All buildings lose heat (fact), even the most efficient Passivhaus, BREEAM Outstanding, EPC A+ building will still lose a some. One way the heat is lost is through the fabric (walls and roof etc) and some areas lose more heat than others. A thermal bridge refers to these localised areas in the building envelope where heat transfer occurs at a significantly higher rate than the surrounding areas. You typically see thermal bridging issues at junctions between building materials, on corners, floor junctions, eaves, window frames and balcony junctions. If you have ever noticed condensation on a door handle or mould around a window that is usually due to a high thermal bridge. These bridges can lead to thermal inefficiencies, increased energy consumption, and discomfort for occupants.
This discomfort to occupants can be due to cold spots near windows or walls, and can lead to drafts and uneven heating, making it challenging to maintain a comfortable indoor environment. They can also contribute to condensation and moisture-related problems within a building. When warm, moist air comes into contact with a colder surface, due to a thermal bridge, condensation can occur, leading to potential mould growth, deterioration of building materials, and compromised indoor air quality. Some thermal bridges can be avoided, for example in a Passivhaus project we look to reduce the number of external corners or increase the size of a window rather than increase the number of windows to provide natural light. But in reality, unless you plan to live in a windowless sphere, thermal bridges will occur. From the moment we begin the design of a project to its completion we think about how it will be built and how we can detail junctions to avoid high thermal bridging.
Detailed thermal bridging analysis is now required for new buildings as part of the overall energy model, previously typical values were used. This means the model is more accurate and reduces the gap between designed and actual performance. At Shu Architects, we have been using software to calculate the thermal bridges for our own projects. As a result, we can use the analysis as a part of our workflow to test details, construction options and ultimately design to provide the most efficient and comfortable space.
When we quote for construction drawings we will include this as a part of the package we provide. However, we can also quote for external projects on a detail by detail basis. If this is something you are interested in or would like to know more about what we do then please get in touch!