John Straube is a principal at RDH and a professor of building science in the Civil Engineering Department and School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. Energy-efficient, healthy, durable and sustainable building designs are a general goal of his research, which is often supported by advanced computer simulation, laboratory testing and full-scale natural exposure performance monitoring. Dr. Straube has consulted to many major building product manufacturers, government agencies (CMHC, NRC/IRC,UN, NRCan, DOE, EPA), and a range of design professionals and building owners. Considered an international expert in moisture-related durability issues, his building science expertise has been applied to moldy roofs, failed masonry, leaky EIFS cladding, insulating Mongolian yurts, wet basements, rotting crawlspaces and attics, historically sensitive retrofits, and litigation support for buildings as diverse as commercial office towers, manufactured housing, and sustainable strawbale homes.
Dr. Straube has been involved in the preparation of design and construction guides for numerous organizations, and has published dozens of technical papers in academic peer-reviewed conferences and journals as well as trade journals and magazines. He is the author of High Performance Enclosures: Design Guide for Institutional, Commercial and Industrial Buildings in Cold Climates and co-author of Building Science for Building Enclosure Design.
