Thursday, April 24, 2025  |  3:00-4:00pm ET

Reducing the total carbon footprint of buildings is a frequent goal for designers, and the roof can be a strong contributor to that mission. Imagine if these goals can be achieved using the roof you already specify. It’s not a fantasy. This presentation will dive into the details of how you can take a code compliant roof assembly to the next level. We will share data on how the choice of materials can impact the total carbon footprint of a project, and specifically the embodied carbon. It will also show examples on ways to improve the energy efficiency of a roof assembly and the impact it has on overall building performance across all climate zones. Finally, the presentation will provide attendees with examples of how to use environmental product declarations (EPDs) and energy analysis tools to do similar evaluations for their specific projects.

Reducing the total carbon footprint of buildings is a frequent goal for designers, and the roof can be a strong contributor to that mission. Imagine if these goals can be achieved using the roof you already specify. It’s not a fantasy. This presentation will dive into the details of how you can take a code compliant roof assembly to the next level. We will share data on how the choice of materials can impact the total carbon footprint of a project, and specifically the embodied carbon. It will also show examples on ways to improve the energy efficiency of a roof assembly and the impact it has on overall building performance across all climate zones. Finally, the presentation will provide attendees with examples of how to use environmental product declarations (EPDs) and energy analysis tools to do similar evaluations for their specific projects.

This session was recorded live on April 24, 2025.

With a wide variety of roof systems used on commercial buildings, selecting low-slope roofing assemblies can be complicated. Starting with four unique roofing case studies to review design considerations, we will ask the infamous question “What if?” Attendees will leave this interactive session with a better understanding of best practices in low-slope roof system design, including ways to establish air tightness, reduce moisture intrusion, and lower the overall risk of failure on your next project.

This free course is brought to you through a partnership with GAF. By registering for this course, you grant AIA permission to share your name and email address with GAF. 

This session was recorded live on August 22, 2024.

Course expires 8/27/2025

Tuesday, August 19, 2025  |  2:00-3:00pm ET

Hygrothermal modeling, the analysis of heat and moisture transport through building enclosure assemblies, reveals many of the climate-specific building science secrets that are key to durable design of walls and roofs and other assemblies. Debunking rules of thumb and avoiding answers of “it depends” – data and analysis can reveal exactly how many inches of a certain insulation are required, exactly what perm-rating will optimize an assembly, and what kind of havoc a reservoir cladding system can create. Case studies will be shown that demonstrate when perm rating matters and when it does not, the impact of roof membrane color and the risks of “cool roofing,” and when HT (high-temp) rated membranes are actually required. This presentation’s ulterior motive is to convince the audience that every architecture firm should be doing in-house hygrothermal modeling as an integral component of climate-specific, durable, and resilient design.