Learn how vacuum insulating class (VIG) units are different from typical architectural insulating glass units (IGUs) and how VIG technologies can meet a vast range of needs, ranging from energy savings and occupant comfort to acoustic improvement.
This course also examines the energy performance of VIG units compared to traditional product options and reviews specific code requirements that VIG products can meet and exceed.
This course will examine Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) through the lens of the A/E/C industry and building product manufacturers. It will review the evolution of ESG from the 1980s when organizations began to regulate and manage pollution, improve labor and safety standards, and improve other negative outcomes of economic growth. The three pillars of ESG will be discussed generally, then from the perspective of the A/E/C industry, and finally through the lens of a window and door manufacturer and their specific ESG agenda. The course will conclude with a case study that achieved Living Building Challenge certification and helped both an architecture firm and window and door manufacturer achieve ESG goals.
This course will explore three building sectors—hospitality, multifamily housing, and senior housing—and the flooring challenges these projects face, including heavy foot traffic, maintenance, safety, and aesthetics.
Hard surface flooring such as tile, luxury vinyl tile, laminate, and engineered wood can be specified throughout these projects to meet the demands of public spaces such as lobbies and restaurants and private areas such as bedrooms and baths. The course will also examine a case study from each sector.
Most current trends in tile, vinyl and wood flooring are the result of emerging technical advances, offering designers and architects enormous flexibility to create unique looks in non-traditional applications. Tiles that simulate real wood, vinyl flooring with a natural stone appearance, and wood flooring that can be used in wet areas are just some of the latest advancements.
In this course contractors, designers and architects will learn how to apply current trends in tile, vinyl and wood flooring to gain a competitive advantage.
Evolving design trends have driven the emergence of a new range of folding door products that complement modern architecture and improve user experience through performance and ease of operation. This course will review key attributes of these next-generation folding doors, including product styling and sightlines, size capabilities, hardware design and placement, and performance criteria. You will learn how these design improvements open up sightlines, ease operation, and boost the performance of folding doors.
Design and construction industries are vulnerable to natural disasters and manmade hazards that can result in everything from reducing the lifespan of infrastructure to loss of life and property. Professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) can mitigate these vulnerabilities by having a fuller understanding of resilience as well as the building materials and construction and operational techniques that lead to stronger, more durable buildings.
This course will examine resilience in the built environment and provide several strategies to achieve resilience at the building scale for stakeholders. It will then assess continuous insulation, particularly mineral wool, as it relates to resilient design before reviewing ASTM resilience testing standards. Finally, this course will help learners evaluate resilience in current code and beyond as well as how to enhance structural systems through the use of mineral wool insulation.
Fire. It’s been integral to human evolution and civilization as a tool for heating, lighting, cooking, and socialization for millennia. Today, with the advent of central heating, electric lighting, and highly sophisticated cooking appliances, fire tends to be used primarily for ambience but continues to provide an important role in gathering and socializing.
This course will explore how fire has evolved from a utilitarian element to a technological tool that can be used in both vernacular and high style architecture as a design element indoors, outdoors, and as functional art.
Architects have an important role to play in proper surface preparation and coatings selection through project-specific painting specification. It’s important for architects and designers to be actively involved in the specifying process and to understand the limitations, benefits, and features of different paints and coatings.
This course will help the learner to understand the main causes of paint and coating failures, the importance of proper surface preparation for various substrates, and problem-solving primers and other coating technologies that can help improve the longevity of structures.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets the minimum requirements for newly designed and constructed or renovated state and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. When designing restrooms, some of each type of accessible plumbing fixture and restroom accessories and their installation location must meet accessibility requirements contained in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Many projects must also follow the provisions of the 2017 Edition of the ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Standard.
As states adopt the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) into their states’ building code, the ICC A117.1-2017 Accessible Standards will become effective for existing and new buildings. Forty-six states follow the ICC A117.1-2017 Standards (all but California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Texas; who harmonize with the ADA Standards). Additionally, states such as California have accessible requirements that vary from the ADA standards and are more stringent providing greater access.
In this course, we will cover the 2010 ADA and the ICC A117.1-2017 accessibility standards. We will also point out where and how the states including California, Florida and Minnesota building codes differ from the ADA and the ICC A117.1-2017 standards. It is important that you always check the accessibility standards that apply to your project’s location.
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Extruded aluminum trim has long been used for exterior applications with panel cladding systems, but there are new opportunities to use the material for interior applications. This course will describe the performance and aesthetic benefits of extruded aluminum trim when used for interior trim. It will cover how extruded aluminum trim is manufactured and characteristics that improve fire resistance, durability, and sustainability. The course will also discuss finish and profile options, installation considerations, and emerging technologies and trends for the product.