Large Building Airtightness and Appropriate Air Barrier Strategies
Tall buildings require a robust air barrier design strategy to withstand higher air pressures from wind, stack effect, and mechanical systems.
Tag: architect
Protecting One of Toronto’s Architectural Gems
The Integral House is arguably one of Toronto’s most unusual and spectacular residences. Its name reflects the summa symbol (∫) used to represent the integral in calculus; though it is known more simply to many as the Toronto Mansion. The 17,000-sq.-ft. Rosedale home was designed and built in 2009 for esteemed mathematician and calculus textbook author Dr. James […]
The three fundamental issues with stucco – and how to solve them
Save the Stucco! Stucco has been around a very long time – since the time of the Sumerians about 4,500 years ago… give or take a century. Good luck finding a Sumerian today to ask about the finishing plaster coat they applied over brick that became stucco. You think after 4 or 5 millennia we […]
Beauty meets brawn at Boston mixed-use residence
In the past 20 years, Boston’s population has grown faster than the construction industry has been able to keep up. Finding a place to live is not easy, and affording ownership costs is even harder, with a cost of living that is almost 40% above the U.S. average. Available rental units are likewise rare – […]
The Art of Proper Moisture Protection
The multi-award-winning Audain Art Museum is quintessentially Canadian – from the eclectic art housed inside to the unassuming yet masterfully planned and executed hockey-stick-shaped building itself. Yet, despite all the beauty on display for visitors, it’s the unseen elements that make this building truly amazing. The 56,000 sq. ft. private museum sits nestled amidst the […]
Architects as Educators of Air and Moisture Control Issues
Sometimes the additional knowledge an architect brings to a project can serve the project in completely unanticipated ways. Air and moisture control is a critical component of building design. It is important for the health and comfort of the inhabitants, as well as for structural durability. Architects understand what air and moisture barriers do and […]
