Building Envelope

Photo by Andreas Lechtape, courtesy NBK Architectural Terracotta

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:

  • support comfort

  • manage moisture

  • not poison us or the planet

  • 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.

Building Envelope

Deep Dives

Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.

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  • Better Choices in Low-Slope Roofing

    Feature Article

    There are big differences in environmental impacts of commercial roofing materials, but the biggest variable may be service life.

  • Making Windows Work Better

    Feature Article

    How to choose curtains, solar screens, awnings, and storm windows? The options are dizzying, but the right choice can cut energy bills.

  • Re-Framing Sustainability: Green Structural Engineering

    Feature Article

    Want to design the greenest building possible? Get a handle on the best structural options available to you, and invite a creative structural engineer to join your team.

  • Choosing Windows: Looking Through the Options

    Feature Article

    We ask a lot from windows: energy efficiency, aesthetics, durability, affordability, and more. Which window frame materials and low-e glazing options balance these choices best? This article explores all the options and decodes the performance labels we see when buying windows.

Quick Takes

Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.

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  • Radiant Barriers and Reflective Insulation

    Primer

    Shiny materials control radiant heat flow, but there is a great deal of misinformation about these systems.

  • How Smart Windows Work

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    Smart windows have a lot of energy-saving potential, but can they really pass the test in the marketplace?

  • What Is Building Science, Anyway?

    Primer

    Building science is an integrated discipline that stands many conventional design and construction ideas on their heads.

  • How R-Value Is Calculated

    Primer

    You know what R-value is, but how do they figure it out? And is it really a reliable measure of insulation performance?

Product Guidance

Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.

In The News

We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.

Perspective

Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.

Learning Resources

A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.

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  • Designing for the Next Century's Weather

    Feature Article

    How do you create a climate-responsive building in a changing climate? Brand new modeling techniques are helping us figure it out.

  • Better Choices in Low-Slope Roofing

    Feature Article

    There are big differences in environmental impacts of commercial roofing materials, but the biggest variable may be service life.

  • Making Windows Work Better

    Feature Article

    How to choose curtains, solar screens, awnings, and storm windows? The options are dizzying, but the right choice can cut energy bills.

  • Re-Framing Sustainability: Green Structural Engineering

    Feature Article

    Want to design the greenest building possible? Get a handle on the best structural options available to you, and invite a creative structural engineer to join your team.

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