2-Hour HSW Continuing Education Course

Course Description

Water is the most patient adversary a building has. Moisture-related envelope failure is among the most common and most litigated categories of construction defect, and its consequences run the full HSW range: mold growth that degrades indoor air quality and occupant health, corrosion and decay that quietly consume structural capacity, and repair costs that regularly dwarf the original cost of doing the detail right. Yet envelope durability is rarely taught as a coherent system; most architects assemble their understanding detail by detail, failure by failure.

This course teaches the system. Across ten lessons, you’ll work through the four control layers (water, air, vapor, thermal) as one integrated framework; the deflection-and-drainage logic behind cavity walls and rainscreens; air barrier continuity and why air movement beats diffusion as a moisture transporter; climate-zone-dependent vapor strategy and condensation risk; the transition details at openings where most failures actually start; low-slope roofing and below-grade waterproofing; and durability planning including service life, maintenance, and the materials that are consumables rather than permanent. The course closes with a forensic case study and a review checklist built for real drawing sets.

This course is durability-focused and distinct from energy-performance content: the question throughout is not “how efficient is the assembly?” but “will it still be dry, sound, and healthy in year twenty?” It addresses project planning and design, and construction and evaluation, topic areas consistent with AIA’s published HSW criteria. Confirm credit eligibility with your state board and AIA/CES provider status before claiming credit.