Member Spotlight: Janna Alampi
Janna Alampi, AIA, NCARB, BECxP, CxA+BE, CABS, CPHC, is the Principal Architect and Owner of EPICx Studio, an architecture and building enclosure consulting firm in Ankeny, Iowa. With 18 years of experience in the industry, Janna has an extensive portfolio of high performance and resilient projects. A graduate of Iowa State University, Janna pursued licensure and earned her architecture license in Florida. She is also certified as a Building Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider (BECxP) and Accredited Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure (CxA+BE), a Phius Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), and an ABAA Certified Air Barrier Specialist. She is the current Chair of Building Enclosure Council (BEC) – National and founder of BEC-Iowa.
When did you earn your Certified Air Barrier Specialist (CABS) certification from the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA)?
A: April 2022
What inspired you to pursue the CABS program with ABAA?
A: I’ve had the opportunity to work with ABAA over the past few years, through my involvement with the Building Enclosure Council of Iowa and as an Officer of Building Enclosure Council (BEC) – National. ABAA is one of the leaders in the air barrier industry, and I knew that this program would be challenging with rigorous testing standards, resulting in a highly esteemed certification.
Name: Janna Alampi
Title: Principal Architect + Owner
Company: EPICx Studio
City: Ankeny, IA
ABAA member for 2 years
How has the CABS certification impacted your career or professional development?
A. Being recognized as Air Barrier Specialist has initiated many conversations about air barriers and the programs that ABAA offers, such as the Air Barrier Quality Assurance Program, which improves quality, reduces risk, and helps to mitigate moisture.
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in air barrier field and how as your certification helped you address them?
A. One of the biggest challenges has been educating all the project stakeholders about the importance of air barriers. When people think of moisture problems, they often think of rainwater being the culprit, when in fact the air barrier plays a crucial role. Air leakage brings in water vapor, which can then condense inside the building enclosure, causing moisture problems such as mold, rot, and corrosion. The certification program does an excellent job covering many of the problems encountered with air barrier design and installation, which can in turn be shared with project stakeholders.
What advice would you give to someone considering pursuing the CABS certification with ABAA?
A. While the certification focuses on air barriers, it’s important to have a holistic understanding of the building enclosure, including the other control layers and the effects of heat, air and moisture flow. There are also many different types of air barrier materials which have their own installation and testing requirements, and having design and field experience will help tremendously in obtaining the certification.
In your opinion, what are the most crucial aspects of effective air barrier system design and installation?
A. Connections! The roof/wall and fenestration/wall connections are two of the most common locations I see issues. Often the drawings do not clearly indicate how the air barrier continuity is achieved, and if it’s not addressed during design, it’s much harder to implement during construction. Identifying which trade is responsible for the air barrier connections, transitions, and sealing penetrations is also extremely important.
Any additional insights about your certification experience or working in the air barrier industry?
A. While most buildings are required by code to have an air barrier, there is still a general lack of knowledge regarding the importance and why we even need them at all. With many different air barrier materials available, I encourage design teams to identify the location of the air barrier around the entire six-sided enclosure with a red line “pencil test”, and clearly label the air barrier materials and detail how transitions occur. ABAA has a terrific specification section, 014100 The Air Barrier System Specification, which I often use and recommend, which can be modified to meet a project’s requirements. Don’t underestimate the value of pre-construction meetings and building mock-ups during the construction phase to help get everyone on the same page, outline responsibilities, and reduce potential problems.