Zonda - Resource Library

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Architects of today face a common task that defies intuition – how to balance building performance and strict carbon targets against cost. Sustainability in design is certainly a worthy and necessary goal, but the amount of options can be overwhelming and the costs prohibitive, especially in the eyes of owners.

How can designers best convince their clients to integrate sustainability into a project? Keeping costs low and backing up decisions with fact-based analysis are solid first steps. Join this 60 minute session for a dive into workflows and case studies with implementable takeaways for your projects.

Creating spaces that embrace nature have both physical and mental health benefits. These benefits enhance the occupants experience in an indoor space creating the ambiance of outdoor living. In this course, we will discuss how the exposure to nature through living green walls contribute to LEED, WELL, and other green rating systems. We will cover common places where you might find living green walls, and where exposure to nature can make a dramatic difference, including offices, hotels, retail shops, and healthcare. This course will examine different types of living green walls available, how systems are designed, installed, and maintained. In addition, the course will look at the latest large scale green wall technology and how it can be applicable to a variety of applications.

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.

It makes sense that sealing your windows and doors saves energy, but have you ever wondered by how much? A life cycle assessment was conducted for a polyurethane sealant on a residential structure in Pittsburgh, PA. This course will explain types of sealants and how they are used on a residential structure, how life cycles are assessed, the methodology of this study, as well as results and conclusions.

Daylighting has already been proven to increase a building’s energy efficiency and occupant well-being. Material choice matters. This course will explore the role of daylighting as part of sustainable project design and how to maximize the availability of natural light.

Substantial attention will be given to the role of polycarbonates in daylighting strategy, including product choices and applications. Case studies are also included and examine the use of polycarbonates in various daylighting settings, ranging from a five-year comparative study to an internationally renowned sports stadium, higher education, and a condo in Florida.

This course will provide learners with an introduction to Green Concrete. In addition, the course will examine the key components of Green Concrete Mixtures, illustrate some performance attributes of High-performance Green Concrete, and demonstrate the need for a process and methodology for quantifying sustainable concrete. Finally, the course will look at various project profiles that specified Green Concrete mixtures and how architects can incorporate this material to specify Green Concrete with a comparative life cycle assessment or Eco-Efficiency Analysis.

Over the past decade, the architectural, construction and engineering (AEC) sector has grappled with unprecedented technological and socioeconomic changes along with an unprecedented confluence of challenges to the health of our communities, our cities and our planet. Climate change is accelerating—the 10 years leading up to 2020 was the warmest decade on record. Buildings and their construction account for 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

At the same time, the built environment is growing at a record pace in the US. It is estimated that 2.5 million new housing units are needed to make up for the nation’s housing shortage, a trend that has not abated in the face of a global pandemic. Technological gains within the built environment are making zero-carbon construction attainable, dramatic energy savings achievable and taller mass timber construction possible. Industry research, along with bold demonstration projects, is expanding the sector’s understanding of carbon sequestration, life cycle assessment (LCA), Passive House principles, and biophilic and health-centered design. In this course you’ll learn from design teams who are embracing these strategies and delivering solutions that begin to address some of the most pressing global challenges of our times.

Are we able to dive deeper into these numbers to find ways to reduce a building’s carbon footprint in meaningful ways? What are the methods used to measure building material carbon footprint and do they tell the whole story? Are there simple tools to assess material choices? This course seeks to address these and other questions by explaining the principal methods and tools that are used to assess carbon footprint in the context of building materials.

It includes a primer on product terminology, including life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPDs), carbon footprint, embodied carbon, and whole building LCA (WBLCA) tools. It explains how biogenic carbon is treated in standard LCA methodology and dives into the forest side of the equation, explaining basics of the sustainable forestry cycle. This course also highlights some ways to track and assure wood comes from sustainable forests in North America and why demand for wood products supports investment in forest management.

Every indoor space is unique, and interactions between people and the systems that control any indoor environment they occupy, such as HVAC, lighting, and acoustics, are dynamic and complex. These relationships have the ability to positively or negatively impact health and wellbeing. This course explores the ways in which HVAC systems can contribute to wellbeing and focuses on indoor environmental quality (IEQ), holistic HVAC system solutions, and the WELL concepts of Air, Thermal Comfort, and sound.

The design of the Chowa Home is focused on balance and harmony, derived from the Japanese meaning of the word. This video shows you how the collaborative effort between Japanese and US Builders created a luxury concept home that provides solutions for creative building through flexible design and better building processes.