Folks attending the invitation-only Fourteenth Annual Westford Symposium on Building Science – otherwise known as Westford XIV or, more colloquially, “Summer Camp” – reflexively dive deep into technical discussions of high-performance residential and commercial construction, design, and equipment. Attended by manufacturers, homebuilders, architects, engineers, academics, and scientists from the Department of Energy’s system of National Laboratories and Technology Centers, Summer Camp is all about enriching industry professionals’ working knowledge of building science, forging contacts, and having some fun in the process.

This is, however, an unusually small group. The Summer Camp invitation list is limited to about 350 people, and being asked to participate as a symposium presenter or facilitator puts one in extremely select and highly regarded company. That is why GreenBuildingAdvisor.com is proud to report that one of our editors, Martin Holladay, is among the presenters at the upcoming camp, scheduled for August 2 through 4 in Westford, Massachusetts. Martin’s historical overview of energy-efficient residential design and construction is titled “The History of Superinsulated Houses in North America.” (The slides from Holladay’s presentation can be viewed by clicking here.)

A well-spoken advocate for green building

If you’re among the many GBA readers who follow his weekly Musings of an Energy Nerd blog, you know that Martin draws on more than 35 years of building-industry experience in his analyses of the environmental, technical, and financial pros and cons of everything from ceiling fans and wood stoves to insulation systems, renewable-energy systems, HVAC appliances, building code, and all the other components and variables that affect the quality and cost of residential construction. Just as important, he presents his topics carefully and writes clearly, in terms easily absorbed by both consumers and the technically savvy.

In a recent newsletter sent to Summer Camp invitees, “camp counselor” Joe Lsitburek, a principal at Building Science Corporation who also is a frequent contributor to GBA’s Building Science podcast series, points out that Martin “was there at the beginnings of the Superinsulation movement. His personal observations and participation are fascinating and need to be shared.”

Suffice to say, he won’t disappoint.