wet climate

Island and coastal areas in northern and western regions of Scotland are characterised by comparatively high levels of wind and rain - a combination that increases the wind-chill cooling of buildings and leads to higher energy consumption. This paper describes a low-energy housing demonstration project in the Orkney Islands, an island group located off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The background to the project is discussed, in particular, why there was a need for a more appropriate design, the features incorporated, and the main findings of the research

A cautionary tale of what happens when the entire construction and development system breaks down.

The purpose of this study was to correlate building envelope performance problems which are currently being experienced in low rise wood frame residential buildings in the coastal climate of the BC Lower Mainland, with sources of moisture, and design and construction features. This study has facilitated the identification of key aspects of the design, construction, operations and maintenance processes leading to the problems, which in tum provides the construction industry with focal points for the development of solutions to the current problems.