Building Envelope as Climate System
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When the building envelope — walls, roof, windows, and floor — is treated as an afterthought to be heated and cooled by mechanical systems, the building is fragile, expensive to operate, and uncomfortable when those systems fail.
Evidence and Discussion
The passive house movement has demonstrated conclusively that a well-designed envelope — continuous insulation, airtight construction, controlled ventilation with heat recovery, optimized glazing ratios, and thermal bridge-free details — can reduce heating and cooling energy by 80–90% compared to conventional construction. In cold climates like Edmonton, this transforms heating from a major expense to a minor one.
The integration is the pattern: passive house *performance* with human *atmosphere*. High-performance windows that still open. Heat recovery ventilation that doesn't sound like an airplane. Thermal mass that you can feel with your hand — stone, concrete, earthen plaster.
Therefore
design the building envelope — insulation, air barrier, windows, and thermal mass — as the primary climate system, not as a container for mechanical systems. Target at least 80% reduction in heating and cooling energy compared to the local code baseline. Then add natural ventilation, operable windows, and materials you can touch and feel. The envelope should make the building comfortable. The mechanical system should make it perfect.