Mountain States

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

Amy Allen

Sales Manager

Amy Allen

Partnering with architects, designers, and contractors from concept to completion to achieve innovative and ambitious designs across various sectors, Amy’s years of experience and intimate knowledge of Cascade’s engineered systems give her a unique ability to creatively craft stunning, budget-conscious architectural mesh solutions for a diverse range of high-profile projects domestically and internationally. Learn from Amy’s experience through this insightful continuing education course on Lighting Effects with Coiled Wire Fabric.

Alternate, original provided: Amy manages in-depth coordination with designers and contractors from project conceptualization to completion on high-profile projects in various sectors. Her years of experience have equipped her with an intimate knowledge of Cascade’s engineered systems and how to creatively apply them for stunning aesthetics while keeping budgets in line. Amy handles projects nationally and internationally.

Credit type: 1 LU/HSW
Provider: Atlas Roofing

This webinar explores how strategic continuous insulation (CI) choices can alleviate pressures on building enclosures and elevate building envelope performance, sustainability, durability, and life safety. Attendees will gain insights into NFPA 285 compliance, the role of CI in rainscreen systems, and key considerations behind insulation material selection. The course highlights key attributes for comparing insulation types—such as R-value, thickness, installation requirements, and environmental impact—and suggests design opportunities using higher-performance insulation products. Through real-world assemblies and best practices, participants will learn how to simplify insulation choices across multiple applications to meet evolving codes, optimize wall assemblies, reduce thermal bridging, and even reclaim interior square footage. Discover how doing more with less supports design efficiency and construction practicality.

Learning Objectives

• Identify how insulation selection impacts NFPA 285 compliance and understand how different assemblies perform with various continuous insulation materials under varying environmental pressures.
• Evaluate sustainability attributes, installation efficiencies, and design flexibility of continuous insulation types to maximize thermal performance and minimize installation complexity.
• Explore rainscreen applications and determine critical design and installation considerations for effectively integrating continuous insulation across varied enclosure types.
• Examine how high R-value insulation can reduce wall thickness, simplify attachment systems, and reclaim usable space within building envelopes.

Presenters

Lance Williams

Architectural Sales Manager

Lance Williams

Lance Williams is an Atlas Roofing Architectural Specialist focused on CI-continuous insulation applications.  His experience spans nearly 20 years interacting with Designers, Specifiers, GC’s, Installers, Building Scientists, & Building Envelope Consultants. Because of his grasp of the real-world performance characteristics coupled with the nuances of continuous insulation choices, he is uniquely suited to offer advanced perspectives that empower stakeholders to achieve the benefits of continuous insulation.

Credit type: 1 AIA HSW LU
Provider: Northern Facades

Thermal bridging is a well-understood concept within the building-envelope industry, yet the conversation surrounding its mitigation has evolved significantly over the past decade. In 2026, thermal bridging is no longer addressed solely as an energy-efficiency concern, but as a critical factor in thermal resilience, durability, climate adaptation, and long-term building performance.

As energy codes and standards across the United States and Canada continue to advance toward higher performance targets, designers, developers, and contractors are increasingly required to evaluate whole-assembly thermal performance, including the impact of clear-field cladding support attachments. At the same time, regional climate risks—such as extreme cold, prolonged heat waves, and increased wildfire exposure in western regions—are reshaping how exterior wall assemblies are designed and detailed.

This course provides a current overview of the codes, standards, and regional drivers influencing thermal bridging mitigation today, including energy codes, resilience frameworks, and emerging wildfire-related requirements such as Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) standards. Participants will explore how thermally broken cladding attachment systems (thermal clips) support continuous insulation strategies while contributing to assemblies that address energy performance, fire exposure, constructability, and durability.

The presentation also examines regional adoption patterns, industry pushback, and affordability pressures, highlighting the importance of avoiding short-term value engineering that can lead to long-term envelope failures. Attendees will gain practical insight into performance-based compliance pathways, freely available calculation tools, and how to critically evaluate the growing range of thermal clip products in a market where not all solutions perform equally under real-world conditions.

Learning Objectives

• Explain how thermal bridging mitigation has evolved from a prescriptive insulation consideration to a key driver of thermal resilience, durability, and whole-assembly performance in contemporary exterior wall design.
• Identify the primary U.S. and Canadian building codes, energy standards, and regional requirements influencing thermal performance in 2026, including how state, provincial, and municipal adoption varies across climates, risk profiles, and enforcement environments.
• Recognize how regional climate risks—including extreme cold, prolonged heat, and increased wildfire exposure in western regions—are influencing exterior wall assembly design, material selection, and attachment strategies, including considerations related to Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) standards.
• Differentiate between prescriptive and performance-based compliance pathways and understand how thermal bridging impacts each approach, particularly within clear-field cladding support assemblies.
• Apply a critical lens when evaluating and selecting thermally broken cladding attachment systems (thermal clips), considering thermal performance, constructability, durability, structural behavior, fire considerations, and long-term risk to support reliable, repeatable exterior wall assemblies.
• Define passive resilience and explain how envelope design decisions including the mitigation of thermal bridging contribute to occupant comfort, building survivability, and reduced reliance on mechanical systems during extreme weather events and power outages.
• Recognize common industry challenges, regional push-back, and affordability pressures related to advanced envelope design, and understand how thoughtful thermal bridging mitigation can help avoid long-term performance failures and unintended consequences associated with short-term value engineering.

Presenters

Hector Ortega

Architectural Product Consultant

Hector Ortega

Hector is a professional engineer with over 10 years of experience in curtain wall systems and building enclosures consulting. Formerly with Morrison Hershfield, he also served as a BECX authority for multiple projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), focusing on performance and sustainability.