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  • Glazed and (Not at All) Confused: Residential Window Detailing

Glazed and (Not at All) Confused: Residential Window Detailing

AIAU26-CRAN01R
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1.5 LU|HSW
Course expires on: 04/12/2029
$30
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Description

A window must do everything a wall has to do. . . and also allow you to see through it. This is no small task, and when combined with the seemingly infinite number of window profiles available in residential architecture, often make the prospect of detailing them seem like a hopeless task. But there are general principles and rules of thumb that can help demystify and greatly simplify how architects approach window design. This session will discuss those general principles, their technical justification, and application to the most common combinations of window profiles and wall types. The speakers will review flanged and un-flanged window systems and discuss, step-by-step, how they can be properly detailed in both framed and mass walls with various kinds of water and air control membranes. This course will equip architects with better technical skills and information to manage their own risk by providing better details and ensuring those details are followed to completion during construction administration.

This session was recorded live on May 7, 2026.

Learning Objectives

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Identify the three most common approaches to structurally securing windows in building openings and describe the effect each typically has on water control, air control, and thermal control.

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Outline the two-stage seal approach to detailing windows and doors and describe why it works.

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Describe the most common methods of accommodating continuous exterior insulation at window openings.

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Respond with confidence to common objections to the proposed water, air and thermal control strategies, particularly those objections related to constructability and cost.

Presented in partnership with the Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN®). 

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Instructors
Darren Chang
AIA, RA

Darren is the founder and design principal of Darren Vinci Studio, a boutique architectural practice based in Seattle, WA, established in 2021. His work focuses on small-scale residential projects that draw inspiration from their context and client interactions, balancing ingenuity, purpose, and efficiency, while adapting to local construction methods. Prior to launching his own practice, Darren worked at design firms including OMA and KPF, and served as the design and project leader at two New York-based real estate companies. He holds a Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In his “previous life,” Darren studied aerospace engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University and a Dual Master of Science from MIT.

Christine Williamson
AIA

Christine Williamson is a building scientist and architect who has spent her career discovering why buildings fail and working with owners, architects, and builders to remedy the problems. She is an Assistant Professor of architecture at Virginia Tech and the founder of the Instagram account @BuildingScienceFightClub, an educational project that teaches architects about building science and construction.  Christine graduated from Princeton University and received her Master of Architecture from NewSchool of Architecture + Design.  She is past chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee 1.12, Moisture Management in Buildings and is a frequent lecturer on building science at universities and professional conferences.

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