Dr. Theresa Weston is a building science research professional specializing in the durability and energy efficiency of buildings. Theresa started The Holt Weston Consultancy in November 2020 to foster innovation of building materials, and products to improve the resilience and sustainability of buildings. Prior to starting the Holt Weston Consultancy, Dr Weston was a DuPont Laureate with the Dupont Safety and Construction business, having worked for DuPont for 35 years. DuPont Laureate is the highest technical professional level in the DuPont company.
Theresa received her Batchelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Masters and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering, both from the California Institute of Technology.
Theresa has demonstrated a track record of anticipating the need for new technology through the strategic analysis of technology trends and driving the deployment of innovation in the marketplace. She is an inventor on four patents, two of which introduced new product categories into the construction market: 1) Development of industry’s first “drainage wrap”, creating a new water-resistive barrier category [US6355333B1 “Construction Membrane” (2002)], and (2) Introduced the category of “formable window flashing” [US7351296B2“Stretchable Flashing Materials and Processes for Making” (2008)].
Dr. Weston has been a member of ASHRAE for over 25 years, having served on the Technical Activities Committee, the Standards Committee and as the Chair of the Residential Buildings Committee, as well as serving on a number of Technical and Standards Project Committees. As chair of ASHRAE 90.2 ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.2-2018, Energy-Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings, Theresa led the committee to transform the standard to a leadership standard. She was also a member of the project committee which produced the initial publication of ASHRAE Standard 160 Criteria for Moisture-Control Design Analysis in Buildings. Theresa is currently a member of SSPC 189.1 and a member of the SSPC 90.1 Envelope Sub-committee. Dr. Weston has received the ASHRAE Distinguished Service, the ASHRAE Exceptional Service and the ASHRAE Residential Service Awards.
Theresa is active with industry standard and code development activities outside of ASHRAE, including with ICC and ASTM. She chairs ASTM E06.41 the Performance of Buildings Subcommittee on Air Leakage and Ventilation. She is the Chair of the ICC Energy Code Interpretation Committee and a previous member of the ICC Residential Code Interpretation Committee. Dr. Weston also served on the ICC Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Dr. Weston is a prolific author and industry speaker. She is the Vice-Chair of the ASHRAE sponsored Buildings Conference Series. She serves on the ASTM Committee on Publications.
Air Leakage Control and the Building Envelope System: More than Energy Efficiency
The airtightness of the building envelope is critical to building energy efficiency and continuous air barriers have been required in most buildings for a number of years. Airtightness requirements for commercial buildings underwent significant changes in the 2022 ASHRAE 90.1 Standard and the 2024 IECC-C, bolstering the level of stringency and verification required. However, air leakage does not only contribute to energy losses, but can also cause moisture issues from unwanted condensation and indoor air quality issues from outdoor pollutants, such as wildfire smoke, being able to enter the building without filtration.
This presentation will provide insight on air barriers provisions in codes and standards including clarifications to the whole building performance testing methods and stringency, design phase requirements, material and assembly requirements, and onsite installation verification requirements.
ASHRAE is in The House: Past, Present and Future Initiatives in Residential Building Performance
Women and STEM: Enhancing Innovation and Sustainability through Diversity
We live in a world facing critical challenges from the effects of climate change. To meet these challenges, we need to access the entire innovative potential of our industry. Important to activating our innovative potential is enhancing the diversity of current and future professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). As stated in the ASHRAE Value Statement:
“…We celebrate diverse and inclusive communities, understanding that doing so fuels better, more creative and more thoughtful ideas, solutions and strategies for the Society and the communities our Society serves….”
One aspect of diversity is gender equality. This is recognized as United Nations Sustainability Goal #5: Gender Equality. In describing this goal, it is stated,
“Ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right, it’s crucial for sustainable future; it’s proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development.” [1]
A review of the statistics reveals that there is work to be done to achieve equity and inclusion in the technical world. While women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, they only represent 28% of the science and engineering workforce. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show the disparity is particularly stark in the Engineering and Architecture fields, where women make up only 15.7%.[2] While it is easy to focus on the numbers, my successful 35-year career as a woman engineer has shown me that numbers do not tell the whole story. Rather the focus should be establishing a social and intellectual environment that encourages personal growth and performance of everyone. This involves recognizing role models and providing mentorship opportunities. It is about each of us increasing our acquired diversity – the diversity we develop by working with people who are different from ourselves. This presentation will combine the presenter’s personal experiences as a woman engineer and mentor with data and findings from business and social science research to present an initial roadmap on how to encourage diversity with the result in increased innovation.