BUILDING ENVELOPE

Building envelope is comprised of different structural components to separate the interior of the
building from the environmental and climatic effects. Different structural components of
building envelope are given below.
 Roof
 Walls
 Doors
 Windows
 Foundations
All these components are made up of some material. Roofs can be made of RCC, Tees and tiles,
Girders and slabs, Bamboos and grass, fiber sheets, Now a days PVC roofs are commonly used
for single story commercial offices and ware houses, Truss and corrugated sheets are also used in
factories and high rise ware houses. Wall can be made up of bricks, stones, concrete blocks,
wood sheets, PVC sheets, Glass panels and RCC. Doors and windows can be made up of wood,
glass with aluminum frame, PVC and steel. Foundations can be made of stones, bricks, RCC and
PCC. These are all the material which can be used for the construction of building envelope but
the important thing is to decide the proper material for a site. For example for ordinary
construction of a room to stay for some day which is better either a room with columns and
bamboo roof or a brick walls and RCC slab?
Obviously we go for column bamboo structure because it is temporary and have almost
negligible cost than the second one option.
There are two systems of building envelope.
i. Single stage
ii. Dual stage
In single stage building envelope construction is done by considering the effects of climate but in
dual stage construction is done ordinary but after construction an insulation is provided to secure
the interior of building such as cladding.
Cladding can also be provided for the ornamental purpose or to protect our envelope from the
extreme climatic conditions. Cladding is of different types. It may be only a chemical used as an
admixture in the motor or it may itself an envelope. Some types of cladding are given below:
 Stucco is commonly used cladding for residential and commercial buildings. It is a mixture
of crushed stone, color and binding material. It gives good esthetic and secure the wall from
climatic effects.
 Stone cladding is also commonly used for esthetic and protection of from climatic effects.
 Water repellents are used to protect our envelope from water.
 Wood cladding.
 Glazed tiles.
 Insulation boards are used in walls to protect the interior of building from exterior climatic
changes.
 Different type of paints are also used as a cladding material.
All the above types of cladding can be used but these are not the necessary component of
building envelope but the above mentioned components are compulsory without the an envelope
is not completed because if there is no roof, walls, windows or door then our interior of building
directly affected by the climate but when building envelope is there then it is affected but if there
is cladding over the envelope then our building envelope is also safe and the cladding is being
damaged. Anyhow there are some problems which a building envelope have to face. These are
not necessary but they can occur due to any reason. Following are some problems which an
envelope have to face due to any specific reason.
 Efflorescence due to excessive water content.
 Cracking at the joint of walls due to lack of moment joint.
 Vertical cracking due to differential movement between the concrete frame and veneer.
 Spilling of exterior cladding due to moisture.
 Stucco failure due to improper application.
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