What is Building Science?

Building science is the study and analysis of the physical phenomena affecting buildings, which includes detailed analysis of building materials and building envelope systems. Building performance can be viewed as a discipline within building science. Building science is helpful in determining optimal building performance and ways in which to prevent building failures. The practice is most often applied during the design process, and is thus used by various types of engineers and architects. Building science can be applied to help protect buildings against earthquakes, wind, flooding, and fire, as well as improving the building’s energy consumption, comfort, acoustics, lighting, and indoor air quality. To help make structures safe and sustainable, building science takes into account the following natural phenomena: Weather, building materials, Physics, chemistry, & biology, human physiology, subterranean conditions, and energy sustainability.