The building enclosure is the most important element to the performance of a building. It is what separates the inside from outside, and therefore will dictate the health, comfort, and energy efficiency of the building.
Traditionally, NZ façade engineering considered only the vertical elements of the building (windows and cladding), but proper building enclosure (or envelope) engineering considers all elements of the exterior, including roofs, decks, underground waterproofing and all transitions/junctions therein.
Building enclosure engineering design must also include liaising between the building aesthetics, the structural components, the mechanical/services design, and the science and technical aspects behind the building performance.
Although code clauses B1, B2, C3, E1, E2, E3, G4, G5, G6, G7, and H1 are all listed separately, they are very closely interrelated and design changes to satisfy one will inevitably affect all of the others. The building enclosure must therefore be designed holistically to provide a healthy and comfortable in the simplest, more efficient way possible.
In addition, working to liaise between with the structural, mechanical, and architectural teams create more robust, watertight and optimised details to bridge the gaps between different assemblies, which are typically the highest risk.
