For Mike Battistel, curiosity is more than a personality trait. It is a driving force.
When something captures his interest, he wants to understand it deeply. He reads everything he can find, asks questions, looks for better ways of doing things, and keeps going until he can make sense of the most complex ideas. That relentless curiosity has helped shape his career as a building science expert, business leader, and an effective educator.
A graduate of BCIT’s Architectural and Building Engineering Technology program, Mike began his career as a building envelope tradesman before turning his attention to building science. Today, he is President of Cascadia Windows & Doors and continues to teach in BCIT’s Architectural and Building Engineering Technology program, where he has spent more than 20 years sharing his industry knowledge with the next generation.
A passion for building science
Mike’s interest in building science emerged during a pivotal time for the industry.
As the leaky condo crisis exposed significant issues in building design and construction, he became fascinated by the science behind building performance and saw an opportunity to help address those challenges. When he enrolled at BCIT, he immersed himself in the subject, eager to learn everything he could.
“I just love the subject matter,” says Mike.
His teaching career began with an invitation from BCIT instructor Murray Frank, who was developing a hands-on building science course. Mike was asked to become a teaching assistant and help build the facility for the course, including a water-testing lab and sealant-testing labs. What started as a small hands-on learning space eventually evolved into BCIT’s High Performance Building Lab.
Mike went on to teach six different courses and developed content for many of them. His instinct for finding better ways to organize and communicate information became another outlet for his curiosity.
The goal was never simply to cover the material. Mike wanted students to leave with a clear understanding of the fundamentals and the ability to apply them in the workplace.
“I wanted to create curriculum that really made students job ready when they exited the course,” he says.
Meeting students where they are
Becoming an expert is only part of the equation. The real value comes from being able to make that knowledge accessible to others.
When students struggle with a concept, Mike makes sure he is there to support them, whether that means staying after class, scheduling one-on-ones, or finding new ways to explain the material.
Rather than expecting every student to learn in the same way, he adapts his teaching methods to help them get there. He uses student feedback to continually refine his approach, keeping the material clear, relevant, and connected to industry.
“I found feedback to be very useful because it challenged me to adapt my methods to be more comprehensive,” Mike says.
His willingness to adapt reflects Mike’s approach as an instructor. Teaching is not about proving how much he knows or simply delivering information. Instead, it is about ensuring that students understand the material and have the knowledge they need to succeed.
Learning goes both ways
Mike believes some of the most valuable learning happens through collaboration.
Back when he was a student at BCIT, he organized regular study sessions with groups of classmates, creating practice exams, and working together to understand the material. Each person brought different experiences and perspectives to the group, and many of those classmates remain friends more than two decades later.
His commitment to learning through shared knowledge extended beyond the traditional classroom. One of his most memorable teaching experiences took him to the Skeetchestn Indian Band near Savona. There, he delivered a building science course to community members who were training to become the first home inspectors in a First Nations community of its kind.
Over two weeks, he worked closely with the students, teaching them how to inspect their own properties while learning from the community himself. What began as distance between strangers, grew into strong, lasting relationships cumulating in a celebration as students received their home inspector certificates.
“It was a super inspiring couple of weeks,” he recalls.
The experience reinforced a philosophy that has guided Mike throughout his career: the value of sharing knowledge is best when it is shared to help others succeed.
“I believe that the more you help people, the more it comes back,” he says.
Staying ahead of change
Mike believes BCIT’s strength is its ability to recognize emerging challenges and prepare people to meet them.
As technologies and construction practices continue to evolve, he sees adaptability as one of the most important qualities graduates can develop.
“The future is happening at a rapid pace,” he says. “Students need to be nimble in their thinking and their mindsets.”
According to Mike, being future ready does not mean trying to predict exactly what comes next. It means giving students the knowledge, confidence, and adaptability to respond when it arrives.
A lasting legacy
After more than 20 years of teaching, Mike still finds that experience rewarding. Even after a long day running his business, stepping into the classroom allows him to focus completely on his students and the subject he loves.
“It is almost like a mindfulness session for me,” he says. “I become hyper focused on delivering the most relevent material in the clearest and most concise way.”
The highlight of his teaching career, Mike says, has been the connections he has made and the feeling that he has contributed to improving the construction industry through education.
“One person with knowledge can only do so much,” he says. “But if you’re sharing that knowledge with others, then the improvement and the impact that you can have on an industry when you share that knowledge is exponential.”
For Mike, the formula has always been simple: stay curious, keep learning, and share what you know. Those principles have guided a career that continues to influence students, industry, and the future of building science.