Provides an overview of the characteristics and architectural applications of perforated metal, expanded metal, and wire mesh products including descriptions of metal types and mechanical finishes.

Provides an overview of the applications, terminology, and specification considerations relating to Bar and Plank Grating products.

Commercial fenestration products including sectional doors, rolling sheet doors, and rolling steel doors can improve building performance and provide essential building/opening protection. This course discusses common door features, hardware, insulation, installation, and optional types of electric operators, and evaluates the performance criteria required for a specific dock or drive through opening.

For generations, designers have turned to the beauty and functionality offered by terrazzo. In recent years, new technologies and materials mean terrazzo can respond to the needs of the most modern buildings. This course covers the evolution of terrazzo, terrazzo flooring systems, and the environmental advantages of terrazzo and how they apply to sustainable initiatives for indoor air quality, recycling, and resource efficiency.

The office furniture industry is an ever-changing marketplace and this changeability has produced huge amounts of unwanted furniture. Remanufacturing addresses the waste, cost , and storage that comes with replacing office furniture. This course looks at trends in the office furniture industry, the environmental impacts created by legacy furniture, and a review of the environmental and economic benefits of remanufactured furniture as an alternative to scrapping, downcycling, or discarding to landfill.

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

Can commercial overhead doors contribute to the sustainability goals of buildings requiring garage, drive-through, fire, dock, and service products? To meet these goals commercial sectional and rolling doors should be engineered to provide energy efficiency, personnel protection, and to mitigate fire and wind damage. This course examines the sustainable attributes of commercial overhead doors and explores their design potential in LEED® compliant projects.

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

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.

The cleanliness of a hotel guestroom bathroom directly impacts a hotel’s profitability, by its influence on customer satisfaction and hotel image. Designers should not only consider aesthetics but also the selection of finishes and fixtures that allow for faster, more cost effective sanitation. This course examines the role of clean hotel bathrooms in hotel profitability, customer satisfaction, and public health. Potential modes and threats of infection are discussed and strategies suggested for selecting fixtures that improve sanitation and minimize labor.

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

Composite aluminum/wood windows (not aluminum clad wood windows) combine the beauty and warmth of wood with the strength, weather resistance, and durability of finished extruded aluminum. This course explores the unique design capabilities of composite aluminum/wood windows and explains how their technical features, design elements, and hinge operating system contribute to their high structural strength, water management, and thermal performance.

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

Aluminum Full View (AFV) doors are a fast growing segment within the building product industry. They have a wide range of applications in a variety of building types. This course will look at potential applications and building types, options for installation, and custom options in design when specifying AFV doors.

It is well known that color in the built environment has an impact on the perception of space and our behavior in a space. Designers must understand color to create an ambiance or style and to influence spatial use and perception. In this course we will look at how color is perceived and processed, its emotional impact, how it interacts with light and finally, provide tips for implementing color in the built environment.

(Canadian Version) It is well known that colour in the built environment has an impact on the perception of space and our behavior in a space. Designers must understand colour to create an ambiance or style and to influence spatial use and perception. In this course we will look at how colour is perceived and processed, its emotional impact, how it interacts with light and finally, provide tips for implementing colour in the built environment.

Fournit une introduction aux principes de base des couleurs, notamment la terminologie, la perception et la psychologie des couleurs, les effets de la lumière, ainsi que les styles et les tendances actuelles.

Unwanted sound can become more than a mere annoyance. Excess noise has been found to increase stress and distraction, reduce learning and productivity, and even lead to hypertension and permanent hearing loss. This course presents an overview of how sound is described and measured and discusses the many industrial and architectural products available to control noise in virtually any environment.

Today, architects and designers need to give special consideration to building acoustics when developing plans for new and newly renovated construction projects. Excessive noise in any environment is considered a serious problem which can lead to learning difficulties, sleep deprivation, delayed recovery from illness and lack of privacy. Sound basics are discussed in this course, and STC, IIC, and sound attenuation (reduction) techniques are explained. Various case studies are examined to develop further understanding of the performance of common sound abatement assemblies.

Designing with green roofs affords design professionals opportunities to plan projects with exciting new elements, added value, and significant, tangible benefits, thereby enhancing the built environment with newly-created landscapes. This course examines green roof systems including the types, benefits, components and related standards, as well it provides a discussion on how green roofs mitigate urban heat island effect and reduce stormwater run-off.

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

Building systems can be enhanced by incorporating reflective insulation or radiant barriers into the building envelope. With effective insulation, heat transfer is reduced, resulting in less summer heat gain, and less winter heat loss. This course explains common and effective uses for reflective insulation and radiant barriers in a wide range of construction and building applications and demonstrates how these systems reduce energy usage, increase the lifespan of the mechanical equipment for heating and cooling, and reduce maintenance requirements and frequency of replacement.

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

Vinyl is strong and resistant to moisture and abrasion, and therefore is the most widely used plastic for building and construction. This course presents vinyl flooring, its manufacturing process, testing standards, and performance characteristics. The course discusses the environmental impacts of vinyl flooring throughout its lifespan and its contributions to meeting green building codes and standards.

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

Understanding a product’s life cycle impact is central to the selection of materials for any green building. High pressure decorative laminate (HPDL) manufacturers have initiatives in place to reduce waste, energy and virgin materials in its production. This course introduces HPDL, its performance characteristics, fabrication techniques, and manufacturing processes and the processes and ingredients that make it a sustainable decorative surfacing solution for commercial and residential applications.

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

Provides an overview of the history of solid surface as a decorative material with a discussion on product characteristics and attributes, and a comparison of sustainability factors of three hard surface materials and their environmental impact.

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

The growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and the behavior of EV drivers are increasing the demand for electric vehicle charging stations. This education course explains the different types of charging available and their suitable applications, and discusses the planning and installation considerations for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

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

Quartz surfacing is a man-made material, consisting of over 90% natural quartz crystal. In this course you will discover the other components behind the beauty, durability and flexibility of this surfacing material. You will see the composition, production and quality assurance processes that go into making the material and the resultant attributes, capabilities, and the installation basics of quartz surfacing materials.

According to building professionals, the solution to achieving an energy efficient building envelope is to focus more on the roof. Protected membrane roof (PMR) assemblies deliver thermal efficiency and can play a valuable role in a sustainable design strategy. Presented in this course is a review of the components, advantages, ballast options, and design and installation considerations of PMR assemblies.

Surface design and color impacts people in one way or another. Why do some surroundings induce a sense of calm, happiness, or inspiration while others offer nothing but distraction, discomfort, chaos, doom, and gloom? Interior surfaces are the point of contact between users and their environment, as well as an important connection between the visual world and physical world. This course will examine the integral role that surface color and design plays in interior spaces. Key requirements in the selection and specification process will also be discussed.

For the typical homeowner choosing exterior color can be a daunting task; however, there is guidance available to help choose color palettes that complement the exterior of the home. This course presents the FRESH approach: a strategic method used for the selection of colors for the exterior of buildings. The course focuses on both residential and commercial design considerations, and details the steps to follow in the color selection process to achieve a harmonious design.