Building Defensible Envelope Projects: Qualifications, Verification and Forensic Insight

Building-envelope failures often begin long before work starts in the field, rooted in design details, specifications, material selections, and assumptions made during earlier project phases. When issues arise, the visible defects may point to deeper breakdowns in constructability, coordination, execution, or documentation.

In this session, Alfonso Bastidos of the Carpenters International Training Fund and Lisa Moe of Amento Group will explore what it takes to build defensible envelope projects from both the training and forensic perspectives. Alfonso will discuss how structured building-envelope training helps contractors and installers understand the interaction between building components, systems, and environmental conditions, while also equipping teams to recognize and raise constructability concerns before they become defects. Lisa will share insight from forensic investigations, testing, disputes, and claims to explain what documentation matters most when a project is challenged.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies for improving field competency, strengthening coordination, verifying that work is performed as intended, and creating a clear documentation record that demonstrates compliance with contract documents and protects professional standing.