Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST)

Course Description

Curtain walling thermal calculation works nothing like opaque cladding. Instead of a layered wall with point thermal bridges, the overall U-value is assembled from separate zone calculations – centre-of-pane, edge-of-glass, frame, and spandrel – each with its own thermal behaviour, then area-weighted into a single representative value. This course gives architects and design professionals the knowledge to understand and interrogate that process. You’ll learn what really drives the numbers in a curtain wall thermal report. Frame geometry and thermal break design often dominate the result far more than glass selection. The course explains how mullion depth, break material, cap profile, and the ratio of vision to spandrel area interact – and why a system that performs well at one module width may fail at another simply because the frame percentage increases. Presented by Eugene Korch (façade engineer and IAST Programme Director), the course uses real curtain wall thermal reports and product-specific frame sections to demonstrate how small changes in frame depth, thermal break material, or module proportions can shift the overall U-value enough to move a façade from compliant to non-compliant. With annotated thermal simulation outputs and comparative frame studies, this course helps you evaluate curtain wall thermal performance claims, understand why the frame – not the glass – is usually the thermal weak point, and write thermal specifications that address the right parameters.