Building Physics, Services, and Energy Efficiency
Building physics concerns heat, moisture, air, light, and sound. Candidates must understand thermal transmittance (U-value), thermal bridging, and the difference between steady-state and dynamic performance. Moisture questions test the dew point, vapor diffusion, and the risk of interstitial condensation; ventilation and vapor barriers must be placed correctly. Acoustics covers airborne and impact sound, reverberation time, and the role of mass and isolation.
Building services include heating, ventilation, air conditioning, water supply, drainage, and electrical systems. Know the principles of natural versus mechanical ventilation, pressure zones in drainage, and the sizing logic for pipes and ducts. Energy efficiency requires familiarity with the energy performance certificate, the nearly zero-energy building concept, renewable integration, and the balance between envelope performance and system efficiency.
Traps
A frequent trap is placing a vapor barrier on the wrong side of insulation, causing trapped moisture. Another is confusing U-value (lower is better) with R-value (higher is better). Questions about ventilation often test whether you know that airtightness without controlled ventilation causes indoor air quality problems. Watch for the difference between energy demand and primary energy, and between calculated and measured performance.
Rule of thumb
For condensation risk, keep the warm side more vapor-tight than the cold side; if in doubt, place the vapor barrier on the warm side and ventilate the cold side. For energy, improving the envelope usually reduces demand more reliably than oversizing systems.