The delivery of water can raise a variety of design issues and opportunities. This course discusses how the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design apply to plumbing products, including faucets, flush valves, toilets, and shower enclosures, and addresses key considerations for creating ADA-compliant restrooms, baths, and kitchens. It also illustrates how all structures, including residences, can benefit from elements of universal design and accessibility features that make a space safer and easier for people of all ages and abilities.

There are some complex issues involved in achieving ADA-compliant designs in all types of building construction. In terms of bathroom design, it is important to comprehend the ADA standards in order to minimize the risk of injury and to ensure end user comfort and ease of use. This course covers ADA-compliant design requirements for shower compartments and lavatory tops using solid surface materials—from planning and design to installation.

A detectable warning surface is a surface feature designed to warn the visually impaired of hazards on a circulation path. Both the ADA accessibility guidelines and State of California regulations require detectable warning surfaces at a number of public right of way locations. This course looks at current guidelines and regulations for detectable warning surfaces, types of surfaces and methods of implementing these regulations.

Healthcare facilities are now striving to meet the needs of all patients to offer not only healthy and safe spaces, but inclusive spaces as well. Recent advances in plumbing design for healthcare facilities are helping to keep all patients and caregivers safe and healthy. This course reviews innovations in plumbing design and how these designs support trending healthcare needs such as ADA patients, bariatric patients, behavioral healthcare, and infection prevention.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to all state and local government agencies, commercial facilities, and public entities that have “places of public accommodation.” Presented in this course are the fundamentals of what accessibility means in terms of architectural door hardware specification. Topics include available hardware technology, the criteria for interior and perimeter access, and the codes and guidelines pertaining to the ADA requirements that affect door hardware selection.

Prerequisites: No

Course Level: Introductory

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 not only mandated designing for the disabled but also raised awareness of the issues involved and led to an even broader approach referred to as universal access. Complying with the ADA involves implementing the many details that make the difference between an accessible environment and one that is not. This course explains how locker installations should be designed to incorporate such details in order to be both ADA compliant and fully accessible. The explanation includes numerous drawings and photos of ADA-compliant lockers and locker components.

Centralized mail and package delivery is often a last-minute consideration that causes confusion due to the various compliance and accessibility requirements needed to complete the installation. This course is designed to demystify the process by providing a clear explanation of several mailbox installation specifications, accessibility standards, and design strategies.

This course focuses on barrier free shower design and installation. Following a brief review of the reasons, benefits, and legal requirements for barrier free showers it summarizes the features and attributes of shower assemblies, relevant industry standards, waterproofing membranes and drains, best practices, installation methodology, installation tips and techniques, and walk/roll in showers. It includes a review of the design considerations and advice for the creation of perfectly performing showers which follow the latest design trends.

Play and music are both essential parts of our lives. When we can combine music and play together in a fun and engaging space, the benefits are numerous, no matter your age. This course discusses why play and music education perform such a critical role in the development of happy, healthy children. We'll discuss the copious amounts of research that tell us that music education has real-life benefits, such as increased IQ, language development, and social engagement, and the role music plays within multiple therapies for the elderly and those suffering from mental illnesses. The course finishes with an overview of how to design musical play spaces for safety and inclusivity.

Prerequisites: No

Course Level: Introductory

Restroom facilities should provide easy access and use for all users, regardless of ability. It is becoming increasingly important to know the tools needed to properly plan an accessible restroom that will meet the requirements of the ADA and other standards. This course will explore how accessibility standards accommodate a wide range of users, including how to design lavatories, toilet compartments, bathing facilities, and their accessories to meet accessibility requirements.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

“Sustainable” design isn’t just “environmental.” It’s design that works for and contributes to the health and welfare of all individuals as well as the planet, now and in the future. This course looks at hand dryers as part of sustainably designed restrooms, and discusses how air knife hand dryers benefit the environment through energy-efficiency, resource conservation, and waste reduction, and benefit all members of society by meeting ADA requirements and Universal Design principles.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

Not only are we living longer, but senior citizens are the fastest growing segment of the world’s population. The aging population faces problems with declining vision related to disease as well as growing older. This course discusses changes in color perception among the elderly and explains how appropriate color use and application of low- or no-VOC, durable, high-quality paint facilitates quality of life in all environments for the aging.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

Bathrooms can be dangerous places for people with and without physical limitations. The prevalence of bathroom falls amongst persons of all age groups and levels of ability has driven the trend of accessible shower design. Presented here is an overview of how curbless shower pans are designed for durability and safety, and meet the needs of accessible design. Included are discussions on traditional and modern shower pan design and installation methods and their associated drawbacks and benefits. Industry resources and standards are outlined.

