OVERVIEW
The building envelope protects us from the elements, enables comfort, and ultimately allows us to be at home in our houses, to be productive at the office, to learn in school, or to heal in the hospital.
A building envelope—also commonly called a "building enclosure," should:
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support comfort
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manage moisture
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not poison us or the planet
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allow us to breathe clean air
When possible, it should do all this while using resources effectively—durably, energy-efficiently, and with low embodied impacts.
Here you’ll find strategies for envelope design and material selection that help balance all these demands and more.
IN-DEPTH
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A New Foam-Free Sub-Slab Insulation
April 2, 2019Product Review
Foam glass aggregate made from post-consumer recycled glass bottles can replace both foam insulation and aggregate below grade
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Do Flame Retardants Work? Putting Foam Insulation to the Test
April 2, 2019News Analysis
A deeper look at California’s decision to allow flame-retardant-free foam under concrete slabs
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California Approves Flame-Retardant-Free Insulation Below Grade
March 4, 2019News Brief
Though products are not yet on the market, a state commission has given the go-ahead for select foam insulation without flame retardants or fire testing.
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Thin Glass to Change High-Performance Window Market
February 4, 2019Product Review
Alpen is rolling out triple-pane products that are thinner and lighter—and will eventually be cheaper.
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Fundamentals of High Performance Building Assemblies
In-Depth Course
BuildingGreen's four-part course, designed for architects and builders, provides methodologies for how best to design and manage these details and achieve superior performance—while avoiding expensive pitfalls.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Insulation
PDF Report
The BuildingGreen Guide to Insulation provides detailed guidance on insulation products and practices, including cost comparisons and detailed recommendations on what insulation to use, and what to avoid.
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Mind the Gaps: Making Existing Buildings More Airtight
July 25, 2017Feature Article
Leaky building enclosures create health hazards, comfort problems, and high energy bills. Fixing them isn’t rocket science; but you’d better know your building science.
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Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade
September 2, 2014Feature Article
Cladding materials should be chosen to minimize environmental impacts and help maximize a building’s energy performance.
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Innovative Products and Technology from the Greenbuild Expo
December 30, 2013Feature Article
Our product editors pick some winners from the expo floor at Greenbuild 2013 while raising questions about some materials.
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Designing for the Next Century's Weather
September 30, 2013Feature Article
How do you create a climate-responsive building in a changing climate? Brand new modeling techniques are helping us figure it out.
