Energy demand and comfort in high performance buildings relies on minimizing loads and maximizing system efficiency to meet the load. Building envelope performance, especially control of art leakage and water intrusion in addition to being critical to building durability, can have a dramatic effect on space conditioning and air distribution energy requirements, and sizing. To understand the interaction between the building envelope and mechanical systems, it is important to consider the building envelope as a complete system itself. Furthermore, to understand the building enclosure system, you must understand the continuity of the building envelope, especially at interfaces and connections. The continuity of the building envelope is critical to the durability and energy efficiency performance of the building and is included in building and energy codes. However, ensuring continuity can be challenging to achieve during construction. This presentation will discuss key considerations such as interface design and overall construction sequencing that must be considered to allow for the continuity of the building envelope. This presentation provides real-world installations that show the positive impact of good envelope designs, and the negative impact of design flaws on building performance.

Learning Objectives:

- Understand the importance of building envelope continuity on the durability and energy efficiency of the building and its systems.
- Understand how example construction details contribute to the overall performance of the building envelope.
- Characterize the synergies and interactions between air and water barriers and HVAC system performance and durability.
- Identify key codes and standards covering the continuity, and durability of the building envelope

Instructor: Theresa Weston

CEU's: 1 AIA, 1 BPI, 1 NAHB, 1 NARI, 1 RESNET, and 1 GENERAL

**A maximum of 6 NAHB credits can be earned for entire Summit