As architects, we start the design process with very conceptual ideas and talk big-picture about the way a building needs to operate and its general style, but it’s how the details are executed that determine how well the building can meet these aesthetic and conceptual goals, along with keeping the rain out!
Once the initial design ideas are agreed upon and the owner has signed off on the floor plan and general exterior design drawings, the detailing begins.
At SOA we start by looking beyond what the exterior walls will look like and start to focus on how they will perform. There’s the outermost part of the wall, the part that you will see when the construction is done, such as:
Then there’s the part that you won’t see, the structure, which could be:
And then there are other components that, when added, will affect how well the wall keeps the outside elements out and keeps the interior space at a constant temperature and comfort level. Let’s explore how to properly detail a brick veneer steel stud back up wall starting at the base and working our way up to the roof line (click the image to enlarge):
The detail presented above is just one of many different ways in which the base could have been detailed. For this detail we have included the weather barrier behind the rigid insulation. It could have been installed over the top of the rigid insulation or been part of the rigid insulation. We also like to use sprayed polyurethane insulation in the stud cavity to help with mitigating air intrusion and temperature conductivity through the walls. Depending on how well you want your wall to maintain the temperature and humidity of the room inside, helps us determine how to detail your walls. In many cases, a lower initial cost in wall construction will result in a higher energy consumption cost down the road.
Many times paying a little more for better wall construction will eventually pay back the initial investment and continue to save you money.
In future blogs, I’ll explore additional details (like window sills, window and door heads, window and door jambs, parapet caps and sloped roof line to wall) and important considerations to make at each of those junctions.