• home
  • chevron_right
  • Courses
  • chevron_right
  • Advanced Design Strategies for Optimal Thermal Performance in High-Rise Building Envelopes

Advanced Design Strategies for Optimal Thermal Performance in High-Rise Building Envelopes

AIAU25-BPKC01
Included in subscription Included in subscription
1.0 LU|HSW
Live course date: 02/04/2025 | 02:00 PM
$30
Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Sign in to purchase chevron_right

Description

Tuesday, February 4, 2025  |  2:00-3:00pm EST

This intermediate to advanced-level course delves into the technical design implications of recent energy efficiency codes—focusing on the building envelope’s critical role in enhancing thermal performance and occupant health, safety, and welfare. Explore strategies to meet increasingly stringent energy codes, including how to quantify and mitigate heat loss through thermal bridges using the Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide. Special emphasis will be placed on addressing the unique challenges of high-rise buildings with traditional unitized glazing systems, where the vertical enclosure area greatly exceeds the horizontal area. Gain the tools and insights needed to improve your material choices, design strategies, and construction practices to achieve optimal thermal performance. 

Learning Objectives

check

Learn the design implications of envelope backstops and thermal bridging mitigation measures in recent codes. 

check

Understand the unique challenges for traditional unitized glazing systems on high-rise buildings.

check

Explore how to quantify heat loss through thermal bridges using the Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide. 

check

Review recent developments to account for thermal bridging and comply with envelope backstops. 

Presented in partnership with the Building Performance Knowledge Community (BPKC).

bpkc logo

Instructors
Jason Danielson
AIA

Jason leads GSA's national building enclosure program; including a portfolio of 1700 owned buildings, plus leased building inventory. Prior to GSA, Jason performed private sector design architect roles on a series of GSA Design Excellence and AIA award-winning projects, with a focus on building envelopes. Jason holds a BArch from North Dakota State University and MArch from University of Pennsylvania. He is University of Wisconsin QCxP certified, FAC P/PM III certified and LEED AP certified. Jason is a Fellow of the Partnership for Public Service. He is a board member for both the Facade Tectonics Institute (FTI) and the AIA Building Performance Knowledge Community (BPKC).

Stéphane P. Hoffman
M. Eng., M. Arch. PE

As a technical leader, Stéphane leverages our Building Science team’s expertise in Enclosure Design, Façade Engineering, Energy Modeling and Envelope Component Modeling to assist our clients design, build and maintain enclosure systems to deliver high performance buildings.  Stéphane’s blend of experience in building science, engineering, and architecture guides his well-balanced approach to building envelope design, blending scientific analysis with an understanding of the aesthetics. He is particularly adept at providing innovative design concepts and construction alternatives that provide value by improving durability and increasing energy efficiency.  His work experience covers a wide range of building types across North America with a mix of new construction, as well as envelope rehabilitation and historic restoration projects.

Guanzhou Ji

Guanzhou Ji is a board member of the AIA - Building Performance Knowledge Community.  He works at the Illumination and Imaging Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University - Robotics Institute, where he focuses on indoor photometry, computational photography, and physics-based rendering. He serves as a technical committee member for the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the International Commission on Illumination (CIE).

Similar courses

card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Employing Passive Systems for Load Reduction | Course 5
Properly designed, a building captures existing site resources such as light, wind, and solar radiation to provide for the comfort and needs of occupants. Passive systems work in concert with site resources to manage building energy demand through design.  This session will build upon the concepts introduced in Courses 3 and 4 and explore a holistic strategy for designing passive systems.  The AIA+2030 Online Series is an AIA and Architecture 2030 co-production. It's based on the highly successful AIA+2030 Professional Series, which was created by AIA Seattle and Architecture 2030, with support from the City of Seattle and Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

1.00 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Setting Fees
This course takes a detailed look at setting fees, providing you with in-depth understanding of the impact of risk and the value of the services architects provide.  You will learn "top-down", "bottom-up" and 'staff level" methods for building fees, with additional discussion of creating and managing contingencies properly.   Course expires on 5/21/2026.

