This course will address the rediscovery of bamboo as a sustainable material with endless possibilities. It will specifically discuss material scarcity and how bamboo could combat it, how the manufacturing of bamboo products works, new developments in industrialized bamboo, and the sustainability of bamboo as a building material.

Health, safety, and welfare remain a fundamental aspect of building design practices. Incorporating fire-rated glass products provides creative design options while adhering to current model building codes. The new generation of fire-rated products is available in larger sizes that can withstand a fire for longer periods of time, and many fire-rated products can provide high impact safety rating, solar control, sound reduction, bullet resistance and hurricane impact safety, to name only a few multi-functional features. This course will define categories of fire-rated glass products, as well as the related test standards and current building code requirements for specifying architectural fire-rated glazing.

The International Building Code (IBC) is a complex and nuanced document that guides building standards across our country, now including the great City of Chicago. Fire protection is a vital component of the code and other standards, and fire rated glazing systems expand design possibilities while enhancing living spaces for occupants. This course will explore IBC requirements for fire-rated glazing, and how architects and glaziers can ensure compliance as Chicago adopts the IBC.

Fire-rated glazing, combined with fire-rated framing, provides the maximum fire protection of people and property. Modern fire-rated framing has several design elements that allow the product to blend harmoniously with other design details. Flush interrupted surfaces can be achieved with a system having fewer vertical or horizontal framing members. Discrete joint intersections can be utilized as well, allowing the product to work with popular corner details. This allows for expansive curtain wall systems in applications that require high-span, self-supporting construction. This course will explore how to push the design envelope with fire-rated glazing and framing systems.

Identify key improvements in LEED version 4 applicable to fire-rated glass. Identify how fire-rated glass can help achieve LEED version 4 credit points. This course helps architects understand the importance of the sustainability aspects of fire-rated glass. We review HPD’s, EPD’s, LCA’s and LEED points and provide information on what the transparency documents mean and why they are needed to gather LEED points.