What is a building envelope?

A building envelope includes all the components that make up the shell or skin of the building. These components separate the exterior of the building from the interior, and are designed by the project architect or engineers to meet the needs of each individual application.

The building envelope may also be defined as the components that separate conditioned areas from unconditioned space. Exterior or unheated living spaces are not included inside the envelope, while any living space that is equipped with heat or air conditioning would be included.

The building envelope must be carefully designed with regard to climate, ventilation, and energy consumption within the structure.

A cob building is a structure which has been built with the use of cob, a building material made from a blend of sand, straw, and clay. Cob has been used in construction for thousands of years all over the world, with cob building being associated in particular with many areas of England and Ireland.

This building material is similar to adobe, a material native to the Americas, and structures made from cob have endured hundreds of years of continuous use.

The main function of the building envelope is to provide a controlled internal environment that protects from the variable and uncontrollable external climate. The nature of internal environment is dependant on the end use of the building and this in turn will determine the requirements for the building envelope.

Think of it as the shell that protects the inside of your home from the environment outside. It's a biggie on the list of architectural design elements for every building, and includes your home's foundation, roof, exterior walls, doors and windows.