Building Science for High-performance Hospitality Projects in the Southeast
- Andrew Haney
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 31
Hotels, resorts, and lifestyle hospitality properties in the southeastern United States face persistent heat, humidity, and moisture migration challenges that impact durability, indoor air quality (IAQ), guest comfort, and operational cost. This article describes climate-appropriate envelope and mechanical systems design strategies for Climate Zones 2A and 3A emphasizing moisture control, resilient building assemblies for hospitality environments, and latent load (energy to remove moisture from the air) management.
Climate and Moisture Conditions in the Southeast
Hot-humid regions in the Southeast – in IECC Climate Zones 2A and 3A, from the Gulf Coast through Atlanta - are defined by high ambient humidity, significant latent loads, and long cooling seasons. These conditions intensify the risk of condensation, mold growth, and building envelope degradation in mechanically cooled buildings.
Figure 1 - Climate Zones (IECC)
Reference:
Persistent dew points above 70°F (per NOAA Climate Normals)
Cooling-dominated load profiles per ASHRAE Climate Data
Limited passive drying potential due to warm nighttime air and high humidity
In hotel environments, these conditions affect:
Guest comfort stability
Material longevity and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Operation Expenditures - driven by moisture, not just temperature
Unoccupied room Relative Humidity (RH) control challenges
Hygrothermal Control Layers: Assemblies Built for Moisture
Effective design for hot-humid climates begins with disciplined control of water, air, vapor, and thermal layers. Each layer of protection must be continuous across transitions, penetrations, and façade interfaces.
Key Envelope Components:
Continuous Air Barrier at floor lines, roof intersections, and opening interfaces
Ventilated Rainscreen Claddings to promote outward drying
Continuous Exterior Insulation to keep dew point within the insulation layer
Vapor Control at the exterior side of assemblies in cooling-dominant climates
Figure 2 - Ventilated Rainscreen Assembly
©Brink Design
Reference: Building Science Corporation
Latent Load Management and Mechanical Strategy
In hot-humid zones, design failures result not from inadequate sensible cooling load (energy required to control indoor temperatures) capacity, but from poor latent load control (energy required to condense or evaporate water vapor from air).
High-performance hotels decouple moisture removal from space temperature.
Mechanical Systems Strategies:
DOAS with Enthalpy or Energy Recovery (ERV)
Hot-Gas Reheat for humidity control without overcooling
Maintain 45–55% Relative Humidity under both occupied and unoccupied modes
Avoid PTAC systems without independent humidity control
Figure 3 - Latent vs Sensible Cooling Load Distribution by Climate Zone
©Brink Design
References:
ASHRAE 62.1 — Ventilation
ASHRAE 55 — Comfort
Sidebar — Why Guestrooms Are Vulnerable:
High occupant moisture generation
Frequent shower use
Irregular occupancy cycling
Doors opening to humid corridors or outdoors
Openings, Flashings, and Failure Points
Even with a robust wall assembly, hotels fail at fenestrations - especially windows, balcony doors, and façade transitions.
Strategies for Moisture Resilient Design of Envelope Openings:
Pan flashing with positive slope to exterior
Fully Welded End dams and back dams at sills
Sealant joint design with proper backer rod
Water Resistive Barrier (WRB) continuity through rough openings
Figure 4 — Windowsill Section
©Brink Design
Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS)-Driven Indoor Air Quality and Mold Prevention
High-performance buildings and hotels pair this kind of technical envelope detailing with Indoor Air Quality and vapor management, and continuous humidity monitoring.
Reference: DOE Building America Solution Center (https://basc.pnnl.gov/)
Best practices:
Dew-point-based control logic
Condensate routing and sensor alarms
Filtration that matches outdoor air volumes—not VRP (outdoor air ventilation rates prescribed) minimums
Figure 5 — DOAS Airflow Path through an ERV System
©Brink Design
Economic and Operational Returns
Data from hospitality operators shows benefits when building science is applied rigorously:
Resilience, energy stability, better Indoor Air Quality, and protection of guest experience all flow from moisture-literate building and systems design.
Conclusion
Resilient hotels, resorts, and lifestyle hospitality properties in the Southeast demand envelope-first thinking, paired with dedicated latent-load control. When assemblies, openings, and mechanical systems are designed as one hygrothermal system, hotels perform better, last longer, and cost less to operate—while providing a healthier guest environment.
Brink Design can provide assembly details, Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) schematics, and hygrothermal modeling to support project-specific design challenges and construction details.
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