On a construction level, the building’s envelope is a series of composite layers-whether it be wood, glass, veneer, drywall, etc.-each with their own permeable properties that must be considered. Roofs are bombarded by heat, rain, and hail walls contend with wind and rain and foundations are always surrounded by wet, damp earth. That said, each part of the enclosure faces different challenges. It is all included within the building envelope concept.
BUILDING ENVELOPE EXAMPLES WINDOWS
The building’s design must be measured and carried out meticulously to ensure that there are no open edges, cracks between the windows and walls and imperfections between the roof and the walls, or between the walls and the foundation. This is one of the main functions of construction because a well-constructed envelope is necessary to simply keep the structure standing. The way the foundation and walls are built is essential in creating a sturdy structure, or a base, for the rest of the building. Each part of the building envelope must be thought of as a collection of smaller pieces working together to provide structural support. While the building envelope is a silhouette of sorts, it’s important to remember that these are compounded layers. It’s the part of the building that you can draw a line around: the roof, the walls, and the foundation. It is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building, including the resistance to air, water, heat, light, and noise transfer. At its most complex definition, it’s an engineering system that meshes elements such as structural integrity, moisture control, temperature control, and air-pressure boundaries into a single design strategy.
What Is a Building Envelope?Īt its simplest definition, the building envelope is the exterior or shell of a building that repels the elements. Walls, roofs, windows, and doors all play a role, but it’s the building envelope that makes this possible. And yet, we expect our homes to provide thermal comfort and protection from the natural elements, at a consistent 74☏, every day. We use sunscreen when exposed to summer’s intense UV rays. Our perception of comfort is quite adaptive and is based on circumstance, the expectation of environmental conditions, and activities. What is the building envelope and why does it matter? How can it fail? What role does tape play in air sealing? In this article, we demystify the building envelope, helping builders and contractors identify weak spots in building tightness in order to improve air sealing, and create more structures that are sustainable, cost-effective, and comfortable in all conditions.īy nature, we do not expect our environment to maintain a consistent, 74☏, 50% humidity, climate.
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