The Evolution of Vinyl Flooring from Sheet Vinyl to Eco-Resilient Flooring

Vinyl flooring products have a long history and have evolved into technologically advanced flooring options over the past decade. Today, vinyl flooring is available in several formats ranging from sheet vinyl to vinyl composition tile and luxury vinyl tiles and planks. The most recent innovation is eco-resilient flooring, which can be used to meet green building standards because it is manufactured without PVC.

This course will explore the evolution of vinyl flooring and the different products available today, including their performance benefits, residential and commercial applications, and installation considerations.

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Beauty and Strength: An Examination of Western Red Cedar Finishes as a Complement to Mass Timber Systems (Print Course)

This course will explore mass timber construction, including the different types of mass timber products that are manufactured from Douglas fir, spruce-pine-fir, and Southern pine species; their performance and environmental benefits; and applications for this type of construction.

The course will also examine the importance of Western red cedar as a sustainable building product that introduces biophilic design into a space, and how it can be used to complement mass timber construction in both interior and exterior applications.

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A Discussion on the Top 10 Ways to Reduce Concrete’s Carbon Footprint

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Concrete is the building block of modern society and the most widely used building material. Nearly every structure built today, including buildings, bridges, homes, and infrastructure uses concrete in some way. It provides us with shelter along with places to work, learn and play. It connects us through roads and rapid transit and airports. Water is delivered and treated in concrete structures. Concrete is economical, available everywhere, durable, and versatile.

As demand for building construction continues to increase, it is likely the demand for concrete will also increase. Like all building products, however, concrete has a carbon footprint. This presentation will analyze the top ten strategies to take advantage of concrete’s benefits while ensuring the lowest possible carbon footprint.

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The Evolution of Universal Design: Accessibility to Empowerment (Print Course)

Over the past three decades society has had the chance to rethink discrimination, with growing social awareness of gender identity, differently abled individuals, and sensory sensitivity. This has led to a movement to make all spaces barrier-free, accessible, and inclusively designed so that they are safe, comfortable, and easy for all occupants to use.

This course will examine the history of inclusive and universal design, it’s relevance today, and how to design residential homes that are accessible for all. The course will also explore the 2021 Southern Living Showcase Home, which was the first of its kind designed to be fully inclusive and accessible.

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Propane Gas Systems: Considerations for Residential Construction

When planning and designing homes, architects should know that more than 12.6 million U.S. households rely on propane for their primary energy needs. Propane has many advantages such as offering heat for water, outdoor spaces, and inside the home. In addition, propane provides clean fuel for comforting fireplaces, cooking food, and drying clothing.

Propane can be stored above ground or in underground propane tanks, an option many builders are choosing in order to fuel homes off the natural gas mains. This course will cover important considerations when planning for propane use in residential construction.

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Designing and Building High Performance Homes with Propane

This course will explore how propane is effectively used in residential construction, specifically for: space heating, water heating, cooking, clothes drying, fireplaces, power generation and outdoor living. Today, several innovative technologies make propane a reliable, versatile and affordable choice for homes.

Throughout the US, in areas without affordable access to natural gas, high-performance propane energy applications are being installed in homes to meet efficiency requirements for tax credits, green building codes and sustainable building programs.

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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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Resilience and Energy-Efficiency Through the Lens of the Northern Maine Readiness Center

Ensuring facilities have a backup power source for resilience and redundancy is gaining traction as a goal by organizations everywhere.

In this Studio Session with ARCHITECT's Editor-in-Chief watch to learn how the energy and engineering team behind an Army National Guard project specified micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems to cut energy costs and carbon emissions while improving resilience.

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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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