Building Envelope
The building envelope acts as the external sheathing that protects indoor spaces from the harsh outdoor environment. It is comprised of the external wall panels and framing system, windows, and the roof membrane/panels and framing system. The building envelope system is crucial to the performance of a building. Green design objectives for the envelope are targeted towards reducing the heat island effect, supporting energy conservation and improving indoor environmental quality.
An efficient building envelope system can:
- improve a building’s durability and longevity;
- prevent moisture migration into and out of the building envelope;
- improve occupant health and comfort;
- increase efficiency of the HVAC system;
- reduce cost of the mechanical equipment; and
- eliminate thermal bridging reduce the heat island effect.
A high-performance building envelope system can include:
- Envelope wall systems with barriers and thermal insulation;
- Pressure equalized rain screens; and
- Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS).