5 Brutal Building Envelope Blunders That Burn Builders’ Budgets Faster Than a Hot Knife Through Butter

Building energy performance and durability are often undermined not by bad intentions, but by missed coordination between the building envelope, fenestration, energy modeling, and construction execution. This webinar explores five real-world building envelope mistakes that routinely inflate construction costs, oversize mechanical systems, and erode energy efficiency—often without being discovered until well after occupancy. Drawing from multifamily projects in the Pacific Northwest, the session focuses on practical lessons learned and strategies to avoid these costly pitfalls.LEARNING OBJECTIVESParticipants will learn how to:Identify common envelope and fenestration coordination failures that negatively impact energy efficiency and system sizingUnderstand how energy modeling assumptions are directly influenced by envelope design and construction qualityRecognize when performance-based energy compliance can reduce construction cost and improve design flexibilityAvoid mechanical oversizing caused by incorrect or unverified envelope inputsAlign envelope commissioning efforts with actual project risk and code requirementsImprove cross-discipline communication between architects, envelope consultants, energy modelers, and MEP engineersRESOURCESWashington State Energy Code (WSEC) – Commercial ProvisionsASHRAE 90.1 – Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise ResidentialNIBS Guideline 3 – Building Enclosure CommissioningSeattle City Light – Energy Efficiency & Incentive ProgramsAUDIENCEArchitectsEngineersDesignersEnergy consultantsUtility and government staffFacility managersContractorsManufacturersInstallersAnd anyone interested in improving building energy performance, durability, and cost efficiency in multifamily projects