Zonda - Resource Library

Consumers and the design industry are taking notice of newly embraced lifestyle and workplace shifts, coupled with an increasing focus on climate change, health, and wellness. There is a more conscious effort, even a responsibility, to plan, design, and develop for well-being. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have heightened awareness of hygiene and the challenges that high-touch surfaces present, such as those found in commercial restrooms.

This course will explore v2 of the WELL Building Standard and how commercial restroom products can help designers achieve WELL v2 Certification. We will identify the plumbing industry’s role in health and wellness and how reducing water consumption in commercial restrooms impacts the health and well-being of building occupants.

Webinar On-Demand: This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. When structural stability and thermal continuity collide, structure has historically taken precedence necessitating tradeoffs such as increased insulation in other areas or acceptance of energy loss and potential moisture damage. The foundation transition from below grade to masonry ledge to masonry veneer wall is one such challenge. What if there was a solution? This presentation explores solutions for perimeter foundation insulation including information needed to specify and install correctly.

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.

While most kitchens do have ventilation systems, homeowners often don’t use them properly and aren’t aware of how quickly cooking can negatively impact a home’s indoor air quality. This course discusses that impact and how proper specification of ventilation systems can significantly improve indoor air quality to protect occupant health and safeguard a home’s fixtures and furnishings from detrimental grease and odors. We will cover how to achieve proper sizing and positioning of a ventilation system, design and customization options, as well as projects where ventilation systems were used to maximize style and safety in residential kitchens.

Achieving optimal comfort requires focusing on design principles and selecting materials that address acoustics, indoor air quality, daylighting, cleanability and more — everything occupants see, hear, and feel. Some of the most significant contributors to the aesthetics and performance of interior spaces are ceilings and walls. Today’s architectural ceiling and wall solutions are sophisticated products that play an enormous role in occupant comfort. This course will explore how architects and designers can improve occupant health and well-being through the use of acoustic ceiling and wall systems in the built environment (more specifically in offices, classrooms, and healthcare facilities, where people spend a great deal of time).

Hear how some in the industry are working to advance impartiality in their firms, and what we should be doing collectively to promote social equity in the built environment.

Western red cedar is a wood prized for its beautiful color and grain, natural insect and moisture resistance, and durability. It is an extremely versatile building product that can be used both indoors and out and can be finished in myriad ways to complement a building’s aesthetic.

This course will discuss best practices for finishing, care, and maintenance of western red cedar that will ensure a long-lasting finish in both exterior and interior applications.

Resilience has become a central idea for assessing how our social, economic, technical, constructed, engineered, and ecological systems can withstand and bounce back from a man-made or weather- and climate-related disaster. Globally, wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, typhoons, high winds, hail, coastal and valley flooding, sea level rise, heat waves, seismic activity, extreme cold, ice storms, and snow melt have destroyed ecosystems, caused loss of life, damaged property, disrupted healthcare and financial networks, and in some cases, brought essential services to a halt. During this presentation, we’ll discuss the composition, performance, and application of engineered polymer siding and trim and capped polymer cladding to illustrate the benefits to home and building owners when construction materials are selected with resilience and sustainability in mind.

In this course, you’ll learn about the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) changes related to tall wood construction, including three new building types that allow for wood buildings up to 18 stories and even taller using an Alternate Materials and Methods Requests (AMMR). Rigorous fire testing was conducted as part of these code changes to validate the safety of tall mass timber construction. Along with advancements in tall mass timber construction, the course explores design tactics and relevant code applications used to boost the density of light-frame wood construction.

Finally, this course will review the science related to wood’s embodied carbon and life cycle assessment in the context of curbing a building's impact on climate change, including a growing body of research demonstrating how building with timber represents an opportunity to increase the long-term storage of carbon in today’s built environment.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Rain is one of the most important things to control in wall construction for both a building’s structural integrity and the occupants’ health. Join us in this one-hour course as we discuss the aesthetic, performance, and sustainable attributes of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) for use in rainscreen applications. Participants will gain a new understanding of how WPC cladding should be applied and fastened in rainscreen systems.