First, some elementary physics: heat moves. Nature has it that the warm naturally draws towards the cool and the hot to the cold—like yin to yang, male to female; except with nature, there are no exceptions, only laws. The laws of nature often make life difficult, but we can work with and around those laws with a little ingenuity. Sometimes that means using the right materials. At other times, that means clever engineering.

When hot meets cold, moisture condenses to corrode and weaken materials. Condensation is a problem nature provides, that builders and architects struggle to solve. Traditionally, as a protective measure for buildings they installed thermally broken framing. A thermal break placed in an assembly reduces or prevents the flow of thermal energy between conductive materials, such as insulation.

With skylights and retractable roof enclosures, it’s possible to create an entire thermally broken system. We can go that extra mile, fitting special Styrofoam between aluminum and polycarbonate to protect the entire structure of installations. A thermally broken system translates into no transfer of cold/heat into our buildings; precise temperature control; no moisture on the structures and no condensation; protection from frost in winter, fog prevention and protection from corrosion.

The power and overwhelming force of Mother Nature’s laws can never be matched, though slowly but surely, we can engineer her to have softer hands and a lighter touch.