New Ideas in Building Envelopes

Designing and constructing the most durable and energy efficient building enclosures requires careful integration of materials and assemblies—as well as integration of the various disciplines on the project team. This is especially true when multiple façade materials are selected to complete an exterior design scheme—metal, glass, stucco, brick, terra cotta, and the like—which bring with them a host of issues in constructability and combined performance.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

After reading this article, you should be able to:

• LIST insights into the requirements for effective façade design, including climate, solar orientation, energy-use profile, and interior occupancies and preferences.
• DESCRIBE the competing needs of energy conservation and occupant experience, and how they can be resolved.
• DISCUSS facility operational requirements and material choices, and the creative strategies developed for façade engineering to enclose such occupancies.
• APPLY project team experiences in high-performing building design and the approaches used for integrated design and integrated project delivery.