Mixed ClimateMany of our local communities urgently need homes that are more resilient to the effects of climate change such as frequent wildfires, floods, and heat waves. To mitigate further climate change impacts, many building projects aim to use materials with lower embodied carbon, yet builders in the past few years have been faced with ongoing worldwide supply chain issues. In this presentation, Graham Finch will dissect the building enclosure of a typical new wood-frame home to help builders understand the interplay of fundamental requirements like heat, air, vapor, and water control along with growing considerations for embodied carbon, resilience to wildfires and water, and material availability. This presentation will cover the building enclosure design and material selection from below-grade floors and walls to above-grade walls and roof assemblies. Builders will take away a renewed sense of clarity about best practice future-proof building enclosures given the many goals that their projects are trying to achieve.
You’ll Learn About:
1. Recognize the current challenges builders face when selecting building materials while balancing performance, cost, durability, and embodied carbon.
2. Compare different building enclosure material choices in terms of embodied carbon.
3. Identify the impacts of material selection on heat, air, and moisture control in buildings.
4. Identify materials and enclosure designs that are more resilient to fire and flooding and how they can be incorporated into home designs.