PEOPLE POWER: Q&A PEOPLE POWER: Q&A with Douglas Watts By Warren Heeley G raduating in 1980 from UBC, Douglas Watts of RJC Engineers is a year away from reaching 40 years in his engineering and architecture career. He has had a wide variety of positions both in the public and private sector. In fact, he has come full circle since graduating. His first position in the industry was with RJC, and after going back to school and having a number of positions between 1989 and 2002, he returned to the company and rose to the position of principal in 2011, specializing in the building envelope sector. As he freely admits, his passion is architecture. He has a master of architecture from the University of Washington and has completed a number of other architectural studies, including the AIBC Building Envelope Program and the UBC A&E Building Code and Certified Professional Course. Watts has also spent more than 20 years serving on the National Building Code (NBC) committees and particularly, the Standing Committee on Environmental Separation. He is also a former President of BCBEC and has received the Professional Service Award from Engineers & Geoscientists BC as well as being named a Fellow of Engineers Canada. BCBEC Elements managed to get some time in Watts’ busy schedule to talk about his career and building envelope challenges. BCBEC Elements: With your education and background in engineering and architecture, how did you come to specialize in building envelope science? Douglas Watts: I would like to say the area of building envelope science has always been a keen interest of mine. However, my involvement in building envelope science was more a “quirk” of my career. I find the sector a nice crossover between engineering and architecture. After going back to school for my master’s in the late ‘80s, I returned to Vancouver to practice architecture, and eventually joined the City of Vancouver in 1998. In my new position, I was the City’s specialist, responsible for representing the City on the National Building Code’s Standing Committee on Environmental Separation. This committee deals with the provisions from the Code that apply to the building envelope for both Parts 5 and 9. I continue to serve on the committee to this day, including two terms as Chair. BE: What have been the most significant challenges for the building envelope sector as it evolved? DW: The one major challenge the building envelope sector continues to have is educating the industry to understand the science. Too many people in the construction industry still don’t understand the difference between air or vapour barriers. If the science of the envelope is not understood and applied, the envelope will fail to accomplish the desired results. The crux of the problem is that the building envelope is critical to the performance of the building particularly from an energy conservation standpoint. As building structures change, you have to understand the envelope science to apply the right solution. In simple terms, we still need better understanding of building envelope science in the construction industry. BE: What are the key accomplishments of your career? DW: One key accomplishment I feel very strongly about was moving RJC towards consulting on more new construction projects. I had the opportunity to work on the original Canada Place project and on the downtown Vancouver Library project, which were highlights of my career. : 8 BCBEC ELEMENTS A BCBEC PUBLICATION