Southeast

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

Patrick Penza

Regional Sales Manager - Northeast

Patrick Penza

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.

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

Ron Partridge

Ron Partridge is a Sr. Account Manager in the High-Performance Polymers Business unit at Arkema. Ron is responsible for the sales of Kynar® PVDF polymer into the NA coatings market. He has over 30 years’ experience in the polymer industry in sales, business development, technical service and R&D. He received his BS degree in Chemistry and Materials Science from The State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1984.