Global Differences in Building Enclosures
Open Access
- Author:
- Tran, David Hoang
- Graduate Program:
- Architectural Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- April 12, 2013
- Committee Members:
- Richard A Behr, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
- Keywords:
- Building enclosures
Globalization
International Construction - Abstract:
- Successful design and construction of building enclosures on foreign projects presents a challenge for those who are new to international business. In addition to basic building enclosure functional requirements (i.e., structural, acoustics, heat control, air control, moisture control, etc.), professionals must accommodate local considerations of a building project’s site, which vary globally from market to market and are not always clearly understood in the early stages of a project. This study consists of twenty-nine interviews conducted with building enclosure professionals who have significant experience working in the following five global markets: Europe, Far East, Latin America, Middle East, and North America. The interviewees expressed that there are significant global differences that affected how they perform services in relation to the design and construction of building enclosures on mainstream, modern, low-to-mid-rise commercial buildings across each market. Thirteen factors were found to account for global differences in building enclosures, although not all thirteen factors were deemed important in a given global market. This study summarizes market-specific design and construction considerations as expressed by interviewees for building enclosures in the five distinct global markets.