Brighter vistas: Next-gen tools drive sustainability toward net zero line

This course provides an overview of optimizing commercial fenestration with thermal barriers and high performance glazing in aluminum window framing to maximize daylighting and thermal efficiencies in the building envelope.

Novel concepts in glass and glazing are opening new vistas in the buildings world. From massive openings and bent panels to decorative finishes and integrated smart technologies, a cornucopia of glass innovations have been hitting the market in recent years. A review of new projects and recent product introductions gives an idea of the astounding range—and a few key lessons to live by—in today’s institutional and commercial sectors.

Parametric modeling has proven an invaluable toolset that enables architects to test complex design concepts and organize large quantities of data into manageable work streams. Parametric iteration makes it possible to achieve unique solutions that require digital surface modeling and then apply them to interesting building materials that might previously have been considered unviable.

Building envelope choices for campus, cultural, and infrastructure projects are shaped by particular conditions. Today, institutions place greater value on how buildings relate to their ensemble: how historic buildings fit next to new ones, how massing forms fit with their neighbors, and how a building cladding contributes to the campus context. Concurrently, enclosure assemblies and construction methods have undergone changes due to values of sustainability, science, durability, and maintenance. In this context, mastering the building envelope on college and university campuses requires addressing both cultural concerns and technical performance, honoring traditional buildings while exploring the potential of new materials and forms. 

The inaugural class of DOE’s Better Buildings Building Envelope Campaign includes a medical office building that uses hybrid vacuum-insulated glass and a net-zero concrete-and-timber community center.

SOM and Fender Katsalidis are designing the project.

Sherwin-Williams' Emerald Rain Refresh and James Hardie's Aspyre Collection are among the 23 new building envelope products to make Building Design + Construction's 2020 75 Top Products report.

NRCA survey shows 52% of roofing contractor said COVID-19 pandemic was having a significant or very significant impact on their businesses.