Name: Short Courses with Credits towards Diploma in Façade Design and Engineering
Price: 140.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

LABC Management and Technical Conference

Keeping Water Out of Façades, and Designing Balconies That Are Safe, Not Just Compliant

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About the Course

Most façade leaks start at the interfaces, and most balcony risks start with the details.

This CPD course brings together two talks by Eugene Korch from the LABC Management & Technical Conference 2026, covering details found on almost every residential project.

Part 1: Water covers the three Ds of rain control (deflection, drainage and drying), why interfaces leak when systems don't, the dimensions that matter, and how to lay out open-state cavity barriers that satisfy both fire and moisture requirements.

Part 2: Balcony Design works through the London Plan, BS 8579 and the Approved Documents, from guarding and thresholds to decking, drainage and wind comfort, and shows why a balcony that complies on paper can still be unsafe in use.

Included in Facade Intelligence Professional Membership (FI PRO)

Corporate Membership

For companies and teams looking to provide professional façade training and development opportunities for multiple employees.

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Individual Membership

For individual façade professionals looking to expand their knowledge, develop expertise and access IAST learning resources.

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By the end of the course you will be able to

Apply the three Ds of rain control (deflection, drainage and drying) to façade design
Identify the first-stage and second-stage seals in brick, render, metal, curtain wall and precast façades
Recognise why interfaces leak, and specify copings and sills that shed water
Plan cavity barrier layouts that control cold smoke without trapping water in the cavity
Check guarding heights, upstands, toe holds, handrails and toe boards against BS 8579
Choose between edge and piped drainage and work out the catchment area for an outlet
Recognise balcony hazards that comply on paper but are unsafe in use

What’s Covered

Part 1: Water

The Forces That Move Water

The six forces that drive water into façades
The failure each force causes
Where rain hits hardest: corners, parapets, exposed elevations

The Three Ds and the Flat Box

Deflection, drainage and drying
How traditional details kept walls dry
Why flat metal and glass façades leak at the joins

Drainage and the Two-Stage Seal

Cladding as the first seal, membrane as the second
How brick, render, metal, curtain wall and precast drain
Why "breather membrane" is misleading

The Cavity: Size, Tolerance and Fire

UK cavity widths and wind-driven rain exposure
Why tolerance, not water, sets cavity size
Cavity width, fire spread and unfilled joints

Interfaces: Copings and Sills

Why interfaces leak when systems don’t
Copings: slope, projection and drip
Sills: falls, end caps and reveals

Cold Smoke and Open-State Cavity Barriers

Open-state barriers and cold smoke
The conflict between fire and moisture guidance
A layout that limits smoke and still drains

Part 2: Balcony Design

Balconies, Terraces and the London Plan

Balcony versus terrace, and why it matters
London Plan space and transparency rules
When a winter garden becomes a conservatory

Accessibility

Wheelchair turning space
Door width and handle height
Threshold height and sill slope

Guarding and Fall Prevention

The 1,100 mm guarding height
Upstands, toe holds and climbable balustrades
Handrails, toe boards and baluster corrosion

Fire Safety, Decking and Wind Uplift

Non-combustible elements and soffits
Slip resistance of decking, wet and dry
Wind uplift and gaps in paving on pedestals

Drainage

Edge versus piped drainage, and the 2.5 m limit
The "6 m² rule" and why it doesn’t apply
Catchment area and the water management hierarchy

Wind Comfort and Safety in Use

Impermeable balustrades for wind comfort
The typical London balcony
Compliant on paper, unsafe in use

Course Schedule

1. Course Overview
2. Course Objectives
3. How to Navigate the Learning Materials
1. Lecture
2. Knowledge Check
1. Lecture
2. Knowledge Check
1. Certificate: Download & Share

About this course

8 lessons
Practice test questions
CPD Certificate: 2 hours structured CPD / 2 Learning Units
FREE for FI Pro Members

This course is part of FI PRO membership

FI PRO is the Façade Intelligence Professional Membership: a library of short professional courses and all upcoming IAST seminars, for you or for your whole team.

FI PRO membership

from £320/ year

This course and its CPD certificate
Library of short professional courses
All upcoming IAST seminars

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Your Instructors

Programme Director, IAST Eugene Korch

Eugene is a façade engineer and educator with extensive experience in building envelope design and technical specification. Through the Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST) and Facade Intelligence, he delivers CPD training to architects and construction professionals across the UK. His teaching approach emphasizes practical application and accessibility, making complex technical subjects understandable for design professionals.

Who should enrol

Anyone who designs, builds or checks façades and balconies

Design and engineering

Detail the walls, cavities and balconies.

Architects and Architectural Technologists

Envelope Designers and Façade Engineers

Structural Engineers

On site and inspection

Check details on site and investigate defects.

Building Control Surveyors and Inspectors

Clerks of Works

Building Envelope Consultants

Delivery and management

Build and deliver schemes that perform.

Façade Specialist Contractors

Developers

Project Managers and Design Managers

Course details

Format: Self-paced online CPD in two parts, Part 1: Water and Part 2: Balcony Design, with supporting visuals and downloadable materials.
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours of video, about 45 minutes per part.
CPD Points: 2 hours structured CPD.
Access: 12 months from enrolment.
Certificate: CPD certificate issued on passing the multiple-choice test for each part.
Prerequisites: None. A basic familiarity with external wall build-ups will help.
Materials: Downloadable resources and reference guides included.

What makes this
course different

Based on two talks given to building control professionals at the LABC Management & Technical Conference 2026.
Connects the physics of water with the details that decide whether a façade leaks.
Covers a current building control problem: cold smoke and open-state cavity barriers.
Brings the London Plan, BS 8579 and the Approved Documents together for balcony design.
Uses real buildings and site photographs, not only drawings.
Honest about where compliance is not enough to make a balcony safe.

Join the Facade Intelligence Professional Membership (FI PRO)

Membership fees start from £320 per year

Gain access to all upcoming seminars and a wide range of the most sought-after short courses. Corporate discounts are available for teams of 10 or more. For a bespoke quote, please contact our team at [email protected].