Matthew O'Malia
Username
Matthew O'Malia
Proposer First Name
Matthew
Proposer Email
matt@opalarch.us
Proposer Last Name
O'Malia
Proposer Company/Organization
OPAL Build
Proposer Phone
(207) 266-5733
Boston 2022 Areas of Focus
Proposer Job Title
Executive Partner
Proposer Additional Info
The Co-founder of OPAL Architecture, OPAL Build, GO Logic, and Timber HP, Matthew O’Malia is an entrepreneur and award-winning architect with a nationwide reputation for innovation and expertise in the design of high performance residential and institutional buildings. A leader in Passive House design in North America and named to Architect Magazine’s Architect 50 list in 2018, he is a frequent speaker at sustainable design conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Matthew has pursued a career based on exploration and innovation, working
for architecture firms in New York and Frankfurt, where he gained a thorough understanding of German sustainable design and construction systems.
In a field with outsized impact on the environment, Matthew embraces innovation to address the pressing climate and resource challenges we face. His conception of developing the next generation of buildings that can help improve the environment is reflected in his work, which combines the highest levels of energy-performance and resource sustainability with aesthetic simplicity, clarity of form, and the capacity to spark delight.
Proposed Session Description
OPAL Build is a new sister company to OPAL Architecture (opalarch.us) and TimberHP by GO Lab (golab.us), both established Maine companies in the Passive House space. At OPAL Build, we are developing the first ever all-wood composite panel, which our partners at the University of Maine call the "WIP," or wood-insulated panel. WIPs combine CLT with rigid exterior wood fiber insulation (WFI) to create a consistent, uniform, monolithic, fully CNC-cuttable panel with fully continuous exterior insulation. Out of these panels, we fabricate and assemble shell systems, delivering a structural / thermal / moisture enclosure solution for use in new construction and retrofits. The 100% wood cut-outs from these panels go into the WFI "hopper" in a cradle-to-cradle cycle.
Our proposal for the conference is to present the results from our pilot project, a 1000sf schoolhouse in Belfast, Maine. Industry attendees will gain real-world insight into the build process and thermal/moisture performance of CLT + WFI wall and roof solutions based on the 100+ sensors we installed in the roofs and walls. We will share lessons learned, details, and hard data.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Environmental justice and economic justice are inextricable linked. Those inhabiting low-performance buildings pay a disproportionate amount for energy on a per square foot basis, and also are disproportionately affected by climate change-related natural disasters. All people deserve the opportunity to live in healthy, environmentally friendly spaces.
Learning Objectives
Understand thermal and moisture performance of the CLT + wood fiber structural / thermal / moisture envelope
Understand how to work with CLT on a variety of project types
Understand the Life Cycle Analysis and benefits of CLT and Wood Fiber insulation
Understand the efficiency of construction and improved schedule with this technology
Has this session been presented before?
No
When and Where?
This session has not been presented before, but has been submitted to the
Additional Comments
Never presented before; similar session submitted to 2022 Passive House Network conference
Session Format
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Session Format Details
Matt will speak for 40 minutes, and answer 20 minutes worth of questions.
Recommended Length
60-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2022
Anything else you'd like to tell us about your session proposal?
We are very excited about the possibility of presenting at the BuildingEnergy Boston 2022 conference!
Reviewer 1
Nugent, Julia
Reviewer 2
Nugent, Julia
Curator
Nugent, Julia
Proposal #
134
Session #
206
Committee Decision
Accepted
Presenters
Full Description
This session is important because it explores two relatively new building materials, CLT and wood fiber, in the context of a real project. For these sustainable materials to become widely adopted, industry professionals must first understand their pros, cons, and costs, and also feel comfortable designing, engineering, and building with them. As wood-based products, CLT and wood fiber insulation both sequester carbon, often arriving at the jobsite with overall carbon-negative footprints. They are fully recyclable, and as a composite provide a new opportunity for zero waste fully automated building envelope prefabrication.