• Deep dive into building science principles for heat, air, and moisture movement, and how they shape the material, design, and performance mechanics of the building enclosure

• Apply the house as a system framework to control-layer systems, evaluating and detailing high-performance walls, roofs, and foundations as interconnected control-layer systems

• Optimize insulation strategies for all enclosure types, including cavity insulation, exterior insulation, and advanced framing integration

• Analyze air, water, and vapor control layers, including WRBs, flashings, air barriers, vapor retarders, and rainscreen applications across climate zones

• Understand advanced roof and attic assemblies, including vented and unvented assemblies, conditioned attics, where to insulate the assembly, how to mitigate attic or roof moisture issues, and ice-dam prevention

• Foundation design for slabs, crawlspaces, and basements, with a focus on thermal, moisture, capillarity, vapor movement, and soil gas control

• Understand the physics of window technologies, and analyze the correct glazing systems to complement the high-performance wall system 

• Comparing enclosure materials and assemblies to understand durability, performance, and cost implications, with our +10 enclosure mock-ups 

• Build, evaluate, and test a high-performance assembly with applied cyclical wind and water testing 

• Expand your understanding of the role of air tightness testing, energy modeling analysis software, researching EPD information, and other opportunities to validate enclosure choices 

• Develop a deeper understanding of heat, air, and moisture movement and how these principles guide modern enclosure design

• Learn to evaluate and detail high-performance walls, roofs, and foundations as coordinated systems that work across all climate zones

• Build practical skills for selecting and integrating insulation, air barriers, WRBs, vapor control, and drainage layers to create durable, energy-efficient assemblies

• Strengthen your ability to identify and implement effective moisture-management strategies at grade, above grade, and below grade

• Gain confidence in installing and evaluating high-performance windows and doors, including water management, maximizing energy performance, and occupant comfort

• Hands-on testing exercises—blower door metrics, air pressure testing, air sealing strategies, and modified ASTM tests—to assess enclosure performance in real-world conditions

• Translate building-science principles into actionable design and field practices that deliver measurable improvements in comfort, efficiency, and resiliency

This workshop is designed for professionals involved in designing, building, or evaluating high-performance homes, including:

• Builders, remodelers, and general contractors

• Architects, residential designers, and engineers

• Energy raters, building officials, and program administrators

• Enclosure specialists, air-sealing crews, and weatherization teams

• Manufacturers, suppliers, and product representatives working with enclosure systems

• Anyone looking to deepen their practical understanding of enclosure design and performance

Level: Advanced
Prerequisite: Advanced Building Science