Zonda - Resource Library

Passive fire protection systems such as fire-rated floor doors provide incredibly important life-safety measures in commercial buildings. This course will discuss construction access products, the difference between active and passive fire protection, and how fire-rated floor doors provide passive protection.

We will also explain 2021 International Building Code requirements for fire-rated floor doors and how they differ from fire-rated access doors. Finally, you will learn about a project where fire-rated floor doors were used in a large New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority project.

Wood, in its natural state, is a highly sustainable material. But there are many factors that can either diminish or improve its sustainability, including how and where it’s harvested, how end products are treated and finished, and the lifecycle of the material.

This course will explore the sustainability of wood wall and ceiling systems, and considerations for specifying wood products that are sustainably sourced. We will cover different manufacturing and treatment processes, and environmental factors affecting wood, its lifecycle, reuse, and salvageability. We will also discuss applications for wood ceilings and walls, certifications available for projects specifying these materials, and insight into the world of sustainable wood systems.

Consumers are increasingly interested in understanding the environmental impact of the products they use. This course will help you understand how the choice of building materials can have profound impacts on local and global ecosystems, as well as on consumer preferences. “Green building” practices have expanded beyond operational energy efficiency to include factors such as minimizing the embodied carbon impact of a built structure along the supply chain.

As a result, wood’s role as a sustainable building material has become increasingly important. Compared to nonrenewable materials such as steel and concrete, wood is renewable and stores carbon throughout the lifetime of the material. Wood also uses less fossil fuel than substitutable materials (e.g., steel and concrete) across the supply chain, from harvest to manufacturing, transport, installation, maintenance, and disposal or recycling. Procurement of wood building materials from sustainably managed forests creates a sustainably built environment and also supports forest biodiversity, soil and water health, wildlife habitat, social and economic goals, etc.

This course will demonstrate how using wood as a building material contributes to forest sustainability, especially in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The operation of multifamily and hospitality developments has drastically transformed over the past decade, and more recently since the pandemic. Residential developments are no longer just a place to hang your hat — they have come to represent a resident’s lifestyle and community. Developers have followed suit, offering numerous community-building and wellness amenities. Like in multifamily properties, hotels and resort guests are also seeking home-like and wellness amenities with a touch of luxury.

Restaurants, hotels, and resorts have had to overcome massive hurdles since the pandemic and have come out on the other side with expanded offerings, many centered around outdoor dining, lounges, and green spaces. This course will examine some of the amenities these developments are offering and the role propane can play in attracting new residents and guests with expanded amenities.

Resilience is a key component of building design when addressing both seismic and wind design. Properly designed and constructed wood structures that comply with building code requirements are resilient, performing with minimal damage while protecting occupants during both seismic and high wind events.

This course will look at how wood-frame Lateral Force Resisting Systems (LFRS), that resist wind and seismic loads, can contribute to resistance in the built environment.

A new high performance architectural steel siding is giving the design community an opportunity to deliver an authentic wood look - without the maintenance.

Read more about these siding options and how one luxury condominium project achieved this aesthetic.

Achieving carbon neutrality and protecting the world's water supply are vital to the AEC industry because of the significant impact buildings have on the environment and occupant health. The structures that we live, work, and commune in use a vast amount of the energy and water consumed on the planet for building operations and maintenance.

Over the past two decades more and more organizations, from private companies to federal governments, have taken steps to minimize their impact on the environment and, more recently, on society's wellbeing as a whole. This has been accomplished through sustainable building design, social accountability, and ethical economic practices. This course will discuss a Net Positive approach to design and business operations.

A new high performance architectural steel siding is giving builders and developers the opportunity to deliver an authentic wood look - without the maintenance.

Read more about these siding options and how one luxury condominium project achieved this aesthetic.

Floor trusses are the ideal structural system for single family, multi-family, and other commercial builds due to their inherent design flexibilities, optimized construction advantages, and exceptional strength. Each floor truss is designed and engineered for the unique and specific project. Open-web floor trusses create downstream value through faster and safer on-site installation, efficient MEP installations, and additional opportunities for reduced material costs.

This course will demonstrate project benefits when utilizing open web floor trusses and discuss how they can improve your next project.

There is a misconception that zero net energy (ZNE) means all-electric, but in fact, propane has the ability to provide a clean, efficient, and affordable energy solution for both builders and their customers. This course will discuss how ZNE fits into the country’s energy landscape and how mixed-fuel homes featuring propane can be leveraged to meet ZNE homeowners’ energy and lifestyle demands.

The course will explore design strategies architects can use to achieve zero net energy homes and case studies where propane’s versatility and low-carbon output were harnessed to achieve resiliency, sustainability, and performance in ZNE builds.