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Course Description: Cascadia Windows: Beyond the Frame: How High-Performance Fenestration Expands Design Possibility
June 18, 2026 - 04:00PM - June 18, 2026 - 5:00PM
As energy codes and performance standards across North America become more rigorous—such as the BC Energy Step Code, Energize Denver, and the Massachusetts Stretch Code—architects, engineers, and envelope consultants face increasing pressure to deliver efficient buildings without sacrificing aesthetics or affordability.
This session explores how adopting a whole-building design mindset, with a focus on high-performance fenestration, can unlock new flexibility for project teams. Rather than viewing windows and doors as constraints, high-performance fenestration can be leveraged as design enablers that contribute to thermal efficiency, visual appeal, and user comfort—while also supporting cost-effective compliance with evolving energy mandates.
Through case studies and comparative analysis, attendees will learn how fenestration decisions influence overall envelope strategy, and how integrating these components early in design offers greater control over architectural expression, interior quality, and project budgets.
1. Explain how high-performance fenestration supports whole-building performance goals and contributes to meeting or exceeding energy code requirements
2. Identify key metrics, materials, and configurations that influence fenestration performance and their implications for architectural flexibility and envelope strategy
3. Explore how an integrated approach to fenestration and envelope design can enhance occupant well-being through improved thermal comfort, daylighting, and acoustics
4. Examine opportunities to optimize cost and material use by aligning high-performance fenestration choices with broader envelope decisions early in the design process
5. Evaluate real-world examples where fenestration played a critical role in balancing aesthetics, performance, and budget in both new and retrofit projects