The EnvelopeThe five jobs an external wall has to do at once, and the layer that does each.ArchitectureOne wall, five separate jobs. They are rarely the same layer.The five jobsKeep rain outKeep air from leaking throughSlow heat flowControl water vapourCarry load, or hang off what doesThe layer that does itOuter skin, plus a cavity or drainage planeA continuous, sealed air barrierInsulation, continuous and unbrokenVapour control layer, on the warm sideStructure, or a supporting frameThe single most common failure is a layer that stops at a junction. Everyone of the five must be continuous.The Envelopelearnposters.com
The Envelope — printable design wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

What’s on the The Envelope poster

10 entries in 2 groups.

One wall, five separate jobs. They are rarely the same layer.

The single most common failure is a layer that stops at a junction. Every one of the five must be continuous.

Questions about the The Envelope poster

What’s on the The Envelope poster?
10 entries in 2 groups. One wall, five separate jobs. They are rarely the same layer. The five jobs: Keep rain out, Keep air from leaking through, Slow heat flow, Control…; The layer that does it: Outer skin, plus a cavity or drainage plane, A continuous, se…. The single most common failure is a layer that stops at a junction. Every one of the five must be continuous.
Who is the The Envelope poster for?
The Envelope belongs to the Architecture section rather than to a school year, because design is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning construction technology can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the The Envelope poster?
Use it on any wall build-up. Name the layer doing each job or the detail is incomplete. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so The Envelope belongs on the wall where that design work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with The Envelope?
The Cavity Wall, Cladding Systems and Fire Strategy sit alongside The Envelope in the Architecture section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.The Cavity WallCladding SystemsFire Strategy
Is the The Envelope poster free to download and print?
Yes. The Envelope downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Architecture section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the The Envelope poster print at?
The Envelope is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of The Envelope loses nothing.Printing guide

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