Walls

General information:
The walls of Boucke Building are primarily constructed of common brick, while the façade is made of stone with walls that are roughly 14.5 inches thick. It is a rectangular prism-shaped building with a small courtyard with different sized walls. The walls were of various shapes and dimensions, and we therefore needed to make close estimations in cases where exact measurements were not possible.

One side of the building, there are 4 rows of 46 windows per row.
Each window is 3.33 feet wide and 7 feet high
Total window area: 4,293.333 square feet

Perimeter/Area Dimensions:
The entire area of the wall is about 55 windows wide with 3.75 feet between each set of windows.
Total wall area: 8,570.83 square feet
Total brick area: 8,570.83 square feet – 4,293.333 square feet = 4,277.5 square feet

The front of the building has 3 rows of 8 windows per row.
Total window area: 560 square feet

The entire area of the façade is about 10 windows wide with 3.75 feet between each set of windows and about 1.5 feet between each window.
Total wall area: 1,570.83 square feet
Total stone area: 1,570.83 square feet - 560 square feet = 1,010.83 square feet

Total surface area of Boucke: 2ab + 2bc + 2ac
2(48.3)(32.5) + 2(32.5)(263.7) + 2(48.3)(263.7) = 45776.1 square feet

Courtyard Dimension approximations must be subtracted:
Total wall area: 1,118.333 square feet
Total window area: 490 square feet
Total brick area: 1,118.333 square feet – 490 square feet = 1,885 square feet

Total wall (brick/stone) area: 45,776.1 square feet – 1,885 square feet = 43,891.1 square feet

Seasonal Heat Loss Through Walls:
The R-value of common brick per inch: 0.20
Brick wall R-value: 0.20 * 14.5 = 2.9
42,880.27 square feet/2.9 * 24 * 6,345 = 2,251,657,764 BTUs

The R-value of stone per inch: 0.08
Stone wall R-value: 0.08 * 14.5 = 1.16
1,010.83 square feet/1.16 * 24 * 6,345 = 132,697,579.7 BTUs
Total heat loss through walls for a season:
132,697,579.7 BTUs + 2,251,657,764 BTUs = 2,384,355,344 BTUs

The Boucke Building was constructed in 1955, when building codes were not as strict regarding energy efficiency as they are today. Stone and brick were the main construction components and they obviously do not have very high R-values, therefore lacking strong insulation ability. Much internal heat is lost through the walls, so using better materials would be a possible solution, saving both energy and money. Layering with materials with high thermal resistance, such as polyurethane board or polystyrene or fiberglass would significantly reduce lost heat and energy bills. However, upgrading brick is not at all feasible. The only way to properly renovate Boucke for optimal energy efficiency would be demolition and complete reconstruction using better building materials.

Furthermore, some doors at Boucke Building do not fit snugly into their frames. Gaps in these fittings allow heat to escape. Interviews with the custodial staff confirm that loose fitting doors ofter great drafts of cold air. Because an average of 38% of heat loss occurs through openings like this, replacing or resealing these doors would be relatively inexpensive and worthwhile change.

A section of brick walls at Boucke Building.

Tanya roughly measures the walls.

The doors fit poorly into their frames, leaving openings for heat loss.