An architectural structure having: a wall of a room of the architectural structure; and a panel integrated into the wall, wherein the panel includes thermoelectric components (TECs) arranged as a TEC grid, thereby defining a radiant panel, wherein: the TECs, of the TEC grid, are thermally coupled to a common heat sink formed in part by an exterior surface of the wall; and the wall defines a wall surface area, the panel defines a panel surface area, and the panel surface area is between 5% and 20% of the wall surface area.

A material and method for insulating a top portion of a foundation wall which includes a non-woven thermoplastic board for insulating a foundation wall. The non-woven thermoplastic board has a thermal resistance of an R-value per inch thickness of at least 1.

Among other things, there is shown embodiments of an enclosure such as a portable building with features focusing on overall improvement in energy usage. Wall, roof and floor configurations are disclosed that provide significant energy savings. Methods are also disclosed for preparing such features and/or refitting existing portable buildings for such energy savings.

The panel includes a water resistant barrier layer secured atop its outward facing surface. The water resistant barrier layer includes a skid resistant surface. The panels are made of lignocellulosic material. The water resistant and skid resistant surface may include indicia for aligning strips of tape or for aligning fasteners. A method for manufacturing the water resistant building panels is also disclosed and includes the steps of feeding paper onto a forming belt, depositing lignocellulosic material and the binding agent onto the forming belt so as to form a lignocellulosic mat, applying heat and pressure so as to impart the skid resistant surface on the paper, and cutting panels to predetermined sizes.

Embodiments may include an insulated structure. The insulated structure may include a plurality of structural support members coupled together to form a frame. The insulated structure may also include a plurality of first wall boards attached to an exterior side of the frame to form an exterior wall or surface of the structure. The insulated structure may further include a spray foam insulation positioned within at least one of the wall cavities of the structure. The spray foam insulation may have an insulative R-value greater than or equal to 6.0 per inch at 40° F. The spray foam formulation may be made from a formulation that includes a reaction product of a polyisocyanate compound and a polyol compound and a blowing agent. The blowing agent may include a mixture of n-pentane and isopentane, where the mixture is at least 75% isopentane.

An adjustable support system has a base bracket member, a clip member, and an outer bracket. The base bracket member has a first end wall that overlays a substrate, a body wall extending outwardly therefrom and a second end wall opposite the first end wall. The clip member has a base bracket member coupling, and a projecting arm. The base bracket member coupling is attached to the first end wall and overlies a portion of the body wall. The projecting arm is spaceable apart from the body wall. The outer bracket has a spanning wall with inner and outer sides. An outer end wall extends from the outer side. The spanning wall is slidably positionable between the body wall of the base bracket member and the at least one clip member, to sandwich the same. Wall assemblies and methods are likewise disclosed.

In an embodiment, a multifunctional material system is provided and can include a variable-permeability layer, a desiccant containing layer, and a vapor-permeable supporting layer. The variable-permeability layer can have a vapor permeability that increases with increasing relative humidity. The desiccant containing layer can be adjacent the variable-permeability layer. The vapor-permeable supporting layer can be positioned adjacent at least one of the variable-permeability layer and the desiccant containing layer. Water moves in a first direction from the variable-permeability layer to the desiccant layer when relative humidity is greater adjacent the variable-permeability layer than the desiccant layer. Water moves a second, opposing direction, from the desiccant containing layer to the variable-permeability layer when the relative humidity is greater adjacent the desiccant containing layer than the variable-permeability layer. The rate of water motion in the first direction is greater than the second direction when the humidity gradient is reversed.

A system and device for mounting and protecting exterior sheathing on a building. The system comprises a sheath-protecting bracket coupled to a wall with a sheath panel coupled to the wall with a bottom edge of the sheath panel positioned in the sheath-protecting bracket. The sheath-protecting bracket comprises a back plate, a bottom plate coupled to a bottom edge of the back plate, a front plate with a bottom edge coupled to the bottom plate. The sheath-protecting bracket has one or more spacers coupled to a front of the back plate to support the sheathing while allowing any moisture in the sheathing to weep out and fall into gaps above the bottom plate. A plurality of drain holes through the bottom plate allows water to drain out of the sheath-protecting bracket.

A composite building system comprising a structural frame and walls which is made of pultrusion fiber reinforced polymer (PFRP) material. PFRP provides increased performance, strength, protection, and longevity for mobile and fixed building structures, enclosures or vehicles, commonly found in residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare, aerospace, government defense, energy, and agriculture sectors. The PFRP material comprises fibers embedded in a resin matrix. Exemplary fibers are glass, carbon, and synthetic fibers. PFRP products can be formed using a pultrusion method that eliminates outgassing. An intumescent fire barrier can be applied to the PFRP to meet National Fire Protection Association fire endurance codes and standards. The composite building system increases personal safety while reducing weight, labor costs, construction time, and total cost of ownership over the life of the structure while being resistant to ballistic, seismic, corrosion, rotting, impact, and insect damage. In addition, a wall and wall assembly consisting of the PFRP material is impervious to water and air and does not require an exterior finish coating. The PFRP wall and wall assembly can be designed to be versatile, allowing for use with both PFRP structural framing and traditional framing materials, such as concrete, steel, and wood.

An exterior insulation structure includes a first board member, first supporting members, a first thermal insulator, second supporting members disposed on the exterior side of the first supporting members, a second thermal insulator disposed on the exterior side of the first thermal insulator and between the second supporting members, securing members fixed to the exterior side of the second supporting members, and exterior wall members attached to the securing members. The adjacent exterior wall members are joined together without leaving a gap therebetween. Each securing member is long enough, in the second direction, to be fixable to at least two second supporting members and shorter, in the second direction, than each exterior wall member. A first gap is left between the securing members adjacent in the second direction. At least part of each second supporting member is made of a material having a thermal conductivity lower than that of steel.