Building envelopes - An integrated approach

Few parts of a building work harder than its envelope (also known as its facade). The envelope is the part of the building most visible from the outside-so it should be visually appealing-but it can also have the biggest effect on the well-being and safety of its occupants-so the envelope should be help heat and cool the building, allow light into it, and provide necessary structure. Too often, a building's envelope is more aesthetically striking than functional, or vice versa. A great building envelope, though, architecturally integrates all of its elements.Building Envelopes, the newest volume in our Architecture Briefs series, gives instruction for designing building envelopes that are both visually appealing and high-functioning. Author Jenny Lovell is an architect and professor with ample experience in both designing and teaching about integrated building envelopes. This book fills a hole in current architectural education, where students now typically only learn either how to design a beautiful but impractical facade or how to design a boring but functional facade.Building Envelopes is divided into three sections: discussion of the general concepts involved in designing a building envelope, exploration of specific technologies and materials that the envelope encompasses, and analysis of cutting-edge case studies from around the world. With helpful texts, original diagrams and sketches, and striking photographs, Building Envelopes provides an accessible, thorough guide to designing integrated envelopes that is useful to students and practitioners alike.