Zonda - Resource Library

As people spend an increasing amount of time indoors, the need to bring natural light into building interiors becomes even more imperative. Daylighting is an important part of architectural design for many reasons, with occupant well-being and sustainable practices at the top of the list. This course will explore the health and environmental benefits of daylighting, look at polycarbonate fenestration products as a practical and high-performing option, and discuss design considerations and possibilities, including case studies of polycarbonate products used in daylighting projects.

This course explores the innovative use of mass timber in architecture. Chandra Robinsons’ extensive experience with timber projects showcases the material's potential to advance building technologies while promoting sustainability, equity, and resilience.

Participants will explore various case studies, from affordable housing to commercial buildings, highlighting the practical applications and benefits of mass timber construction.

Nothing is driving greater change in the home building industry than energy efficiency, but prior to 2015 the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) didn’t address mechanical equipment such as furnaces and water heaters. The 2015 IECC now includes a new compliance path called the Energy Rating Index allowing builders more choices in how to meet the energy code. This course will take a closer look at how high efficiency propane equipment such as furnaces and water heaters provide flexibility in meeting 2015 IECC standards and help reduce a home’s HERS Index, in addition to helping projects gain points in above-code programs such as LEED and the National Green Building Standard.

This course will take a holistic view of roof systems and explore the different categories of underlayment, as well as options that can optimize performance and compatibility with roofing materials. It will also explore performance attributes of different underlayment categories and how superior products can increase energy efficiency, wind resistance, and fire resistance.

Webinar On Demand: This on-demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Key findings from a recent study conducted by AIA with support from Owens Corning demonstrate that resiliency is a value shared across the design team. However, the interpretation of what resiliency actually means varies greatly based on factors such as design team role, construction type, and experience. This course will consider resiliency from multiple viewpoints, hypothesize on why discrepancies exist when it comes to defining resiliency, and demonstrate actual examples of resilient construction based on recent disaster assessments and actual in situ examples. The content aims to help design team members develop solutions that advance the resilience of commercial buildings.

Water heaters are the second-largest energy user in the home, costing residents hundreds of dollars each year. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy updated the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) standards, which increased water heater efficiency requirements and drove major product changes in the U.S. market. NAECA standards include federal regulations for water heater minimum efficiency levels. Against this backdrop of updated standards, products, and decision-making factors, this course will review a detailed analysis of water-heating systems.

This analysis compares water-heating technologies based on their energy, economic, and environmental performance, with a focus on the performance of propane-based systems relative to electric and heating oil alternatives. The course also reviews the federal standards for water heaters and describes the market implications for both new construction and replacements.

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 2021 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.

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.

Learn how vacuum insulating class (VIG) units are different from typical architectural insulating glass units (IGUs) and how VIG technologies can meet a vast range of needs, ranging from energy savings and occupant comfort to acoustic improvement.

This course also examines the energy performance of VIG units compared to traditional product options and reviews specific code requirements that VIG products can meet and exceed.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. This guest lecture presented by Susan Jones, FAIA, provides insight into an ecological journey of a decade-long search for sustainable design strategies. The course focuses on how mass timber can be used as a lower-carbon approach to building design while also maintaining the safety and well-being of the occupants.

The course depicts several case studies that demonstrate the architect’s lessons learned which enabled more sustainable building design opportunities in the future. The course discusses the process of changing regulations for the use of mass timber as a material of choice in a variety of buildings, particularly Type 4c, Type 4b, and Type 4a buildings, where it was not allowed previously in the United States.