Underestimating thermal bridging can greatly undermine a building’s performance contributing to heating load variances of up to 30% and cooling load variances of up to 200%, says the MMM Group. That often means that a sophisticated and often expensive high-efficiency mechanical system is used to meet code requirements.
Scott Armstrong, MMM Group's Manager of Building Science and Sustainability, advices Building Teams to focus on reducing thermal loads in buildings instead of masking the problem with costly advanced high-efficiency mechanical equipment.
Related Stories
Architects | Feb 11, 2016
AIA elevates 149 members and eight international architects to the College of Fellows
AIA Fellowship recognizes significant contributions to profession of architecture and society.
Architects | Feb 9, 2016
Architect faces prison sentence for VA medical center contract conspiracy
Admits to using inside information to gain VA contracts in Cleveland
Game Changers | Feb 5, 2016
London’s ’shadowless’ towers
Using advanced design computation, a design team demonstrates how to ‘erase’ a building’s shadows.
High-rise Construction | Feb 2, 2016
This tall tower will lower your heart rate
Matthias Olt, Associate Vice President at CallisonRTKL, discusses new ways to improve individual health and well-being through tower design.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 1, 2016
Top 10 kitchen design trends for 2016
Charging stations, built-in coffeemakers, and pet stations—these are among the top kitchen design trends for the coming year, according to a new survey of kitchen and bath designers by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
Architects | Jan 28, 2016
25-year-old architect wins competition for World War I memorial in Pershing Park
Joe Weishaar and sculptor Sabin Howard were selected from among five finalists and over 350 entries overall.
| Jan 28, 2016
AIA CES class: The rainscreen approach to a better building envelope
Building envelope expert Bradley Carmichael of Hoffmann Architects explains how rainscreen wall systems work and evaluates the effectiveness of various rain-control methods, including mass walls, perfect barriers, and masonry veneers. This AIA/CES class is worth 1.0 learning unit.
Architects | Jan 28, 2016
2015 was a record year for mergers and acquisitions in the AE industry [infographic]
Consulting firm Morrissey Goodale tracked a record 234 sales of U.S.-based A/E firms last year.
Architects | Jan 27, 2016
NCARB to rename the Intern Development Program
This June, the program designed to guide aspiring architects through the early stages of their career will be renamed the Architectural Experience Program (AXP).
Architects | Jan 26, 2016
HOK promotes Bill Hellmuth to chief executive
Hellmuth is set to replace Patrick MacLeamy, who will remain as the firm’s chairman.