The Building Envelope
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The Building Envelope is the physical separator between the interior and the exterior environments of a building. |
Another term is "Building Enclosure". It serves as the outer shell to help maintain the indoor environment (together with the mechanical conditioning systems) and facilitate its climate control.
The Building Envelope is made up of:
- Structural Layers - foundation, framing, trusses, panels and sheeting, engineered products (i.e. CLT, PSL, LSL, etc..)
- Control Layers - Air Barrier(s), vapour barrier(s) and retardants (i.e. VDR paint), insulation, sealants, gaskets and caulking.
- Finish Layers - Drywall, wood flooring and wall panels, trim elements, doors and windows.
Some elements - like drywall, windows, doors, panels - can act in more than one layer.
