Martin Gerskup, B.Arch., OAA, MAIBC, MRAIC, is the President of BEST Consultants Martin Gerskup Architect Inc. (BEST). He has over 25 years of experience in the field of Investigative Architecture and Building Science. He is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC); he served as a member of Council for the OAA from 2003 to 2005, and is currently a member of the ULC Thermal Insulation Committee. During his tenure on council at the OAA, Martin was Chair of the Discipline Committee, and actively served on the following committees: Practice Committee, Registration Committee, Public Interest Review Committee, Communications Committee and the University Liaison Task Group. Martin has served, in various capacities, on the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) Board of Directors from 1991 to 1997; including serving as President of OBEC from 1993-1994. Martin has authored and presented many technical papers on the subject of building science and taught as an Assistant Adjunct Professor and tutor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design from 1999 to 2001, and for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ryerson University in 2002.
Martin Gerskup founded BEST in 1992 as a firm that specializes in building envelope science and technology. As a practicing architect, he has over 25 years of experience in the design, construction, inspection, repair and maintenance of all types of buildings. He has prepared numerous technical audits, building envelope design reviews and has frequently resolved complex technical problems in the field both during and after construction.
Martin Gerskup is a Past-President and Director of the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) and is currently a member of the OBEC committees for Air, Moisture and Fenestration. He is a current member of the Canadian Standards Association committee on Masonry Construction for Buildings and the Chair of the CSA Sub-Committee on Masonry Design Related to Building Science. He has authored and presented many technical papers on the subject of Building Science and has taught Construction Methods and Materials as an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. He is one of the writers of the 1998 Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects (CHOP) and has been featured regularly in The Toronto Star newspaper article “Ask the Expert”.
In the News
When the roof of a mall collapsed in Elliot Lake, Ontario, in June of 2012, Global TV reached out to Martin to comment on building repair and building safety. He appeared in two News Hour segments, which can be seen below.
- “News Hour – Questions emerge about history of Algo Centre Mall’s roof” (Video), Global TV, June 25, 2012.
- “News Hour – Safety history of the Algo Centre mall” (Video), Global TV, June 26, 2012.
- “Global National – EXCLUSIVE: Documents reveal condition of Elliot Lake mall” (Video), Global TV, July 9, 2012.
- “EXCLUSIVE: Engineering reports warn of extensive leakage and fire risk at Elliot Lake mall”, Global National, July 10, 2012.
- “Global National – New questions about mall engineering report” (Video), Global National, July 14, 2012.
Martin was quoted in the July 2012 edition of Toronto Life Magazine in an article titled “Faulty Towers”, commenting on the current state of the Condominium industry in the city of Toronto. Global TV conducted a follow up interview with Martin on their News Hour segment.
- “News Hour – Problems with condo development” (Video), Global TV, June 8, 2012.
Architecture Canada (RAIC |IRAC) & Department of Architecture at the University of Ferrara – Recovering the Past to Create a Sustainable Future – Summer Training Course – Ferrara, Italy, July 24-29, 2011
- Architetti verso il futuro (Architects for the future), estense.com, July 25, 2011.
- A Unife 15 Architetti canadesi partecipano alla Scuola estiva “Recuperare il passato per creare un futuro più sostenibile” (A Unifi 15 Canadian architects involved in the Summer School “Recovering the past to create a more sustainable future”), PianetaUniversitario.com, July 25, 2011.
- A Unife 15 Architetti canadesi (A Unifi 15 Canadian Architects), ferrara24ore.it, July 25, 2011.