Where Region Meets Building

by Darrell Puffer and Ting Wang

At first glance, a region may appear relatively uniform in terms of culture, geography, and climate. Careful mapping of regional data, however, reveals diverse patterns in motion across both regional geography and climate. LS3P’s office locations cover an area that spans the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont, the Sandhills, and the Coastal Plain crossing several climate zones. This area is a transitional zone between the continental, subtropical, and tropical climates. In addition to seasonal shifts and climate variations from office to office, the firm works in a climate which can experience significant temperature swings over the course of a single day. It is not uncommon to start the day with temperatures in the 40s and rising to the 70s by afternoon; this change in temperature (ΔT), conspiring with wind-driven water, humidity, and heat, define the challenges that can influence the built environment and the performance of the exterior wall. In addition, the seasonal threat of named tropical storms and hurricanes that come onshore presents significant weather events every year.

Regional concerns can be summarized in a few words: heat and moisture transport.

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