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The air-tightness of the thermal envelope of buildings is one of the measures to reduce their energy demands in order to achieve global warming reduction targets. To this end, airtight sheets with different water vapour permeability characteristics are used. The different products studied are highly dispersed in terms of equivalent air thickness values, leading to confusion. After the analysis carried out, it is concluded that all airtight sheets are vapour barriers. To clarify whether or not these sheets are necessary as vapour barriers, a condensation analysis was carried out on 13 different facades for 3 climate zones with severe winters as defined in Spanish regulations. The results reveal that interstitial condensation occurs in only 7 of the 39 case studies, with the traditional facades of brickwork with render causing the greatest problems if the appropriate products are not used. In these cases, airtight sheets with water vapour barrier characteristics must be applied on the interior face of the insulating material. In all other cases (32), the airtight sheets must be permeable to water vapour if it is looked for a more breathable wall to water vapour and a better control of the interior humidity conditions.

"In the Department of Construction Science, we have developed and documented a specific model of systematized process in order to carry out activities of R&D&I oriented to a detailed design of constructive systems of innovative façades. This specific model will be used as a guide for the study, analysis, design and evaluation of the proposed solutions for façades. This model of systematized process of research provides a general idea of the set of stages and activities in the processes of R&D&I, with a graphical map and a documentary structure that describes how all the process works, step by step, facilitating its comprehension and application. The protocol details the key procedures within the global process. This protocol allows elaborating the programme of necessities derived from the conditionings, requirements and demands related to every specific façade, assisting with the definition of the technical characteristics of its parts and components to approach the conceptual and graphical design of constructive solutions, in successive stages. This protocol provides the means to analyze and evaluate every particular design of façade and the process of R&D&I that has been followed, so that it allows to justify and demonstrate the fulfilment of the requirements and demands that concern every stage of the complete life cycle of façades, and to identify fields that could be improved in the R&D&I process, in order to apply corrective actions. This protocol is complemented by som