Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST)

Course Description

Opaque cladding thermal performance is governed by what happens behind the visible surface: ventilated cavities, discontinuous insulation layers, and hundreds of metallic brackets penetrating the thermal envelope. This course gives architects and design professionals focused knowledge of U-value assessment specific to rainscreen cladding and overcladding systems – where the support structure, not just the insulation, determines the real thermal performance. You’ll learn to quantify the thermal impact of rail-and-bracket support systems using psi and chi values. The course demonstrates how bracket material (steel vs aluminium vs stainless), spacing density, and stand-off distance change the result – and when a 2D or 3D numerical simulation is necessary because the simplified method is no longer accurate enough. Presented by Eugene Korch (façade engineer and IAST Programme Director), the course uses real cladding system build-ups – including mechanical brick slip, terracotta rainscreen, and aluminium cassette systems – to show how the same insulation thickness can deliver very different U-values depending on the support system behind it. This course is designed to help you evaluate U-value claims from cladding manufacturers, identify where optimistic assumptions hide, and understand why the bracket system – not just the insulation – is where thermal performance is won or lost in opaque façades.