A proper building enclosure that has continuity in the four control layers and controls how they interact with the building is the foundation to having a resilient, comfortable, and high-performing structure.

Building science and enclosure consulting is the core focus and start in every engagement at Velum. Whether you need help diagnosing existing issues or are building new and want to ensure all aspects are integrated properly on the front end, we partner with homeowners, architects, builders, and property managers to help them understand how the control layers and systems of a building interact before making any decisions.

On average, passive buildings result in 45-90% less energy consumption for heating and cooling, superior thermal comfort and indoor air quality, and increased durability and resiliency.

As a Certified Passive Building Consultant, Velum can guide you through the process of designing your project to meet the standards for passive building, perform the required energy modeling through WUFI or METr to inform decision making and demonstrate compliance, and coordinate the required documentation for certification.

While there are numerous benefits to project certification, for those not looking project certification but want to employ passive building principles to take your project to the next level, our team can utilize the same design and modeling process to ensure your project is durable, healthy, and high-performing.

Many HVAC contractors rely on rules of thumb to determine the equipment and sizing for systems they install, and others may attempt a proper load calculation but often lack the building science and enclosure expertise to account for all necessary factors. On the other hand, many home performance consultants understand a systems approach to building performance, but lack the technical training and understanding to properly design and test a HVAC system to a high-performance standard.

At Velum, we are ACCA certified to design HVAC systems and leverage our building science expertise to ensure our designs work with, not against, your building’s enclosure. Our HVAC design services begin with full comprehension of the building enclosure along with the desired outcomes and expectations of each client. From there, we create computer models of your project, produce full reports from ACCA Manual J, S, T, and D, and provide detailed construction documents for proper installation.

Following the delivery of design and construction documents, we provide construction management services where we answer questions related to the installation, and perform site visits. Once complete, we also inspect and test each installation at commissioning to ensure plans and details were followed and the system is running as designed.

All building envelope assemblies (roofs, exterior walls, and foundations) routinely have heat and moisture transfer over time. Understanding how energy and moisture moves through the building components provides the necessary data to accurate manage the control layers for higher performance.

We utilize specialized computer software to model the long-term effects of heat and moisture within and through parts of building components and wall assemblies.

In addition to computer modeling, we utilize field and diagnostic tools to validate and test design assumptions and existing conditions. This ensures your project is not only computer modeled but real world verified.

New developments and custom home projects can be complex, multi-year endeavors involving several key parties. Leveraging our combined decades of experience as both a building science specialist and real estate investor, Velum can assist owners in understanding their project scope from the very beginning with a feasibility study as well as offer what we call our Custom Home Concierge service where we work together to bring your project into fruition.

With this service, we act as an owner’s fiduciary and representative to guide them through all aspect and phases of construction including pre-design activities and financial pro-forma modeling, managing the overall design and construction document development, overseeing any required bidding services, and construction administration, project management, and quality assurance services. 

Partnering with Velum allows project owners to remain involved in all major milestones while focusing on their day-to-day responsibilities instead of being consumed by a complex construction project.