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.
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 course will explore three building sectors—hospitality, multifamily housing, and senior housing—and the flooring challenges these projects face, including heavy foot traffic, maintenance, safety, and aesthetics.
Hard surface flooring such as tile, luxury vinyl tile, laminate, and engineered wood can be specified throughout these projects to meet the demands of public spaces such as lobbies and restaurants and private areas such as bedrooms and baths. The course will also examine a case study from each sector.
Over the past three decades society has had the chance to rethink discrimination, with growing social awareness of gender identity, differently abled individuals, and sensory sensitivity. This has led to a movement to make all spaces barrier-free, accessible, and inclusively designed so that they are safe, comfortable, and easy for all occupants to use.
This course will examine the history of inclusive and universal design, it’s relevance today, and how to design residential homes that are accessible for all. The course will also explore the 2021 Southern Living Showcase Home, which was the first of its kind designed to be fully inclusive and accessible.
In this course, you’ll explore foundational concepts of prefabricated construction, along with its potential advantages. Materials cover the unique benefits of prefabricated light wood-frame and mass timber construction, including types of prefabricated timber systems, assemblies, and wood products used in offsite manufacturing.
Case studies throughout demonstrate a wide range of sustainable prefabricated building examples using advanced light-frame and mass timber construction.
Vinyl flooring products have a long history and have evolved into technologically advanced flooring options over the past decade. Today, vinyl flooring is available in several formats ranging from sheet vinyl to vinyl composition tile and luxury vinyl tiles and planks. The most recent innovation is eco-resilient flooring, which can be used to meet green building standards because it is manufactured without PVC.
This course will explore the evolution of vinyl flooring and the different products available today, including their performance benefits, residential and commercial applications, and installation considerations.
When planning and designing homes, architects should know that more than 12.6 million U.S. households rely on propane for their primary energy needs. Propane has many advantages such as offering heat for water, outdoor spaces, and inside the home. In addition, propane provides clean fuel for comforting fireplaces, cooking food, and drying clothing.
Propane can be stored above ground or in underground propane tanks, an option many builders are choosing in order to fuel homes off the natural gas mains. This course will cover important considerations when planning for propane use in residential construction.
This course will explore how propane-fueled hydronic heating technologies such as radiant hydronic and forced-air hydronic can improve the sustainability of buildings and the health and comfort of occupants.
We will examine how these technologies work, the advantages of each type, and how building owners can overcome space-heating challenges with hydronic heating systems. Finally, the course will explore several case studies where hydronic heating systems were used to save money, maximize energy efficiency, and improve thermal comfort.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation with ARCHITECT's Editor in Chief. Specifying wood in building design has a multitude of benefits, including elevating the design of the project, enhancing sustainable initiatives, and incorporating mixed materials for innovative buildings.
In this session, ARCHITECT explores the work and research of several firms using wood for innovative designs.
Thermal bridging is a common occurrence—and has been overlooked for a long time. Most building scientists knew thermal bridging was influencing energy consumption, but did not know how to measure it. There was also not a standard or method of addressing it. Today, thermal bridging is widely recognized as a significant factor in energy efficiency, and advanced building modeling techniques allow for detailed analysis of thermal bridging’s impact on building design. This course will cover the basics of thermal bridging, as well as how thermal breaks can reduce energy loss and ways to avoid conditions that allow condensation to occur. It will also discuss codes, standards, and incentives to make buildings more energy-efficient.