knowledge zone - Jesse Clarke

A free lunchtime webinar on façade weathertightness, wind pressure, and moisture control. Learn what the evidence says about how facades actually perform and where current practice is still falling short. Includes live Q&A. Earn CPD and LBP points.

Description

Facades exposed: what the science says we're still getting wrong

Weathertightness, wind pressure, and why windows remain the weak link

New Zealand's leaky building crisis cost an estimated $47 billion. The lessons are well documented but how much has actually changed in the way we design and build façades? Jesse Clarke takes a forensic look at the full façade system: how wind pressure, moisture, membranes, cladding, and window detailing interact in the real world, and where the gap between what the building code requires and what actually gets built remains dangerously wide. This is a practical, evidence-based session for anyone who designs, specifies, or builds exterior walls.

 

  WHAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT

  • How pressure differentials work across cladding, membranes, and linings - and why the most airtight layer is the one that takes the wind load
  • Why face-sealed barrier systems carry so much risk, and what drained and pressure-equalised wall systems do differently
  • What NZBC E2 actually requires around external moisture - and what it leaves out around vapour entrapment
  • Why windows are consistently the critical failure point in facade systems, and what tested, compliant detailing looks like
  • How mould develops inside building envelopes and how to design it out from the start
  • What full-scale cladding and WRB testing reveals that component-level testing alone will never show

  We’ll wrap up with a hosted Q&A, giving you the chance to dig into key takeaways and clarify your own projects. 

 

SPEAKER

Jesse brings more than 20 years of experience across the construction industry, with a focus on advancing building envelope performance through research, testing, and industry collaboration. He chairs the AIRAH Special Technical Group for Building Envelope Physics, leading national efforts to standardise hygrothermal modelling as a practical design tool. He is one of the most evidence-driven voices in building science across Australia and New Zealand.

  

  HOST

Jon Davies - Technical Sales Support and Education Training Manager at Pro Clima NZ

Jon brings a depth of knowledge from years of industry training and on-site experience. He guides the session with thoughtful questions, facilitates engaging discussion, and helps uncover practical insights that matter on the job.

 

Earn CPD and LBP points | Register now

 

 

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