of thought, memory, and perception...

One could say that design is about envisioning things that aren't there yet. And thermography is about extending our vision a little farther down the electromagnetic spectrum so we can see things that ARE there, but we couldn't normally see. Okay, that was a little science-y.

The buildings in today's photos were the subject of a Master of Architecture degree design thesis, 30 years ago. Back then, the buildings were in worse shape than they are now - there was a black metal fire escape right on the front of the larger building, and painted wood paneling covering the terra cotta and storefront.

The buildings backed up to an urban river, that for 150 years served as utilitarian industrial transport for whatever people put into it. But in the 1990s, the powers that be decided to build a riverwalk, that would suddenly turn the rear of these buildings into another front side - what an opportunity for a revitalizing design intervention!

So that's what the design thesis project did, turning the air gap between the two buildings into an atrium, and transforming them from run-down commercial structures into an upscale mixed-use complex. With all the latest energy-efficient and indoor environmental quality features, of course. Low carbon footprint, due to not tearing down and rebuilding.

30 years after the thesis, the riverwalk is there and the buildings are in somewhat better shape, but didn't get revitalized as much as the degree candidate envisioned. Too bad that student didn't have the means to actually make it happen - kudos to those who do have the means and actually do make things like this happen!

Emerging from that reverie, there are still some thermal things to note - some folks have left their windows open on a cool October night; the river water is warmer than just about everything else; the slot between the two buildings is warmer - a good example of the "cavity effect."

What other interesting things do you see in these images? Any thoughts on the written part of this post? Does anyone want to guess where this is and what building it is?

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning (SARUP) Kentucky Thermal Institute Teledyne FLIR

08/13/2026

Hey Friends! Happy - Ductwork Edition!

The first thermogram here just won't let you forget that there is something different about the liquid-applied mastic - used to seal ductwork joints - than the shiny metal surface of the duct itself. What is that something?

While there is cool air flowing through the ductwork, the bands of mastic over the duct joints appear much cooler than the sheet metal surfaces, judging by the color/temperature scale at the right edge. But the mastic bands are not cooler; they're just less reflective than the sheet metal, which is mirroring the temperature of other warmer surfaces in the room.

That "something" is basic physics: the 3 radiative properties of surfaces. Each surface has reflectivity (ρ), emissivity (ε), and transmissivity (τ), and the sum of these three properties is always 1.

ρ + ε + τ = 1 for all surfaces.

For infrared-opaque surfaces (almost all surfaces), transmissivity (τ) = 0.

So the equation is usually simplified to ρ + ε = 1.

This means that if a surface has high reflectivity, it will have low emissivity, and vice versa. Emissivity is the ability of a surface to emit radiation. The amount of radiation that could be emitted is directly related to the thermal energy (or temperature) at the surface.

So for a perfectly-emitting surface (emissivity ε = 1), the amount of radiation picked up by the IR camera is the most true indication of its actual temperature. In the thermogram, both the mastic and the sheet metal are cooled to the same temperature by the air inside the ductwork, but the high-emissivity mastic is showing that temperature more accurately than the high-reflectivity sheet metal.

Yeah, and the second IR photo shows cool air leaking from less-than-perfect seals at duct joints. So much less thrilling for a physicist, but still good to find and correct!

What do you think about this?

What other interesting things do you see in the IR images?

Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) The American Institute of Architects Kentucky Thermal Institute TruTech Tools, LTD

08/06/2026

Hey people! Happy !

Today, we're looking at some envelope air leakage and low-insulation areas on this building that's less than 10 years old. Do you see the white & red partial-oval shape in the first photo, just to the right of the vertical window opening? That pattern looks likely to be caused by air leakage.

And in the second photo, it's a little more obvious; there's a red and yellow streak across the upper area of the brick wall, and the streak appears to originate from joint between the two building masses. Air leakage again!

These photos were taken when the building interior was not being pressurized with air leakage test equipment. The air leaks that the IR camera is showing at natural pressure like this will be more pronounced if air leakage test equipment is pressurizing the building.

Here's the kicker: This apartment building has ENERGY STAR certification! A whole-building blower door test would have revealed more air leakage than the photos in this post. Since passive-targeted buildings (a step up from ENERGY STAR) receive that whole-building test, their contractors can seal more leaks, as needed, to make them exceptionally airtight. Filtered mechanical ventilation is then used as a controlled method of ensuring that the people inside get enough fresh air.

What are your thoughts on this topic, and what other interesting things do you see in the infrared images?

Air Barrier Association of America Phius Teledyne FLIR Zero/Six Consulting

07/31/2026

Hello Everyone! Happy belated !

This existing home is about to be renovated, and energy efficiency and a healthy indoor environment are two of the goals that the funders want to achieve.

Even before renovation started, the home tested below its post-renovation maximum envelope air leakage. That's when these infrared photos were taken.

So, if the home passed its blower door test, then no air sealing is needed during the renovation, right?

Why or why not? What do you see in these thermograms and visible light photos that informs your judgment?

Air Barrier Association of America Kentucky Thermal Institute Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) TruTech Tools, LTD

07/23/2026

Hello friends! Happy

Don't let the beautiful decorative butterfly distract you - there are some serious building science issues shown in these infrared photos! While a blower door was depressurizing a building, something not related to air leakage showed up in a big way.

