Co-op Students

Do you have a passion for Making Buildings Better? If so, we want to hear from you

RDH is an employee-owned, mid-sized building science consulting firm with 300 employees in nine offices across North America. Our core area of business is the integration of building science engineering, architecture, and construction management to optimize the performance of the building enclosure (walls, windows and roofs) and help our clients achieve their sustainability goals. Since our beginnings in 1997, we have led the industry with unsurpassed technical knowledge and excellence. We continue to grow and fulfill our mission of Making Buildings Better.

Our areas of work include collaborating with design teams for new building construction projects, forensic investigation and renewal of existing buildings, building asset management to assist building owners with the long-term upkeep and efficient use of their facilities, and building science research to identify ways of improving building stock.

We offer a positive workplace with incredible teams, opportunities for professional growth, development and ownership. As well as your background, we seek alignment with RDH’s core values: 1) commit to excellence, 2) act with integrity, 3) work as a team 4) do what it takes, and 5) always learn.

We hire enthusiastic engineering students who have basic training in building science engineering (building science, civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, or architecture) along with exposure to hands-on experience in construction. We value innovative thinking, a passion for the field, and a strong sense of teamwork.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**:
As an engineering co-op student at RDH, with a focus on Energy and Sustainability, you will work directly with senior staff on a variety of projects. Primary tasks and responsibilities will include:

- Learn and perform energy modelling and benchmarking of existing buildings and new building design to evaluate energy performance and recommend potential energy conservation and carbon reduction measures with software such as eQUEST, DesignBuilder, and HOT2000.
- Learn and support life cycle cost analysis, life cycle analysis (embodied carbon) and sustainability-related work

During your term, there may also be an opportunity to support the broader team:

- Field review of building enclosure components for new construction and renewal projects.
- On-site performance testing of building enclosure assemblies, including air leakage and window water testing.
- Investigation of existing buildings, including visual review of as built conditions, documenting conditions via field notes, sketches, and photos, and providing recommendations for repair, renewal or rehabilitation.
- Research and testing in our in-house lab for new technologies and strategies for reducing energy consumption, optimizing resources, and improving durability of buildings.

**CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING**:
During your work term, you will be mentored by a variety of staff from senior to junior, many of whom are industry leaders in building science engineering, architecture, and project management.

We strive to develop students to become leading engineers in the building science space. We offer regular in-house continuing education seminars on a variety of technical topics, such as through our Building Science Live webinar series and regional Lunch and Learns. You may also attend external professional development events. By the end of the work term, we expect you will:

- Understand the energy modelling process and the role data analysis plays; how to create an energy model (how to generate inputs), work in specific software (eQUEST, HOT2000, etc.), understand how to interpret and manipulate model inputs and outputs
- Understand common industry energy codes and standards, and certification programs (National Energy Code for Buildings, ASHRAE 90.1, Toronto Green Standard, CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard, Passive House etc.)
- Have exposure to the design process and how energy modelling can be used in a design assist role.
- Learn about passive and active building systems contributing to whole building performance (energy, carbon, durability etc.)
- Develop engineering problem solving skills related to building science.

**TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING**:
RDH will assist students with travel expenses and can provide information on housing options. Through our green transportation policy, we assist all employees with public transportation expenses.

**HOW TO APPLY**: