CS - Week 6 - Comments to Detailing:

Details show how different systems come together:

-Foundation and Ground-
-Foundation and Exterior Wall-
-Exterior Wall and Window-
-Exterior Wall and Upper Level Floors-
-Exterior Wall: structure, air barrier, insulation, vapor barrier, flush-mounted devices-
-Exterior Wall and Roof-
-Et cetera

Details answer also the questions such as:

-Material: size and composition, texture, surface, edge, et cetera-
-Geometry: sizes and relative locations-
-Gravity: how does it stand up/how is it fastened-
-Energy: how are the different micro climates separated-
-Water: how do we keep water from penetrating and how do we get water back out, if the system failed-
-Constructability: what is the sequence for putting it together-

Most of these questions can be answered fairly easily:
Materials are a matter of choice and availability, sizes of elements and members follow again availability criteria and structural limitations. The weight (gravity) needs to be carried to a foundation via a system of fasteners and frames of increasing sizes. The insulation needs to be of appropriate thickness and material and ideally make its way uninterrupted from a few feet below grade as well as below the ground floor slab all the way to the roof. Waterproofing is first done by shedding as much as possible: roof overhangs, stacking material to allow water to be brought “down and out”, and then with a secondary plane in the wall (and roof) construction, where water that made it thru the first layer can be collected and guided again “down and out”.
There is certainly a whole other layer of technical questions that need be addressed:
Compatibility of metals, air barrier, vapor barrier, expansion, workman ship tolerances et cetera.

In every detail sketch, at least the four big ones: Material, Gravity, Energy and Water need to be addressed.