Western red cedar is a wood prized for its beautiful color and grain, natural insect and moisture resistance, and durability. It is an extremely versatile building product that can be used both indoors and out and can be finished in myriad ways to complement a building’s aesthetic.
This course will discuss best practices for finishing, care, and maintenance of western red cedar that will ensure a long-lasting finish in both exterior and interior applications.
Resilience has become a central idea for assessing how our social, economic, technical, constructed, engineered, and ecological systems can withstand and bounce back from a man-made or weather- and climate-related disaster. Globally, wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, typhoons, high winds, hail, coastal and valley flooding, sea level rise, heat waves, seismic activity, extreme cold, ice storms, and snow melt have destroyed ecosystems, caused loss of life, damaged property, disrupted healthcare and financial networks, and in some cases, brought essential services to a halt. During this presentation, we’ll discuss the composition, performance, and application of engineered polymer siding and trim and capped polymer cladding to illustrate the benefits to home and building owners when construction materials are selected with resilience and sustainability in mind.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Rain is one of the most important things to control in wall construction for both a building’s structural integrity and the occupants’ health. Join us in this one-hour course as we discuss the aesthetic, performance, and sustainable attributes of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) for use in rainscreen applications. Participants will gain a new understanding of how WPC cladding should be applied and fastened in rainscreen systems.
Aluminum clad-wood windows and doors offer the beauty and warmth of wood in the interior, coupled with aluminum's durability and weather resistance on the exterior. Versatile aluminum clad-wood windows and doors have various applications in all types of commercial and residential projects. Restaurants, offices, mixed-use projects, and multifamily and single-family residential are examples of good uses for aluminum clad-wood windows and doors. This course will discuss expanded, specialized applications for aluminum clad-wood windows and doors in commercial and residential markets, including coastal, mountain, and historic projects.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation with ARCHITECT's Editor in Chief. Specifying wood in building design has a multitude of benefits, including elevating the design of the project, enhancing sustainable initiatives, and incorporating mixed materials for innovative buildings.
In this session, ARCHITECT explores the work and research of several firms using wood for innovative designs.
The intent of this article is to explain how Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) compares to Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC), Fiber Cement and Precast Concrete (from a material performance and façade perspective) and provide architects with a clear set of essential tools that will help to facilitate optimal design and installation of UHPC rainscreen facades. Subsequently, the article will also discuss which drivers may shift the expense of a UHPC façade project and explain how to achieve the best installed appearance and performance characteristics through the use of recommended specifications and attachment solutions.
This course will examine the rapidly expanding warehouse vertical and identify opportunities for using propane in these buildings. Many warehouses are built in rural areas because there are fewer space constraints to accommodate these large facilities, and land is less expensive, but these locations are sometimes not serviced by natural gas pipelines.
We will discuss the challenges of designing warehouses and distribution centers in rural areas, especially those that do not have natural gas service, and how propane can help meet energy and resiliency needs. In addition, this course will explore the many applications for propane in warehouses and distribution centers and case studies where propane was used in warehouse facilities nationwide.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. When looking at the environmental impact of a building, it is important to assess every stage of the environmental life cycle, from material extraction and product manufacturing to building operations and maintenance through to end-of-life.
Concrete offers many environmental attributes that help reduce the overall environmental life cycle impacts of a building. This session explores how life cycle assessment can be used to measure and lower the environmental impacts of buildings.
Brick exterior walls must be properly designed, detailed, and constructed to achieve the intended architectural effects on building facades and to prevent moisture intrusion and cracking. This course will explore common brick masonry elements such as curved walls, corbelling, and arches and how they should be designed and detailed to avoid moisture entry and movement issues. The course will also explore several award-winning projects where brick stands out as the defining architectural feature of the building.
Minimalism is a philosophy of simplicity that’s taken off since the pandemic. More homeowners are demanding minimalist kitchen designs, but what does that mean – and what does it look like? This course will explore the concepts of minimalism and minimalist design, trends shaping modern kitchen design and use, and how minimalist design can be used to increase and improve the functionality of the kitchen. Finally, learners will review the role of luxury appliances in a minimalist kitchen and how to specify appliances to meet changing consumer needs.