Far from being just a simple outer wall or decorative element, a building's envelope determines its climate control, degree of energy performance, and relationship to context. There is an urgent need for architects and allied professionals to gain a greater understanding of how materials and technologies can be applied to building envelope design to meet both aesthetic and performance requirements.<BR><BR>Building Envelopes, the newest volume in our Architecture Briefs series, is a process-based toolkit that advocates designing building envelopes in an integrated way, where appearance, use, context, energy performance, structure, and cost are inseparable and considered together. Featuring clearly written texts, original diagrams and sketches, and striking photographs, Building Envelopes illustrates how these elements can be combined to create cost-and energy-effective, yet aesthetically pleasing, enclosures.<BR><BR>Jenny Lovell has been critically engaged in the design, development, and application of building envelope strategies in the United States and England for the past fifteen years. Lovell is an assistant professor at the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design at washinton University in St. Louis and is registered as a member of the Architects Registration Board UK (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).<BR><BR>Architecture Briefs is a Princeton Architectural Press Series that addresses a variety of single topics of interest to architecture students and professionals. Field-specific and technical information, ranging from hand-drawn to digital methods, are presented in a user-friendly manner alongside basics of architectural thought, design, and construction. The series familiarizes readers with the concepts and skills necessary to successfully translate ideas into built form.