Zonda - Resource Library

Consumers are increasingly interested in understanding the environmental impact of the products they use. This course will help you understand how the choice of building materials can have profound impacts on local and global ecosystems, as well as on consumer preferences. “Green building” practices have expanded beyond operational energy efficiency to include factors such as minimizing the embodied carbon impact of a built structure along the supply chain.

As a result, wood’s role as a sustainable building material has become increasingly important. Compared to nonrenewable materials such as steel and concrete, wood is renewable and stores carbon throughout the lifetime of the material. Wood also uses less fossil fuel than substitutable materials (e.g., steel and concrete) across the supply chain, from harvest to manufacturing, transport, installation, maintenance, and disposal or recycling. Procurement of wood building materials from sustainably managed forests creates a sustainably built environment and also supports forest biodiversity, soil and water health, wildlife habitat, social and economic goals, etc.

This course will demonstrate how using wood as a building material contributes to forest sustainability, especially in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. This session is built on a simple idea: knowledge reduces fear. AI is moving fast, but the core ideas are simpler than they seem. The firms that understand this shift first will be better positioned to lead it. Agents are becoming a new operating layer inside companies, and many professionals will increasingly spend less time doing repetitive work and more time directing, reviewing, and improving work done by agents.

We will break down how modern AI actually fits together: models, agents, skills, tools, workflows, subagents, tokens, and protocols like MCP that connect agents to business systems. We will discuss real products, real use cases, and how work is moving from manual execution toward orchestration, supervision, and system design across design, engineering, operations, and delivery.

This is not a hype session. It is a planning session. We will cover what leaders need to understand about agent-readable and agent-writable systems, interoperability, audit trails, access control, workforce change, and the governance required to adopt AI responsibly, effectively, and without losing control.

Resilience is a key component of building design when addressing both seismic and wind design. Properly designed and constructed wood structures that comply with building code requirements are resilient, performing with minimal damage while protecting occupants during both seismic and high wind events.

This course will look at how wood-frame Lateral Force Resisting Systems (LFRS), that resist wind and seismic loads, can contribute to resistance in the built environment.

Outdoor decks and rooftop spaces require durable, waterproof surface systems that protect structures while enhancing safety and aesthetics. This course explores the purpose of deck coverings, compares common exterior deck systems, and reviews the installation, performance, and maintenance of vinyl deck membrane solutions for residential and commercial applications.

This course explores how architects and designers can more accurately evaluate the carbon impact of building enclosure assemblies by moving beyond product-level comparisons and considering full assembly performance. Participants will examine the relationship between embodied and operational carbon, learn how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are used in practice, and compare the thermal, moisture, and carbon performance of common insulation systems including mineral wool, fiberglass, rigid foam boards, and spray polyurethane foam (SPF).

Through assembly-level comparisons, climate zone considerations, and real-world case studies, the course demonstrates how enclosure design decisions influence both embodied and operational carbon outcomes. Participants will gain practical strategies for specifying lower-carbon enclosure systems while maintaining durability, energy efficiency, moisture control, and occupant health and safety.

Passive fire protection systems such as fire rated floor doors provide incredibly important life-safety measures in commercial buildings. This course will discuss construction access products, the difference between active and passive fire protection, and how fire rated floor doors provide passive protection. We will also explain 2024 International Building Code requirements for fire-rated floor doors and how they differ from fire-rated access doors. Finally, you will learn about a project where fire-rated floor doors were used in a large New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority project.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Explore the technology, history, and benefits of single ply roof systems, with a core focus on EPDM, PVC, and TPO.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Total precast concrete systems bring structural and architectural components together into a unified, high-performance building solution that delivers durability, sustainability, and long-term value. This course introduces the full family of precast components used in total precast systems — including wall panels, hollowcore, double tees, columns, beams, shear walls, and stairs — and explores how they are designed, coordinated, and assembled to create resilient spaces that reduce jobsite risks, accelerate schedules, and enhance occupant well-being.

Participants will learn how total precast systems improve energy efficiency and minimize maintenance needs through components built for extended service life. Through system overviews, design best practices, and real-world applications across a range of project types, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how precast is designed, detailed, and efficiently implemented into total precast solutions.

This course offers insight into the environmental performance of Redwood Lumber. The details and results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing Redwood and plastic/composite decking options will be shared as will information about Redwood’s Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

The course also provides comparisons between Redwood Lumber and other wood species, as well as details about the sustainability of modern Redwood forestry management practices.

Finally, this course provides details on important product attributes of Redwood Lumber including grades, fire performance, strength, and finishing options among others.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of the design and construction of all-wood buildings, with a focus on Waechter Architecture’s innovative Mississippi Building in Portland, Oregon. The course highlights the flexible "6-Rooms" approach, structural systems using mass timber products, and the integration of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. Participants will also gain insights from post-occupancy evaluations of air quality, acoustics, and thermal performance. The course will also discuss a matrix of design options developed by Waechter Architecture, offering a range of scalable and adaptable strategies for future all-wood building projects. Supported by research and learnings from completed projects, this course equips architects and design professionals with practical tools and knowledge to design and implement mass timber solutions in future building projects.