1.00 LU
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Building Skin: The Importance of the Thermal Envelope | Course 4
A building’s envelope is the critical interface between occupant comfort and outdoor climatic conditions. High performance buildings require high performance envelopes that respond to exterior environmental impacts throughout the day and year. This course will explore design, material, and technological approaches to wall and window assemblies, from straightforward low-cost methods to advanced double skin facade applications.  The AIA+2030 Online Series is an AIA and Architecture 2030 co-production. It's based on the highly successful AIA+2030 Professional Series, which was created by AIA Seattle and Architecture 2030, with support from the City of Seattle and Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

1.00 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Why is Accessibility So Hard?
Accessible design is inherently challenging because it’s not a "settled science." Standards are constantly evolving—sometimes even in conflict with one another. This course will cut through the confusion. Our discussion/exploration will: Review compliance missteps and achievements in real-world scenarios Identify phases of the design process where various concerns are best addressed Help you create a clear plan for accessibility success Address questions, comments, and concerns from members like you Hear from accessibility experts and learn from the experiences of your peers in this clarifying course. Course expires 6/1/2025

1.00 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Disruptive Small Firm Practices: Innovative Models for Expanding Services
A disruptive innovation helps create a new market and value network. In this course, three professionals will demonstrate how firms can utilize these innovations to expand into more sustainable and resilient business models beyond traditional architecture. Learn how to: Utilize tools to re-conceptualize your firm's expanded services offerings Determine how expanded services integrate with your current business models Develop strategies for marketing expanded services to new and existing architectural clients Consider how expanded services augment opportunities for traditional architectural services offerings Course expires on 1/2/2026.

1.00 LU
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Accentuate the Positive: Climate Responsive Design | Course 3
Energy efficient design embraces the climate when beneficial, and minimizes unwanted environmental conditions. In this session, we’ll explore using climate data and site characteristics to conduct climate analyses, which we can use to inform building design and lower energy loads. This will set the stage for future courses that will address specific design strategies in more detail. In this course we cover the key elements of climate analysis. We discuss climatic factors that affect both a building’s performance and occupant comfort. We also decipher the “mysterious” psychrometric chart, which allows us to consider both climate and comfort together. Finally, we explore ways in which climate affects design decisions about site and program, as well as where to look for hidden opportunities during this phase to increase efficiency. The AIA+2030 Online Series is an AIA and Architecture 2030 co-production. It's based on the highly successful AIA+2030 Professional Series, which was created by AIA Seattle and Architecture 2030, with support from the City of Seattle and Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

1.00 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Accessible Architecture: Designing for Success (Part 2)
To get your projects right the first time, design and accessibility should go hand-in-hand. In this 3 part course, you'll learn the best practices for accessibility covering emerging trends, everyday mistakes made by contractors and architects and the best way to prepare drawings to get it right the first time. Don't let ADA compliance issues set you back and cost you money! Find out what it takes to avoid common mistakes and design for ADA compliance to the letter of the law. In Part 2, go in depth on compliance issues regarding accessible routes, ramps, parking spaces, protruding objects, doors and clear floor space, controls, and counters. Typical design issues will be highlighted regarding convenience stores, gas stations, and other retail outlets as well as specific cases involving owner decisions which negate ADA compliance. Course expires 5/22/2025

1.25 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Business of Architecture: Finance and Risk Management for Architects
This course explores concepts related to the finances in running an architecture firm and risk management. Large firms, small firms as well as sole practitioners need financial plans and risk management plans to sustain their practices, relationships and livelihood. Risk management should be embedded into the DNA of any firm or project. Learn high level ideas related to capitalization and investing and how you can apply them using the ABC’s of finance (Agreements, Budgets & Billing, and Collections) as well as key principles and considerations in managing risk at both the firm and project levels. Course expires 05/30/2025

1.50 LU