The design of public restrooms is essential to the success and function of all building projects. Among the most important design criteria are public health, privacy, safety, and welfare. In this course, we’ll take a look at what goes into planning a washroom that meets all these needs, looking at fixture counts, code requirements, accessibility and selecting suitable partitions that meet these and sustainability requirements.

Cleaning is one of the higher continuous operational expenses faced by commercial building owners. Incorporating an entrance flooring system will reduce cleaning costs, improve safety and provide an environmental benefit to the building users. This course reviews entrance flooring system design considerations including code, environmental, safety and aesthetic considerations for high-traffic entrances.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

An expansion joint is a structural gap designed to accommodate the movement of a building in a controlled manner, preventing damage to the internal and external finishes of a building. Expansion joints run throughout a building, in walls, ceilings, and floors. Expansion joint covers provide a covered transition across an expansion opening and remain unaffected by the relative movement of the two surfaces either side of the joint. This course explains how to determine joint movement requirements and how to size a joint. It also discusses the performance of different expansion joint cover systems and the applicable fire protection and building codes.

The issue of safety is a prevalent theme in today’s society, and protecting the built environment has become a priority. This course examines the material specifications, industry standards, hardware options, installations, and application considerations necessary to design and specify exterior pedestrian steel gates.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

Automatic pedestrian doors offer convenient, easy access to and from a wide variety of building types. This course offers awareness of the diversified automatic door solutions available, including different types of automatic doors, components, options, and the process involved in selecting an appropriate automatic door for a specific project. Discussions also include the various sensor technologies available, as well as code requirements for automatic doors to ensure pedestrian safety.

Prerequisites: None

Course Level: Introductory

Adding small pockets of luxury to a home has become commonplace in spaces like the kitchen and bathroom. Personal saunas are a natural extension to this way of thinking, supporting an owner’s health and relaxation. This course looks at the wide variety of heat bathing options: sauna, infrared, and steam, with a focus on how to both select a product and implement heat bathing in residential and commercial projects.

Play is more than fun and games—it is an essential component in helping children develop critical physical, mental, emotional, and social skills that lay the foundation for adulthood. Inclusive play breaks down barriers and builds community through fostering understanding of our similarities and differences. This course discusses how play impacts child development and describes the options and considerations for designing an inclusive playground that benefits all children and the community.

Not all types of storage lockers are the same, and each facility application calls for its own specifications. There are many different requirements to consider for locker selection. This course reviews the functional and operational needs of users in health and fitness centers, schools, athletic team locker rooms, medical facilities, industrial and manufacturing sectors, and law enforcement facilities. The features and components of metal, wood, phenolic, and plastic lockers are discussed, and guidelines are presented for specifying the right locker solution for user needs.

The role of a fire-rated door is to maintain the integrity of a fire-rated enclosure in the event of a fire, giving building occupants enough time to exit the burning building. This course is an introduction to fire-rated doors and a general review of the fire codes that relate to fire doors and hardware, referencing 2012, 2015, and 2018 IBC; NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) regulations; and the ADAAG (Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines).

Prerequisites: No

Course Level: Introductory

Sustainable restroom design can address the global concerns of water shortages and the impacts of the building sector on our environment. This program identifies the newest technologies in high-efficiency restroom fixtures including how to choose water-saving products and the practical, economic, and environmental benefits of high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers versus paper towels. Also included is an in-depth analysis of how these products earn points toward LEED® v4 credits and other green building standards to comply with new, best practices in green building.

Parks, recreational areas, and common rural and urban spaces can be essential relaxing oases. Pathways that navigate through these public spaces should be functional, durable, and complement the natural environment. This course explores pathway materials and focuses on decomposed granite (DG) and natural aggregates. It discusses the types of pathways, their applications, installation and maintenance, as well as their contribution to green design.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details...

The variety of wheelchair lifts on the market can present a challenge to specifiers. Not only is there a wide range of design features, but some lifts may not meet all ADA requirements for a given application. This course covers the features, the code and regulatory requirements of vertical wheelchair lifts, and the benefits of specifying a vertical wheelchair lift solution to both the user and the facility owner.