See those blue areas spread out across the ceiling? They're cooler than the yellow and red parts of the ceiling, because during this summertime infrared scan, the insulated parts of the attic floor are cooler than the uninsulated parts. Someone got about halfway done with insulating the attic above this room, then stopped.

The incomplete attic insulation is one of the bigger finds from this IR scan, but there were plenty of other building envelope issues, some of which show up in these thermograms. In the first image, the red and white areas on the right side indicate low insulation levels in a wall that rises above a lower roof.

In the second thermal image, there are some red spots toward the bottom, on the left side, which are actually caused by air leakage between the ceiling and the wall.

These infrared images are part of an energy audit of this existing building. In contrast to the audit's numerical analysis, which is quite useful in helping the building owner determine the order in which to implement the recommended energy conservation measures (ECMs), the thermograms speak to different parts of the brain - the visual and emotional centers - and will help motivate the owner and others that the ECMs really need to be done.

What are your thoughts on this story and associated photos? What other interesting things do you see in the thermograms?

TruTech Tools, LTD Air Barrier Association of America Association of Energy Engineers - Western Pa Chapter Teledyne FLIR

07/16/2026

Hey friends! Happy !

In hot summer weather, wouldn't it be great to be a well-watered plant in a controlled indoor climate? Your leaves would be about the same temperature as the indoor air, and the moist dirt around your roots would be a little cooler because its water is ev***rating.

And then, there's work people do in hot weather. Like air leak hunting in a partially-cooled building.

Check out the air leaks (=streaks) in the last 2 photos. The leaking air is actually about the same apparent temperature (88°F - 89°F) in both thermograms, but it looks hotter than the wall on the 2nd floor, and cooler than the wall on the 3rd floor. The walls and the indoor air were really hot on the 3rd floor!

This old commercial building has great bones and a lot of potential for energy and comfort improvements - what could its owners do with the envelope and spaces that would provide huge upgrades and ROI?

Teledyne FLIR TruTech Tools, LTD Air Barrier Association of America Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI)

07/09/2026

Hi, people! Happy !

Here's another example of Thermal Chic vs. Thermally-Bleak buildings!

These photos were taken just before sunrise when the outdoor temperature was about 57°F. Look at the contrast between the two buildings in the first thermogram. Now, imagine what the contrast will look like when the outdoor temperature is 40 or 50°F cooler than the indoor temperature!

Next, note the difference in apparent temperature between the top floor and the lower floors of the new building. That apparent temperature difference is not because the surfaces are actually at different temperatures. It's because the cement board exterior cladding on the top floor is more reflective of IR radiation (lower emissivity) than the brick on the lower floors. Same for the slate roof shingles vs. the brick lower walls on the old building.

So, the lower walls on both the new building and the old building are brick; we're not getting a lot of thermal contrast due to different materials between the different buildings.

The 3 other thermograms are just more examples of the beautiful Thermal Chic of the new building, which was designed and constructed with great care for top-quality building envelope water barrier, air barrier, thermal barrier, and v***r barrier. Thermal Chic = smooth, consistent IR apparent temperature across each plane of the building envelope, with minimal anomalies. And, the building also received expert, hands-on third party QA/QC by BPA throughout the design and construction process.

That's enough words for this one. Enjoy the photos, and please share your thoughts on this topic, and on anything you see in the IR photos!

Air Barrier Association of America Phius Accurate-Airtight Exteriors Passive House Accelerator

07/02/2026

Hey friends! Happy !

Today's topic is the magic of trees!

Let's compare the apparent temperature of the tree canopies in these photos to the brick building in the background. The thermogram was taken on a partly-cloudy late afternoon, looking from northwest to southeast. The outdoor air temperature was about 95°F.

The sun had been shining on the building facade for a few hours, heating the brick to an apparent temperature of 134°F (spot 3). The leaves have a range of apparent temperatures, from a high of 114°F (spot 2) facing the sun down to about 94°F (spot 1) in the shade.

So, having received the sun's rays for the same amount of time as the building, the sunny-side of the tree is 20 to 30°F cooler than the brick. Why?

There is so much physics behind this, it gives us enough information to discuss for hours! There's the effect of shape and varied orientation of the leaves. There is the specific heat - the ability to retain heat - of the leaves vs. the brick. There's the cooling effect of transpiration, when leaves release water v***r into the air.

We could study these physics effects and more - some of us would enjoy learning all about them in detail. Or we could just call it the magic of trees.

At any rate, it's clear that tree leaves just don't get as hot as most surfaces in the built environment, when exposed to sunlight in the summer. A city with a lot of trees is likely to be much more thermally comfortable in the summer heat than one with very few trees. Heat island vs. shaded forest.

And just to add some unnecessary complexity to this post, we've got one thermal image taken with a FLIR E95 high-resolution, high thermal sensitivity camera, and the second thermogram of the same scene taken with a FLIR C8 compact thermal camera.

What do you want to add to this story? And what other things do you want to point out from the photos?

TruTech Tools, LTD Zero/Six Consulting Accurate-Airtight Exteriors Kentucky Thermal Institute

Address

7800 Susquehanna Street, Suite 306
Pittsburgh, PA
15208

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm

Telephone

+14124411075

Website

http://www.buildperformarch.com/

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