Part four - Managing moisture - Importance of a holistic view of façade/building systems

There’s been lots of attention recently on the problem of overheating in new builds - this is a really good example of a scenario where focusing on improving one aspect (increasing insulation/efficiency), the bigger picture (overall thermal comfort) has been missed.

Occupied buildings are living systems with dynamic interactions between façade/building envelope (architect), mechanical systems (building services engineer), and structural systems (structural engineer) not to mention the occupants. Then, come the construction phase, and the plot thickens further with a main contractor and specialist subs coming on board and introducing specific requirements associated with their systems.

It’s essential that a holistic view is kept top of mind. Otherwise high-performance (and high cost), façade systems risk being undermined by a lack of consideration of moisture development in the building envelope more broadly. 

A good way of achieving this is with the leadership of a façade consultant who has a good understanding of the interconnected nature of the various disciplines. However, complexities with the procurement process for facades, and/or just general project cost pressures, often see façade consultants end up in the ‘nice to have’ category. 

Combined with the gaps in the NZ building code we touched on in the last post, there is a lot of risk that moisture development falls through the gaps in a project. Care needs to be taken both during the design phase and construction to make sure the buildings we are delivering are not at risk of developing moisture. 

Given the complex interdependencies, perhaps a similar doc to a Practice Note 22 would be useful for building envelopes...