Buildings

Building Envelope Design - High Performance Facades

What Is It?

It takes a lot of thought and effort to create comfortable internal environments that are properly ventilated, lit, cooled, and heated. No owners, and few occupants, want their hard-earned, high quality interior environment leaking out through the façade.

Proper building envelope design responds to what people want from the space, and what the exterior environment subjects that space to: the requirements for thermal performance, and the microclimate in which the building sits.

Envelopes are complex, comprising of the façade systems, fenestration, roof systems, exterior walls, and atria. Other systems such as ductwork, ceilings, and insulation can be integrated into an envelope. There are many opportunities for achieving function and beauty, and many opportunities for undermining building performance.

How To

A good envelope is one of the critical systems of a high-performance building. The Building Envelope Design Guide is an excellent resource for designers.