ABSTRACT
Enclosures are the most important part of a building both functionally and visually. Complicating effective performance of building enclosures systems are interlocking dependencies from the intersection of different materials systems and design criteria. This book brings together essays that address the integration of both aesthetic and technical realities of building enclosures, focusing on details and how they are constructed. It centers on modern building enclosures built in the period following World War II, when optimism from the mobilization of technology toward industry resonated most acutely in America, in a burst of pent-up architectural production. The book juxtaposes issues related to building production and the material of building technology, reflected in the fertile ground of the construction history field, in a manner more natural to engineers and builders than architects. Greater focus on building activity is also coupled with a more nuanced and comprehensive look at detailed components of building assemblies critical to fabrication.
