Peter Baker is the President of Building Science Corporation and an expert in building forensics and the building enclosure design of residential, commercial and institutional buildings, particularly with respect to energy efficiency, durability, constructability, and water management.
Mr. Baker conducts field investigations of existing buildings with problems such as leaks, rot, mold, decay, odors, poor indoor air quality, and uncontrolled humidity. With over a decade of first-hand insight into the realities of construction, Mr. Baker determines the underlying cause or causes of building failures and makes repair recommendations that not only account for the owner’s long-term goals and constraints, but that also take into account the repair’s effect on the building’s current occupants, the constructability of the repairs, and the availability and compatibility of repair materials.
With respect to new construction, Mr. Baker has partnered with major developers, contractors and architects, reviewing drawings and developing design standards to mitigate the risk of technical failures in both commercial and residential buildings in all climate zones. Mr. Baker has made valuable contributions to the advancement of energy efficient design in his role as project manager for the Department of Energy’s Building America program. Mr. Baker has also performed both laboratory and field exposure testing to examine the long-term system deflection resistance capacities of wall assemblies insulated on the exterior. This research has been used to validate and develop attachment guidelines for various cladding types installed over continuous exterior insulation. Additionally, in collaboration with Catholic Charities Group and Louisiana State University, Mr. Baker developed flood resistant design concepts to assist with their re-building efforts after hurricane Katrina. Mr. Baker’s approach used energy efficiency and durability gains to offset the cost of the additional structural measures required for hurricane and flood resistance.
Mr. Baker holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Alberta and is a registered professional engineer in the Province of Alberta, Canada.