Zonda - Resource Library

High-quality architectural stone veneer is a lower-cost, easier to install, sustainable alternative to natural stone. Though traditionally more often used in exterior applications, stone veneer is making its way into more interior applications across a wide variety of industries.

This course will review performance and aesthetic characteristics of stone veneer and how it’s used in different applications. Learners will also explore how stone veneer contributes to biophilic design principles and helps architects specify for changing residential building trends.

Aging is traditionally seen as a negative experience fraught with challenges and limitations. Baby Boomers are changing that narrative and reshaping what it means to age for themselves and future generations. With this shift comes a heightened sense of health, wellness, and desire to stay at home — to live in place. To accomplish that, architects and designers must approach adaptive kitchens to suit the changing needs of older adults as well as multigenerational users. This course will examine active aging; adaptive kitchen design; and connected, smart appliances that are as high-performance as they are functional. The CEU qualifies for continuing education credits that count toward the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB’s) Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential.

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.

The workplace is changing — and not just where people work but how and when. Changing employee preferences and attitudes combined with new health and safety expectations are causing organizations to rethink their office space design and homeowners to take a second look at their home office. Quartz surfaces, most often specified for the kitchen and bathroom, also have wide-ranging applications for workspaces thanks to superior hygienic and performance properties. This course will explore workplace changes; where people are working now and why; how architects can position themselves to reshape the workplace; and the role of quartz surfaces in improving consumer health, safety, and comfort.

In order to produce a long-lasting, functional structure, any abrasive or erosive forces need to be ameliorated through its design.

This educational unit examines concrete hardening technologies – comparing features and limitations – so the best method can be selected.

Fully customizable, luxury fireplaces and fire features expand the versatility of where hearths can be located, whether in residential or commercial projects. They add a personalized, experiential element to a space, and are increasingly being used in commercial facilities to provide ambience, a focal point, and even marketing, as logos and company names can be incorporated into fireplace designs.

This course will help you understand the technologies and design options available with made-to-order gas fireplaces, as well as how to work with a manufacturer to see a custom fireplace project through from predesign to installation.

Webinar On-Demand: This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. This course will discuss considerations for the holistic design and construction of durable, long-lasting structures that are sustainable, safe and resilient. A building's primary goal is to protect the lives, lifestyles and livelihoods of its occupants. Precast concrete has numerous qualities that can help buildings perform efficiently and offer occupants and communities healthy, flexible and useful spaces that can be effectively utilized over many years. Attendees will have the chance to see and hear case studies of projects that used precast concrete for durability, resilience, and sustainability, and examine important qualities and attributes to consider when specifying the material.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Thermal bridging has been recognized as a significant factor in building envelope heat loss and yet traditional construction practices have not effectively addressed many of the causes. Building Better with Thermal Breaks will identify areas most susceptible to thermal bridging and offer solutions that will minimize those heat loss conditions. Designing structural thermal breaks into buildings will improve the comfort, safety, durability, and reduce the environmental impact.

Integrating interior and exterior spaces has been shown to provide occupants with myriad benefits in a variety of settings. Establishing a connection with the outdoors can improve health and wellbeing for occupants at home or in the office, as well as encouraging healing and reducing stress. In retail settings, connections with nature have been shown to increase consumer spending, and in any environment, views and sounds of nature have proven to reduce stress and enhance concentration. Folding, multi slide, and swing door systems lend themselves to occupant wellbeing by integrating interior and exterior spaces and seamlessly providing controllable access to nature.

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.