Zonda - Resource Library

This course will explore mass timber construction, including the different types of mass timber products that are manufactured from Douglas fir, spruce-pine-fir, and Southern pine species; their performance and environmental benefits; and applications for this type of construction.

The course will also examine the importance of Western red cedar as a sustainable building product that introduces biophilic design into a space, and how it can be used to complement mass timber construction in both interior and exterior applications.

Resimmercial or commercidential? The blurring of the residential and commercial lines of design isn’t necessarily new - but the trend is evolving.

One of the main questions in this Session with ARCHITECT's Editor-in-Chief is "Where do we draw that line between interior and exterior, between public and private, to create a holistic design which provides an experience for whoever's using it in whatever type of use?"

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Concrete is the building block of modern society and the most widely used building material. Nearly every structure built today, including buildings, bridges, homes, and infrastructure uses concrete in some way. It provides us with shelter along with places to work, learn and play. It connects us through roads and rapid transit and airports. Water is delivered and treated in concrete structures. Concrete is economical, available everywhere, durable, and versatile.

As demand for building construction continues to increase, it is likely the demand for concrete will also increase. Like all building products, however, concrete has a carbon footprint. This presentation will analyze the top ten strategies to take advantage of concrete’s benefits while ensuring the lowest possible carbon footprint.

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.

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 is effectively used in residential construction, specifically for: space heating, water heating, cooking, clothes drying, fireplaces, power generation and outdoor living. Today, several innovative technologies make propane a reliable, versatile and affordable choice for homes.

Throughout the US, in areas without affordable access to natural gas, high-performance propane energy applications are being installed in homes to meet efficiency requirements for tax credits, green building codes and sustainable building programs.

Facing brick are intended for use in both structural and nonstructural masonry, including veneer, where appearance is a requirement. Face brick are not only used for structural purposes and aesthetics, they also increase energy efficiency and are economical. You’ve likely specified face brick on homes, commercial buildings, fireplaces, entry walls/gates, multifamily developments, retail developments, and schools/universities. It comes in a wide selection of color, texture, and size options for a customized look and feel. Specifically intended for long-term application, face brick requires little maintenance and minimizes the amount of energy needed to heat and cool a building.

In their exploration of post-pandemic design direction, ARCHITECT Editor-in-Chief Paul Makovsky and Design Director and futurist, Royce Epstein delve into topics of Hybridization (redefining work/live), Sustainability (nature and culture), and the Metaverse and Tech (designing beyond the physical). See what they found.

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.

Wellness is a growing trend in many industries, including building design. This is especially true since the COVID-19 pandemic markedly disrupted how we work, learn, live, and play in the spaces we inhabit.

This course will analyze the growth of the wellness industry as it relates to the built environment and will introduce the learner to the WELL Building Standard, which is a rating system to help buildings and organizations deliver more thoughtful and intentional spaces. Concurrently, we will explore how hearth products such as electric fireplaces can be incorporated into commercial and residential design to enhance occupant health and well-being.