New Construction

BC Step Code requirements are increasing – and they are raising the performance bar for building envelopes across the province. But code compliance is only part of the picture. A well-designed building envelope protects the structure from moisture damage, controls energy use, and shapes occupant comfort for the life of the building. Getting those outcomes right requires envelope expertise early in the design process, before systems are selected, documents are coordinated, and details are locked in.

Building envelope systems are also growing in complexity. Modern cladding assemblies, high-performance window and glazing systems, air barrier continuity, and the thermal detailing required to manage heat loss through structural connections all interact at multiple interfaces throughout the envelope. Understanding how these systems work together – and translating that understanding into details that can be built in the field and will perform as intended over time – requires a level of envelope-specific focus that benefits from a specialist on the team.

DG Engineering provides building envelope consulting for new construction projects across BC. We work with architects, developers, and project managers on residential and commercial buildings at all scales – from single-family custom homes to mid-rise and high-rise towers – across the full project lifecycle from schematic design through construction completion and performance testing.

Construction Types We Work With

Our team has experience across all construction types, including those most commonly used in BC:

  • Wood-frame – mid-rise residential, mixed-use, and single-family custom homes, including projects targeting Step Code compliance under Part 9 and Part 3 of the BC Building Code

  • Mass timber – CLT and hybrid timber-concrete structures, where envelope detailing requires careful coordination with the structural system and exposed material considerations

  • Concrete – residential towers, commercial buildings, and institutional facilities, including curtain wall, window wall, and punched window systems

  • Steel-frame – commercial, institutional, and mixed-use buildings, including structural steel with metal panel systems, steel stud curtain wall framing, and hybrid steel-concrete construction

  • Tilt-up – warehouse and light industrial construction, where envelope performance and air barrier continuity are often under-considered relative to structural and mechanical systems

Services Across the Project Lifecycle

Building envelope involvement is most effective when it spans the full project. The services we provide at each stage include:

  • Design development – envelope system selection, performance target setting, and early coordination with the design team to establish the compliance pathway

  • Thermal bridge modelling and reporting – 2D thermal simulation of envelope construction details to assess thermal performance and condensation potential; provides envelope assembly inputs to the project energy modeller on projects targeting performance-based compliance or specific Step Code tiers

  • Drawing and specification review – review of construction documents for envelope coordination, buildability, and performance

  • Shop drawing review – review of window, glazing, cladding, and roofing submittals to confirm compliance with project requirements

  • Field reviews – periodic site visits during construction to observe envelope installation and confirm work is proceeding generally in accordance with the contract documents

  • Window and glazing water penetration testing – field testing of window, door, and glazing assemblies under simulated rainfall conditions to verify performance against project specifications and applicable standards

  • Component performance testing – field testing of discrete building envelope assemblies to verify performance against project-specific requirements, including roof systems, wall assemblies, and curtain wall systems, as required

  • Air barrier continuity testing – blower door testing to verify whole-building airtightness performance in accordance with Step Code requirements, including pre-test walkthroughs to identify likely problem areas before the formal test

Why DG Engineering

Our team has extensive experience in new construction building envelope work across all scales and building types – from single-family custom homes and wood-frame mid-rise to mass timber and concrete high-rise towers. We maintain active membership in IIBEC (International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants) and Passive House Canada, and have hands-on experience with energy modelling, thermal bridging analysis, and the detailing challenges of meeting Step Code targets across construction types.

Equally important is the perspective our team brings from building envelope assessments and remediation work. Investigating failures and rehabilitating existing buildings provides direct insight into what performs well over time and what does not – knowledge that informs the recommendations we make on new construction projects, from system selection through to detailing and testing.

We work collaboratively within project teams – not as a compliance checkpoint at the end of design, but as a technical partner from early in the process. Our role is typically as a sub-consultant to the architect or directly to the developer, coordinating with structural, mechanical, and architectural disciplines as the project develops.

We serve projects across BC, including Metro Vancouver, the Sea to Sky corridor, and the Sunshine Coast.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Early engagement – ideally prior to design development – provides the most value. Envelope system selection, thermal bridging, waterproofing and airtightness detailing are most effectively addressed before documents are coordinated and issued. Involving us later is still worthwhile, but the scope becomes more reactive and the options more constrained.

  • The BC Energy Step Code is a provincial performance standard that sets increasingly stringent targets for new buildings, including specific requirements for airtightness and thermal performance. It is now required for most new construction in BC, and the building envelope is one of the primary factors in meeting those targets. We help design teams understand what the envelope needs to achieve and how to get there.

  • We work across all scales – from single-family custom homes pursuing Step Code or Passive House targets to mid-rise residential, mass timber buildings, and concrete high-rise towers. The scope of service is tailored to the project type and the stage at which we are engaged.

  • A blower door test measures the airtightness of a completed building by pressurizing or depressurizing the envelope and measuring air leakage. It is now required under the BC Energy Step Code for many new buildings. We assist with test coordination, pre-test walkthroughs to identify likely problem areas, and remediation recommendations if the initial result falls short of the target.

  • Both arrangements work. We are typically engaged either directly with the developer or owner, or as a sub-consultant to the architect, depending on the project structure. We coordinate with the architectural, structural, and mechanical teams regardless of the contracting arrangement.

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