In-Depth Course

Fundamentals of High Performance Building Assemblies

Design assemblies that live up to their potential
Course developer Peter Yost explains how high-performance assemblies are fundamentally different from traditional building assemblies.

High-performance buildings integrate site-responsive orientation, climate-responsive form, hefty R-values, efficient mechanical systems, healthy indoor air, and glazing that effectively balances daylight and heat gain.

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.

What you'll learn:

After completing the course, you will be able to:

  • Recall how the acronym ENDURE speaks to the unifying aspect of high-performance buildings.
  • Describe how to apply the principles of high-performance assemblies in everyday work.
  • Employ integrated project delivery to co-design an installation sequence.
  • Describe how to manage moisture flow with continuous control layers
  • Describe how to achieve continuity in air barrier assemblies
  • Determine the best places to locate thermal barriers
  • Understand how to deal with vapor diffusion using advanced tools, methods and materials
  • Discuss the difference between vented and ventilated assemblies
  • Explain why BECx befits integrated design, integrated project delivery, and design-build contracts.
  • Outline the process to retrofit an existing building for high performance.
COURSE OUTLINE
Unit 1: The Science of High-Performance Assemblies Hygrothermal Performance: The Key Driver How water moves through buildings Continuous water barriers Capillary breaks Drained and rainscreen systems: Managing bulk water, capillary water, and drying Continuous air barriers How Blower-Door Tests Measure Airtightness Continuous thermal barriers Understanding thermal bridging Reducing Heat Flow Through Windows Vapor profiles vs vapor retarders How "smart" vapor retarders work Combining control layers Using WUFI to prevent moisture problems Vented and ventilated wall assemblies "Vented" crawl space foundations Vented and unvented attics and roofs Unit 2: Getting Details Right Residential and Commercial High Performance Assembly Examples The Special Challenges of Curtainwall "Perfect" Assemblies Alternative Assemblies Joints: Sealants, Tapes and Gaskets Options: Adhesives Sealants Putties and caulks Agreeing on terms, and applications Avoiding failed seals with bond breaks How to choose a sealant that works Latex Acrylic Butyl Polysulfide Silicone Polyurethane "Hybrids"–MS Polymers Making tapes stay put Rubberized asphalt Butyl rubber Acrylic Silicone Tape performance: Other considerations Assessing service life Gaskets Compression and memory Wet versus dry glazing Service life of gaskets Assessing product safety Liquid Sealants and Chemical Safety Flashing Tapes and Chemical Safety Gaskets and Chemical Safety Case Study: Cape Cod Passive House
Unit 3: High-Performance Design and Construction Process How high performance Scopes Of Work differ from standard SOW Verifying Performance with Building Envelope Commissioning Cx vs. BECx Pre-design phase Design phase Achieving continuity Construction Phase Mockups During construction Pre-occupancy What gets tested Occupancy and operations Guidelines and standards HOBO data loggers Integrated High Performance HVAC Case Study: Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Unit 4: High-Performance Retrofits Assessment Evaluation Monitoring Getting to know the building Case Study: Renovation of 46 Blackstone Historic masonry in cold climates Reduce airflow, encourage vapor flow Ongoing monitoring Case Study: Edminster-Bohner Home Retrofit The damp crawl space Ongoing monitoring Design Review: Existing and Planned Elements Design Review Drawings: Edminster-Bohner Home Retrofit Comprehensive Home Assessment Checklist
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