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Building envelope meaning
Published by a LexisNexis Construction expert
What does Building envelope mean?
In construction practice, building envelope describes the physical boundary separating the conditioned interior of a building from external weather and ground conditions. It ordinarily comprises the roof, external walls, ground-bearing or basement floors, and all intervening elements and interfaces, including cladding/curtain walling, windows, doors, insulation, vapour and air barriers, waterproofing and service penetrations.
The term is descriptive rather than a fixed statutory or case-law definition. It is used across UK and Irish building regulation guidance and technical standards (often alongside building fabric or thermal envelope) in relation to thermal performance (U-values, thermal bridges), air permeability testing and moisture control (e.g. Approved Document L in England and Wales, the Scottish Technical Handbooks, Northern Ireland Technical Booklets, and Ireland's TGD L).
In contracts (design and build, professional appointments, collateral warranties) the building envelope is frequently used to scope works, allocate design responsibility, set performance requirements (weathertightness, airtightness, fire and acoustic performance) and frame maintenance obligations. It is a frequent locus of defects and insurance issues (including latent defects cover), such as water ingress, condensation, energy under-performance and external wall/cladding compliance. Usage and legal effect are consistent across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, though regulatory terminology may differ.
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View the related Practice Notes about Building envelope
PRACTICE NOTES
Construction Law Glossary: Key 'B' Terms—bonds, BIM, BREEAM, Building Safety Act 2022, Building Regulations, benchmarking, bills of quantities
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Back end Contentious, disputes‑focussed legal services, for instance representing a party in litigation... Benchmarking A method for assessing whether service quality and pricing align with prevailing market levels (where they exist) without running a formal competition. It can also be applied to track improvement or evaluate performance... Best value The obligation on every local authority to arrange for continual improvement in how its functions are carried out, having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness (Local Government Act 1999, s 3). This entails considering costs, securing value for money, and ensuring services reflect community needs and the authority’s priorities. See Practice Note: Best value in public procurement... Bid bond Also called a tender bond (or guarantee). Used within the tender process to secure performance by bidding contractors, most commonly on international projects...
21 May
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PRACTICE NOTES
UK CMA: Kingspan/Building Solutions (National) merger — FSPs SLC concerns; no SLC in single skin sheets; Phase 2 referral, investigation cancelled after abandonment (21 May 2020)
CASE HUB ARCHIVED – this archived case hub sets out the position as at the cancellation of the investigation on 21 May 2020 following the abandonment of the deal; it is no longer maintained. See also the timeline and commentary. Case facts Outline of the UK merger inquiry into the proposed purchase by Kingspan Holdings (Panels) Limited of Building Solutions (National) Limited. The transaction created horizontal overlaps in the UK supply of standard foam panels and single skin construction sheets. Latest developments On 21 May 2020, the CMA officially terminated its phase 2 probe after the parties chose to drop the planned transaction. Parties Kingspan Holdings (Panels) Limited (Kingspan): a building materials business, headquartered in Ireland and listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. Building Solutions (National) Limited (Building Solutions): a leading UK manufacturer and distributor of building envelope solutions, operating via the brands Steadmans, United Roofing Products, Trimform Products, and Advanced Cladding & Insulation. Background On 7...
22 May
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