What's Behind the Rising Demand for Universal Design?

If the concept of universal design brings to mind images of a slab-on-grade house with medical-grade adaptations, a peek inside the 2021 Southern Living Showcase Home might surprise you.

This discussion covers how the rise of multigenerational homes and the desire to age in place are prompting the design & build community to meet growing demand for accessible homes - plus how to integrate these features into aesthetically pleasing designs.

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Fire Features Deliver Key Biophilic Design Goals

Create natural connections and health benefits within the built environment through thoughtfully-designed custom fireplaces. By including fire features within a biophilic-centered design approach, there are opportunities for infusing a space with natural elements that are visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile. Custom fire features not only deliver ambiance, social centering, and visual captivation - but also create an element of relaxation and harmony that is essential to biophilic design.

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The Calming Architecture of Color and Fire

Achieve dynamic multisensory features of light, color, heat, and sound through fire which promotes physical and mental wellness. A fire feature crafted to be harmonious with the overall design intention offers comfort, calm, and security in the built environment. For your clients and projects striving for interior spaces that support a wellness mission, the sensory principles of a fire can help deliver the overall impression and provide the health-inducing benefits they desire.

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Design Directions

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.

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Multidimensional Feature Wall Designs for Pools, Spas and Saunas

Create a bold statement with customizable walls and water features to enhance the pool, spa and sauna experience. Mario Romano has perfected the art of digital fabrication with textured walls that present modern, peaceful designs for your next pool project.

The exclusive line of wall surfaces made with Corian® Solid Surface brings the intricate to life - turning your space into a work of art.

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Designing Sustainable, Prefabricated Wood Buildings (Print Course)

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.

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Specifying Fenestration Products for Occupant Health and Well-Being (Print Course)

This course will explore the WELL Building Standard, which is increasingly being used by projects (often in conjunction with LEED) to demonstrate the role buildings play in the health and well-being of occupants. We will cover the 10 Concepts and related Features of WELL, then dig deeper to examine how windows and glazing can help projects earn points in this rating system under the Light, Air, Thermal Comfort, Mind, Materials, and Sound Concepts.

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How Top Architects Are Innovating The Resident Experience in Multifamily Environments

Kai-Uwe Bergmann, a partner at BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), discusses the innovation behind the SMILE building in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood. Hear how reinterpreting the NY building code allowed them to create a design winning mixed use space that appeals to renters while investing in the good of the community.

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The WELL Building Standard and Electric Fireplaces (Print Course)

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.

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Exploring How Propane-Fueled Hydronic Heating Technologies Improve Sustainability and Occupant Comfort (Print Course)

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.

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