Zonda - Resource Library

This course provides an overview of the home remodeling industry, including industry growth trends, demographic insights, and typical project types. The course also explores the potential role of propane technologies in different remodeling applications, illustrating key performance characteristics and how they can add value to remodeling projects. The course concludes by describing the options for propane storage in residential applications.

Architecture has always involved some form of collaboration – and the process begins with the client. Whether working with a developer, an institution, a family, or an individual, clients help determine everything from the location to the budget and often weigh in on form and function. In addition to clients, other stakeholders include engineers, builders, interior designers, and consultants.

Often overlooked, however, are the collaborative efforts between architects – sometimes from different firms – and interdisciplinary teams that result in groundbreaking, innovative structures. This course will examine the benefits and difficulties of collaboration, including the ways in which collaboration can help to address climate change and sustainable practices, as well as how various theories on collaboration apply to architecture.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted intense review of workplace design considerations and solutions. Amongst the A&D community, there is growing conviction that occupant well-being and engagement must be supported through concern with equity—and applied to real-world needs such as acoustical privacy. To reliably design buildings to function acoustically for their users (e.g., provide adequate speech privacy, freedom from distraction, reduced annoyance, a good night’s sleep, and so on), one needs to establish a known and consistent level of spectrally neutral background sound.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals emitted as gases from certain solids and liquids, including architectural and industrial maintenance coatings. VOCs are the leading cause of ground-level air pollution and indoor air pollution, which can adversely impact the health of building occupants.

This course will examine the importance of indoor air quality and how it is impacted by VOCs. We will discuss how VOCs are regulated at both the federal and state level, including exemptions, classifications, and how these regulations affect Architectural and Industrial Maintenance (AIM) Coatings. There are new regulations on the horizon that you should be aware of, as coating manufacturers work to develop products that achieve a balance between important performance and application factors and their environmental ramifications. The course will also explore coating technologies that already meet strict VOC standards.

Tilt-up is a method of construction whereby large concrete panels are cast horizontally on site and then raised into final position, usually vertical, with a crane. This building system, which was conceptualized in the early 1900s, is used throughout North America and across the globe. Once considered a method suitable only for large warehouses, today tilt-up construction is employed on virtually every building type, from distribution centers to schools, churches, libraries, retail centers, and office buildings. It has become the method of choice for many developers, designers, and contractors because of its numerous benefits.

This course presents the latest advances in tilt-up concrete technology, which provide economical, energy-efficient, and durable building solutions for a variety of project types, and focuses on several case studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and other forces are changing the face of architecture, including a gravitation toward more contemporary styles and solutions. Many of the related architectural elements — including windows and doors — are rooted in principles introduced by modernists nearly a century ago. This course will closely examine the connection between current events and fenestration design, the enduring influence of modern architecture, design trends and influences in contemporary architecture, and fenestration options for contemporary window and door solutions.

The idea that the design of a home has an impact on the health and well-being of its residents is not new. Read how luxury single and multifamily residential design is responding to a post-pandemic need to maintain and improve the health of inhabitants.

This course will identify proper and safe joint sealant application procedures that can be specified for use in various applications. In addition, the course will provide information to assist you in recognizing and understanding common causes of sealant problems. Finally, the course will provide you with information to enable you to compare and contrast different sealant types.

The course will be broken into four parts: Part 1 - Sealant Fundamentals; Part 2 - Joint Design; Part 3 - Sealant Installation; and, Part 4 - Sealant Types and Uses.

A look at the recent advances and design trends of gas fireplaces - which offer flexibility in design that makes them ideal for many floor plans and aesthetics.

Technological advances have made them safer and more energy-efficient than they already were. Get inspired and learn about the latest advances in gas fireplace technology.

The kitchen is the gathering place of the home. What factors are influencing design transformation over the next few years, and how can kitchen appliances contribute to a more connected, multifunctional space? This course will explore the state of the kitchen industry, results from a national kitchen and bath design trends survey, examples of smart appliances and their role in a connected kitchen, and the impact of wellness and sustainability on kitchen design.