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Tackling the “Deceptively Difficult” Roof-to-Wall Transition
Recently, Brad Prestbo joined more than 40 building enclosure professionals at a joint Boston Building Enclosure Council and IBEC meetup to discuss one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: membrane transitions within the exterior enclosure.
Hosted by CBT in Boston, the event brought together experts from across the building enclosure community to explore how design teams can better address continuity across critical transitions. Joining Brad as co-presenters were Marcy Tyler, Director of Building Science at Tremco CPG Inc., who focused on below- to above-grade transitions, and Brian Healy, Vice President at Gale Associates, who discussed window transition detailing.
Brad’s presentation centered on what he described as the “deceptively difficult” transition between roofs and walls at parapets. While these intersections may appear straightforward on paper, they often present significant challenges in achieving durable, continuous enclosure performance in practice.
The session encouraged attendees to think beyond individual materials and details and consider how building systems interact at their connections. Brad emphasized the importance of stronger design leadership earlier in the process, advocating for greater ownership of building tectonics and the interfaces between systems before they become construction challenges.
As buildings become increasingly complex and performance expectations continue to rise, successful enclosure design depends on more than selecting the right products. It requires thoughtful coordination, clear responsibility, and a holistic approach to how systems come together.
These industry conversations are one of the many ways our team helps advance best practices in building enclosure design and performance, while sharing lessons learned with architects, engineers, contractors, and owners alike.
That focus on technical leadership, collaboration, and solving complex building challenges is central to the work Studio NYL does within Lerch Bates as studio|LB.
