ASHRAE Hamilton Chapter Program to Explore Healthy Building Designs
By Mary C. Sims, ASHRAE Journal Assistant Editor
HAMILTON, Ontario, Canada—ASHRAE’s Hamilton Chapter has created a seven-part program to explore this year’s ASHRAE Society theme, “Healthy Buildings Designed for Life.” The program is constructed around a Harvard study discussing the nine foundations of a healthy building. The Hamilton Chapter selected seven foundational topics that aligned closest with ASHRAE’s mission, using one topic for each chapter’s meeting: Ventilation, Air Quality, Thermal Health, Acoustics, Moisture, Safety & Security, and Water Quality. A recent highlight of the Oct. 7 program featured the theme “Noise” and a tour of McMaster University, as well as a lecture from Akshay Khuggar, titled “Noise Control by Design: Elevating User Experience to Build Healthier Environments.”
Traditionally, ASHRAE’s Hamilton Chapter has connected its annual programs to the Society’s presidential theme. Aaron Besseling, president of ASHRAE’s Hamilton Chapter, discussed how this year’s presidential topic immediately inspired the chapter’s structure model and his team’s innovative program expansion.
Image credit: Aaron Besseling
“The topic offers a wide range of subcategories, allowing for diverse and engaging programming,” Besseling said. “We’re incredibly excited about this year’s lineup. Our chapter members are especially drawn to tours, and we’ve built several into our schedule.”
Besseling added that the goal of the seven-part lineup is to promote a holistic approach to designing for health. “We aim to connect medical and building science perspectives—bringing forward credible, research-based information that isn’t always common knowledge in our industry,” Besseling said. “Along the way, we also hope to challenge and correct some longstanding misconceptions about health and the built environment.”
The chapter’s Nov. 4th meeting at RWDI featured a tour of their wind tunnel, 3D printing lab and architectural model archive, followed by a presentation from Duncan Phillips, a Principal/Senior Consultant at RWDI, on “Thermal Comfort – How to Measure, Model and Predict.”
Next year, a standout event slated for March 10th will feature ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer Stephanie Taylor, Ph.D., on “The Impact of the Built Environment on Cognitive Function and Worker Productivity.” The event will take place at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, which offers a unique backdrop surrounded by historic aircrafts important to Canada’s engineering legacy.
“I hope attendees come away with a renewed understanding of how deeply their work impacts human health,” Besseling said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day project details, but when we step back, we can see how our designs shape healthier, more resilient communities. Recognizing that connection reinforces the importance of what we do—and the lasting impact it has on our neighbors.”
From Insights November 2025 Newsletter
Aaron Besseling, ASHRAE Hamilton Chapter President