West
EVENT THEME
Detailing High-Performance Facades: Strategy, Specifications, and Advanced Cladding Materials
Today’s high-performance facade standards require the deft balancing of aesthetics, technical detailing, and the demands of the client and local building regulations. This workshop will discuss both material and technical solutions to meet those standards. Experts will be on hand to lead tutorials on the most recent innovations in rainscreen cladding, sealant solutions, and much more. Attendees will leave with a greater knowledge of material applications at the cutting-edge of energy performance and code compliance, all while learning of attractive solutions for clients and end users.
Agenda
10AM - 11AM
Credit type: 1 AIA HSW LU
Provider: CupaClad
Slate has been used for centuries as a long-lasting building material, and its natural beauty is unsurpassed. Today, rainscreen cladding systems have been developed to adapt natural slate to new architectural demands for sustainable building design approaches. This course explores the energy efficiency and moisture management benefits of a rainscreen system in combination with the durability and versatility of slate. The different designs and fastening systems are reviewed, and case studies demonstrate the advantages and possibilities for sustainable and beautiful slate projects.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the benefits of slate as a durable, nontoxic, versatile material that can be responsibly produced with minimal environmental impacts
- Explain the advantages of a rainscreen cladding system in terms of thermal comfort, moisture management, and indoor air quality
- Discuss the installation and design options of slate rainscreen cladding systems that have EPDs, long service lives, and reuse potential as part of sustainably designed projects, and use case study examples to recognize the role of slate rainscreen cladding systems in an array of applications, including net-zero-energy buildings, biophilic designs, and projects built in extreme climates.
Presenters
Drew Ford
Regional Sales Manager
11AM - 12PM
Credit type: 1 AIA HSW LU
Provider: Northern Facades
This course helps architects understand why thermal bridging mitigation is no longer an energy issue, it is now central to building resilience, durability, occupant comfort, and professional risk management. As codes become more performance-driven and climate pressures intensify (extreme heat and cold, wildfire exposure, grid instability), attachment strategies and envelope detailing increasingly determine whether wall assemblies perform as intended. Through clear visuals and real-world examples, participants learn how cladding support systems affect moisture risk, constructability, fire performance, and long-term building reliability. The course emphasizes how to evaluate cladding attachment systems holistically, moving beyond narrow R-value comparisons to consider structural efficiency, fire testing, durability, and ease of installation. Attendees leave better equipped to ask informed questions of manufacturers and consultants, avoid common value-engineering pitfalls, and confidently specify high-performance attachment systems that support future-ready, defensible envelope design.
Learning Objectives
- Explain why thermal bridging mitigation now impacts resilience, durability, occupant comfort, and long-term building risk, not just energy performance.
- Identify how evolving energy codes, climate pressures, and wildfire-related requirements are influencing exterior wall and attachment design.
- Recognize how attachment strategies affect condensation risk, moisture durability, and fire performance in wall assemblies.
- Distinguish between theoretical performance (modeled R-values) and real-world performance based on constructability and installation consistency.
- Evaluate cladding attachment systems using a holistic framework that includes thermal performance, structural efficiency, fire testing, durability, and ease of installation.
- Understand how thoughtful envelope detailing supports passive survivability and occupant comfort during extreme weather events and power outages.
- Apply a more informed, critical approach when reviewing specifications and value-engineering proposals related to exterior wall assemblies.
Presenters
Hector Ortega
Architectural Product Consultant
12PM - 1PM
Workshop, TBA
1PM - 2PM
Workshop, TBA
2PM - 3PM
Credit type: 1 AIA HSW LU
Provider: Arkema
Building owners have come to rely on weatherable coatings to provide long-term protection to their buildings. With an increased focus on sustainability, performance, and durability, PVDF resin-based coatings can help architects and painting contractors exceed their clients’ design goals. This course covers the key components and functions of high-performance weatherable coatings and looks at how these coatings contribute to sustainable design.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the ways PVDF resin-based coatings, both water based and solvent based, provide a consistent, pristine appearance while achieving durability goals over a variety of substrates as demonstrated in applicable case studies
- Discuss why some coatings fail and the important considerations when selecting a coating system for an application, including weathering performance, longevity, and application method
- Discuss the standards of performance for architectural coatings and recognize why PVDF coating technology outperforms other coating technologies, and
- Explain how water-based PVDF coatings, by their chemistry and performance, can help design professionals and building owners achieve their sustainability goals.
Presenters
Ron Partridge
Sr. Account Manager
