Rainscreen Facades | Architectural Engineering and Facade Design

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In this educational video, Eugene Korch from the Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST) explains the complete story of rainscreen façade design — from ancient Roman roofs to modern high-rise timber buildings.
You’ll explore how different civilisations solved the same problem — keeping water out of buildings — and how those solutions evolved into today’s ventilated, pressure-equalised, and fire-safe façade systems.

What you’ll learn in this video:
The origins of the rainscreen principle in Roman and Japanese architecture
How Norway’s Stave Church managed moisture for over 900 years
The development of Victorian cavity walls and their legacy
Why perfect-seal façades failed — and what the Alcoa Building (1953) taught us
Lessons from Vancouver’s leaky-condo crisis and the rise of the “Perfect Wall” concept of a Building scientist, Joseph Lstiburek
Understanding air, water, vapour, and thermal control layers
How fire barriers and compartmentation prevent façade fires
The role of rainscreen façades in retrofits, sustainability, and prefabrication
This video is part of the Facade Intelligence educational series — designed to help professionals understand façade systems, improve design competence, and learn from real-world case studies.
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🎓 IAST Qualifications, Online Courses, and CPDs are designed for:
Facade Engineers • Design Managers • Façade Designers • Specialist Contractors’ Employees • Business Owners • Architects • Architectural Technologists • Architectural Engineers • Project Managers • Quantity Surveyors • Estimators • Structural Engineers • BIM/CAD Engineers • Fire Safety Consultants • Sustainability Consultants • Building Physicists • Commercial Managers • Technical Sales Consultants
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💻 Study Architectural Engineering Online with IAST:
• Applied Façade Engineering (AFE)
• Level 5 Diploma in Façade Design and Engineering (DipFDE) – Professional Qualification
• Level 4 Certificate in Facade Cost Planning and Estimating (CertFCPE) Programme – Professional Qualification
• Building Envelope Energy Performance
• Remediation Façades for Fire Safety
• Façades Fire Safety and Compartmentation
• Risk of Condensation and Mould Analysis
• Rainscreen Cladding Construction Design
• Stick Curtain Wall Construction Design
• Windows and Doors Construction Design
• Façades Movement and Tolerances
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🏛️ Discounts available for students and members of professional organisations.

Members of BSR, Government Authorities, JCI, CLC, SFE, CIBSE, RIBA, CIAT, CWCT, RAiNA, FTI, SDE, GGF, ICE, RICS, IFE, CABE, Façade Tectonics, as well as students or recent graduates in Façade Design and Engineering programmes.

00:00 Introduction – The 900-Year-Old Timber Façade That Still Works
01:30 Roman Roof Tiles – The Origins of Rainscreen Design
03:00 Early Façade Systems and Water Management Principles
04:30 Norway’s Stave Church – Moisture Control Through Ventilated Cavities
06:00 Japan’s Sliding Rain Doors – The First Movable Rainscreen
07:30 Victorian Cavity Walls – The Foundation of Modern Façade Design
09:00 Sealed vs Ventilated Systems – Lessons from Early Curtain Walls
10:30 Vancouver’s Leaky Condo Crisis – Why Rainscreen Systems Matter
12:00 Joseph Lstiburek' "Perfect Wall" – Air, Water, Vapour and Thermal Layers Explained
13:30 Retrofitting Buildings with Rainscreen Façades – Energy and Moisture Control
15:00 Grenfell Tower – Fire Safety Lessons for Façade Engineers
16:30 Fire Barriers and Compartmentation in Rainscreen Cladding
18:00 Modern Rainscreen Systems – Structure, Tolerances and Thermal Bridges
19:30 Acoustic and Thermal Performance in Multi-Layered Façades
21:00 Timber Skyscrapers and Prefabricated Rainscreen Assemblies
22:00 Summary – Key Lessons in Rainscreen and Façade Engineering

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