Building Enclosure Consulting

ECS/DTR understands the evolving needs of building envelopes from a structural, sustainable and legal point of view. See how we address both the design and long-term performance of a building structure. With an emphasis on building science, ECS/DTR creates structures that last the test of time.

What is the Building Envelope or Building Enclosure?

First, let’s define what the building enclosure is. The building envelope or enclosure consists of six (6) faces of building. For decades, most of the focus was on the roof of a building for the primary purpose of keeping the rain out. Part of a building that physically separates the exterior environment from the interior environment is called the building enclosure or building envelope.

The building envelope, in many cases, may also be the thermal envelope, but not in situation. Other industry terms, such as an environmental separator, can be used to describe a portion of the enclosure, which can also be a separator between two different interior environments. The term building enclosure is sometimes referred to as the building envelope, largely because it is considered both more general and more precise.

The building enclosure consists of the ground floor system, foundation walls, above-grade wall systems, windows/doors (openings), decks over-conditioned or occupied space, soffits/ceilings below occupied space and roofs.

WHAT IS A BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT?

What is a Building Envelope (Exterior Enclosure) or Building Science Consultant and why should I be more diligent about its design and construction?

The building envelope is the physical assembly between the interior and the exterior environments of a building or other structure. It serves as the outer shell to help maintain the indoor environment (together with the mechanical conditioning systems) to facilitate its climate control, not only in terms of temperature but also in moisture and air movements. Another emerging term is “Building Enclosure”. The building enclosure design is a specialized area of architectural and engineering practice that draws from all areas of building science and indoor climate control.

Architects have been designing exterior walls, roof systems and structure foundations for hundreds of years, so what has changed?

Everything… First, building codes have changed significantly over the past decade. Not to mention, manufactured products have evolved, and sustainability and energy conservation has made a big impact on the types of products we select and in what order we assemble them. As buildings have gotten more energy efficient through the tightening of our structures, we have learned what not to do…

Note: More design professionals are involved in litigation involving building enclosure issues (glazed curtain walls, storefronts, glazing, waterproofing, roofs, skylights, water infiltration through below-grade walls, flooring failures, roof leaks, mold, etc.) than any other claim.

Building Science + Architecture

Building Science is a field of study and practice that draws upon physics, chemistry, technical architecture, engineering and life sciences. Understanding the physical behavior of the building, its assemblies and how this impacts energy efficiency, durability, comfort and indoor air quality is essential to innovating high-performance buildings. Today’s building science attempts to work with models of the building as a system and to apply empirical techniques to the effective solution of design problems. More specifically, contemporary building science is a broad discipline that is concerned with the full life cycle of buildings, including durability.

ECS/DTR believes true “Sustainability” comes from well-designed/engineered and constructed buildings. Sustainability is only valid if the projects we build today are constructed to last the test of time. Design and construction of green building projects without engineered durability are a disservice to the building owners and occupants.

New energy and building codes are aimed at reducing energy consumption. Unfortunately, they are not always focused on the durability of your structure. Many of the building code changes over the past decade have caused major issues for building owners. Focusing on thermal efficiency alone can be a mistake. While many of these new energy and building codes have many positives… incorporating them with traditional design and construction solutions may lead to problems in premature failure of building systems within the first ten years of the building life. Premature failures can come at a huge cost to building owners.

APPROACH

ECS/DTR is a specialty-consulting firm addressing both the design and long-term performance and durability of the building structure with an emphasis on building science. ECS/DTR takes an integrated approach to designing exterior walls, glazing types, glass curtain walls, punched window and door openings, deck traffic coatings, green roofs and traditional roofing systems down to the foundation and beneath the floor slab to protect the entire Building (Enclosure) Envelope.

Building Code specifies that the contractor constructs a building to be watertight. The code does not elaborate any further and owners with leaks in their buildings know how much of a hassle it is to try to chase down where the water and/or air are coming in from. Hint: It’s not always the roof…

Good building science design requires that the exterior wall assemblies be designed and constructed in such a manner as to prevent the accumulation of water within the wall assembly by providing a water-resistive barrier behind the exterior veneer. Many times, water intrusion is the source of biological growth (mold.) However, it may not be a water leak for the exterior, but rather condensation accumulation inside the walls or roof assemblies caused by bad design or bad construction. We want our structures to breathe but not allow water to penetrate the structure. We want to design into your project proper water management. We also want our buildings to be durable and last the test of time.

SERVICES

Our services include the evaluation of building systems, building products and components for their performance, compatibility and erect-ability in project-specific applications, in addition to:

Design Phase Services

Developing system performance requirements early in the design process

Reviewing/Coordinating with Design Team on product selection

Preparing or reviewing of architectural details and developing technical specification sections

Coordinating details with structural and mechanical consultants

Engineering modeling of heat, air and moisture movements – Hygrothermal Analysis

Advising the project team regarding technical and performance issues

Construction Phase Services

Reviewing installers/manufacturer qualifications
Conducting pre-bid meetings
Administering performance mock-up testing
Reviewing submittals and mark-up shop drawings for conformance to project requirements
Conducting pre-construction/ installation conferences
Administering in-plant inspections
Administering industry-standard field testing to detect water intrusion problems
Performing construction monitoring and limited field inspections
Building enclosure commissioning
Reviewing as-built construction and modifications
Conducting punch-list inspections

Important Note: ECS/DTR is an independent consultant not affiliated with contractors, suppliers or manufacturers. We may serve as the Owner’s Agent in administering and coordinating construction work, but we do not manage or perform any construction work or sell any construction products.