Zonda - Resource Library

The workplace is changing — and not just where people work but how and when. Changing employee preferences and attitudes combined with new health and safety expectations are causing organizations to rethink their office space design and homeowners to take a second look at their home office. Quartz surfaces, most often specified for the kitchen and bathroom, also have wide-ranging applications for workspaces thanks to superior hygienic and performance properties. This course will explore workplace changes; where people are working now and why; how architects can position themselves to reshape the workplace; and the role of quartz surfaces in improving consumer health, safety, and comfort.

A ground-breaking outdoor quartz product provides the convenience of stain-resistant, easy-to-clean indoor quartz surfaces, while innovating a highly durable material proven to withstand UV rays and the most extreme environmental conditions over the long term. The new quartz product provides an answer for consumers’ desire to cook, dine, and entertain comfortably in an outdoor kitchen, come rain, snow, or shine. This course will examine how outdoor living spaces continue to be a very desirable amenity for homeowners and commercial properties and how designers and landscape architects can incorporate outdoor quartz surfaces into their plans. We will examine the performance benefits and design options for this new product, as well as applications in both residential and commercial projects.

This course aims to further explore quartz surfacing materials, including fabrication, cleaning, maintenance, and new products that have recently entered the market. A key focus will be educating project teams about the potential implications of respirable crystalline silica dust, OSHA Silica Standards, and best practices for reducing the risk of dust inhalation when fabricating quartz surfaces.