Zonda - Resource Library

Aging is traditionally seen as a negative experience fraught with challenges and limitations. Baby Boomers are changing that narrative and reshaping what it means to age for themselves and future generations. With this shift comes a heightened sense of health, wellness, and desire to stay at home — to live in place. To accomplish that, architects and designers must approach adaptive kitchens to suit the changing needs of older adults as well as multigenerational users. This course will examine active aging; adaptive kitchen design; and connected, smart appliances that are as high-performance as they are functional. The CEU qualifies for continuing education credits that count toward the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB’s) Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential.

The workplace is changing — and not just where people work but how and when. Changing employee preferences and attitudes combined with new health and safety expectations are causing organizations to rethink their office space design and homeowners to take a second look at their home office. Quartz surfaces, most often specified for the kitchen and bathroom, also have wide-ranging applications for workspaces thanks to superior hygienic and performance properties. This course will explore workplace changes; where people are working now and why; how architects can position themselves to reshape the workplace; and the role of quartz surfaces in improving consumer health, safety, and comfort.

With homeowners spending more time at home and wanting to extend their living spaces into the outdoors in the new normal resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it shouldn’t come as much surprise that the pool, hot tub, and spa industry is experiencing record sales, as well as demand for longer swim seasons. And commercial pools and related amenities aren’t far behind.

Learn how pool builders and designers can utilize propane heaters to support this trend.

In order to produce a long-lasting, functional structure, any abrasive or erosive forces need to be ameliorated through its design.

This educational unit examines concrete hardening technologies – comparing features and limitations – so the best method can be selected.

Fully customizable, luxury fireplaces and fire features expand the versatility of where hearths can be located, whether in residential or commercial projects. They add a personalized, experiential element to a space, and are increasingly being used in commercial facilities to provide ambience, a focal point, and even marketing, as logos and company names can be incorporated into fireplace designs.

This course will help you understand the technologies and design options available with made-to-order gas fireplaces, as well as how to work with a manufacturer to see a custom fireplace project through from predesign to installation.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Gauged porcelain (thin) tile technology is exploding in the market and new standards are being developed for the tile and installation process.

This course will help you understand the benefits of gauged (thin) porcelain tile panels, installation methods and which are most appropriate for various applications, occupant and environmental health benefits, common failures and how to avoid them, as well as total project cost and timeline improvement opportunities.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Water heating is a major energy end-use in commercial buildings, and is very significant in certain commercial building types. Many commercial building owners and operators have a critical need for water heating systems which are reliable, able to meet varying levels of demand, energy efficient, and able to fit within a building’s space constraints in order to maintain their business operations.

Propane tankless water heaters are a flexible and energy efficient technology which provides these attributes in many commercial applications. This course will explore how commercial buildings use energy and the potential application of propane tankless systems to provide a solution for water heating needs.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Micro-Combined Heat and Power (Micro-CHP) technology brings onsite power generation to homes and businesses. Local generation means convenient, high-efficiency energy at a low cost with minimal waste. Thanks to propane fuel, micro-CHP brings these advantages to locations that have limited access to natural gas, such as rural communities, and areas with poor power supply.

Using multiple case studies, this course covers the hows and whys of micro-CHP systems. We'll detail how power is generated, the best uses for it, and why it makes sense in a wide range of locations and situations. We'll also include limitations and how they are overcome.

Webinar On-Demand: This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. This course will discuss considerations for the holistic design and construction of durable, long-lasting structures that are sustainable, safe and resilient. A building's primary goal is to protect the lives, lifestyles and livelihoods of its occupants. Precast concrete has numerous qualities that can help buildings perform efficiently and offer occupants and communities healthy, flexible and useful spaces that can be effectively utilized over many years. Attendees will have the chance to see and hear case studies of projects that used precast concrete for durability, resilience, and sustainability, and examine important qualities and attributes to consider when specifying the material.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Thermal bridging has been recognized as a significant factor in building envelope heat loss and yet traditional construction practices have not effectively addressed many of the causes. Building Better with Thermal Breaks will identify areas most susceptible to thermal bridging and offer solutions that will minimize those heat loss conditions. Designing structural thermal breaks into buildings will improve the comfort, safety, durability, and reduce the environmental impact.