BUILDING ENVELOPE DESIGN

A building envelope is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment
of a building including the resistance to air, water, heat light, and noise transfer.
The building envelope is all of the elements of the outer shell that maintain a dry, heated, or cooled
indoor environment and facilitate its climate control. Building envelope design is a specialized area of
architectural and engineering practice that draws from all areas of building science and indoor climate
control.

The many functions of the building envelope can be separated into three categories:
 Support (to resist and transfer structural and dynamic loads)
 Control (the flow of matter and energy of all types)
 Finish (meeting desired aesthetics on the inside and outside)

Elements of a building envelope

The building envelope includes the materials that comprise the foundation, wall assembly, roofing
systems, glazing, doors, and any other penetrations. The connections and compatibility between these
elements is critical to ensure that the building envelope functions as intended.

Building envelopes prevent air leaks, as well as control internal air pressure, quality and temperature.
Accounting for natural ventilation, minimizing drafts and leaks, and using energy efficient windows,
insulation and sealants are all important aspects of building envelope design.

The building envelope structure includes the:

 Roof
 Walls
 Foundation
 Doors
 Windows

Building envelope focuses in order of importance to control three main external components:
 Water and water vapor control
 Air control
 Thermal envelope

Design Influence
Like building envelope material, building envelope design is also dictated by climate, culture, and
available resources.
 Climate can be categorized and directly impacts the structural support system. Climate is often
one of the largest influences on the design of the building envelope.
 The design also refers to the technical application of the materials used and variations in
available resources due to location.
 Diversity in culture is extensive and speaks heavily to the aesthetics of the building design.