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 meaning to
say it isolates the indoor
environment to the outdoor
environment. The term "building envelope" refers to your home's full outer
building system like the windows, doors, roof, floor, foundations, and
insulation are all part of this.

It is important to energy efficiency because when constructing a new

building, building envelopes almost always have the largest impact on
energy efficiency because they can help prevent the transfer of heat in or
out of the building. The envelope protects the interior while also allowing
for climate control. This results in turn reduce energy bills.  The four
fundamental yet crucial roles of the building envelope components are
structural support, moisture management, temperature regulation, and
air flow. The last three—moisture, air, and thermal—define the building
envelope's control functions, or the aspects that assure a home is energy
efficient, comfortable, and sustainable.