Northeast

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: Porcelanosa

This course covers the fundamentals of rainscreen systems, including their purpose and benefits. It highlights the advantages of using porcelain as a cladding material, such as water and fire resistance, and sustainability. Participants will learn about designing with cladding, optimizing installation, and understanding cladding systems, components, detailing, and building science. The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of porcelain cladding systems and their applications.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the benefits and function of ventilated facades
• Recognize the advantages of porcelain as a cladding material
• Explore various cladding systems
• Learn efficient panel layouts for labor economy

Presenters

Jose Velez

Regional Sales Manager

Jose Velez

My name is Jose Velez, an architect with 16 years of experience, including 6 years specializing in facades. I have a passion for art and a keen eye for design. My previous roles include Facade Consultant, Project Architect, Project Estimator, Interior Designer, and work with Porcelanosa. With extensive field work experience and close collaboration with installers, I bring practical insights to our facade projects.

Credit type: 1 AIA HSW LU
Provider: Tenmat

This course provides an introduction to topics related to fireblocking in exterior wall covering assemblies. Attendees will learn specific requirements in the IBC, as well as how to balance compliance with these and other performance expectations of exterior wall assemblies.

Learning Objectives

• Develop an understanding of basic rainscreen design for proper water and air management
• Learn about existing fireblocking requirements for the exterior wall covering in the IBC language
• Compare and contrast the use of intumescent fire block materials vs other materials listed in the IBC
• Explore potential wall details for proper incorporation of intumescent fire block in rainscreen assemblies

Presenters

Mirka Carlson

Sales Representative

Mirka Carlson

With over five years of experience in the fire-resistance-rated construction industry, Mirka Carlson, a Sales Rep at Tenmat Inc., has presented to entire building departments, ICC and AIA chapters, and individual architectural firms about the life safety hazards in construction applications. By visiting NTA, an ICC fire testing facility in Texas, and attending Rainscreen Installer Training, hosted by RAiNA, Mirka has gained a wide range of exposure to system installation and fireblocking requirements.

Credit type: 1 AIA HSW LU
Provider: Pilkington

Different buildings have differing needs for aesthetics, performance, and functional operations. Few building materials have as great an impact on all three of these areas as glass since it plays a unique and important role in building design and the environment. The use of glass in buildings affects design, appearance, thermal performance, and occupant comfort. Historically, glass was used mainly for windows to admit air and light, but with advanced manufacturing options and the need for high performance buildings, it is now integral to interior and exterior architecture. Glass now plays a critical role in achieving a wide variety of dynamic and varied performance requirements from reducing bird strikes to generating power. These evolving technologies enable a variety of occupant and building performance improvements such as air quality improvements, fire protection, and improved acoustic performance. Additionally, these technologies can be used to enable significant reductions in the energy usage of existing and new buildings, which further improves sustainability and the push towards zero net carbon building future. Therefore, the selection of the right types of glass is a crucial element of the design process to create solutions that not just achieve the performance and aesthetic targets, but also directly lead to the greater goals of occupant health and comfort as well achieving the macroscale building demands in terms of sustainability and operations. Architects who understand the full range of possibilities available from glass manufacturers can use them to design the aesthetics, performance, and wellness standards required of the built environment today.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the different types of high-performance glass that are available and explain how these products impact occupant health, safety, and sustainability.
• Investigate the design potential and innovative opportunities to reduce bird strikes, improve sound attenuation, reduce fire risk, and improve surface cleanliness using advanced glass technologies.
• Explain how window retrofit technologies and power generating/dynamic glazing contribute to green and sustainable design in buildings. 
• Acquire insights into emerging technologies being used to achieve healthier, safer, and more sustainable buildings, beyond achieving performance and aesthetic targets.

Presenters

Franco Cordano

Regional Sales & Marketing Manager

Franco Cordano

I joined Pilkington/NSG Group recently, in February 2025 and currently serve as the Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada. Prior to this role, I spent six years as a Regional Sales Manager in the manufacturing sector, specializing in the Renewables Industry.