Sustainability seeks to balance resource efficiency, health, and social concerns throughout the life cycle of a structure. Concrete has a variety of benefits to offer in achieving this goal. This course examines the environmental impacts of building with concrete along with a discussion of the features of reflective and decorative concrete floors and their role in a sustainable building strategy. As well, we present a review of the best practices and specification considerations that are required to facilitate a successful concrete floor installation.

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

Provides an overview of antimicrobial additives that help protect products from degradation caused by microbes, with discussions on types of microorganisms and the array of products that can benefit from antimicrobials.

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

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.

Excessive sound can negatively impact the health and well-being of occupants. This has resulted in a growing trend to improve the acoustical performance of building assemblies. Due to this, there have been significant changes in the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBC) moving from sound transmission class (STC) to apparent sound transmission class (ASTC) ratings that reflect assemblies that provide increased levels of acoustical performance. The course will explore how laboratory acoustical testing is performed, the principles of sound control, the different methods of sound transmission within buildings (airborne, impact, and flanking), and how to meet the 2015 NBC requirements for ASTC ratings.

The popularity of bamboo products has soared due to their desirable aesthetic and unique, eco-friendly attributes. This course covers an overview of the history, uses, characteristics, and specification considerations of bamboo, including a discussion of the health advantages and green benefits of designing with bamboo products.

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

Trim and molding occupy a small amount of space on a home’s exterior, however their aesthetic value outweighs their size. Properly designed exterior moldings and trim need a full understanding of the materials and the design rules and functions for each location. This course takes the reader through the design and installation of exterior moldings, in particular PVC molding, and looks at some common molding mistakes and solutions.

There are two requirements to provide a good audio system: analysis and mitigation of the acoustic performance of the space, and proper design of the audio system itself. Architects and designers need to treat these two elements as completely separate subjects and should involve an Audio-Visual specialist during the planning stages of any project to ensure proper performance of an audio system. This course explains the fundamentals of acoustics and identifies how sound frequencies respond in different environments. Acoustic analysis and mitigation approaches are examined with the goal of achieving a properly targeted audio system design that will enhance the users’ experience.

In recent years, demand has increased for better noise control in multi-family construction driven mainly by consumer demands and stricter enforcement of existing codes. Residential noise control is a key component of design as it affects occupant privacy and well-being. This course reviews the dynamics of sound, how sound moves through buildings, and the architectural techniques used to control airborne, structure-borne, and flanking noise transmission in multi-family buildings.

Manufacturing companies are seeing an increased demand for product transparency. This course discusses what sustainability and Design for Environment are, how transparency documents are created, how they contribute to green building certification, and how investing in sustainability can produce process and operational efficiencies that benefit people, planet, and business.

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

Traditionally used for high-performance architectural applications, water-based PVDF coatings can now be applied to cellular PVC cladding materials, delivering high performance in a new application. This course presents the benefits of cellular PVC as a cladding material and focuses on water-based PVDF coatings, how they work, and how their performance characteristics contribute to their durability.

Pigments serve many functions in paint other than supplying the color. Characteristics such as durability, hide, gloss, lightfastness, and paint film thickness are influenced by the choice of pigment. This course will discuss the ways your choice of color can significantly change the appearance and performance of architectural paint.

Sinterization is a specialized manufacturing process that uses extreme heat and pressure to create a unique product called ultracompact surfacing material. This cutting-edge material can be used in ways that natural stone, solid surface, or quartz material cannot. This course examines the advantages of ultracompact surfaces in terms of strength, durability, chemical resistance, absorption, abrasion resistance, and ASTM testing. Design flexibility with ultracompact surfaces in terms of color, texture, and format is also discussed and possible interior/exterior application options are considered.

Insulated vinyl siding, known as insulated siding, is an exterior cladding that combines the protection and low maintenance of traditional vinyl siding with the energy efficiency of EPS foam. The composite results in an improvement in performance and aesthetics. This course discusses the benefits associated with installing insulated siding on new and renovation residential construction projects, and the range of architectural styles that can be achieved with the breadth of design and color options available.

Recycled rubber flooring is an environmentally responsible material that outlasts many types of traditional commercial flooring products when exposed to normal foot traffic stress. Interior and exterior recycled rubber surfacing products are explored in terms of their sustainable design benefits and applications. The program includes discussions on rubber manufacturing, post-consumer tires, and green building certification programs.

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

Sound abatement products are not just a building owner and occupant preference; minimum sound abatement ratings are required by many local building codes for multi-story residential, commercial, and multi-purpose buildings. Following an introduction to the basics of sound, this course presents a summary of the most common sound control methods, with a focus on the options available for floor underlayment.

Concrete is a popular, versatile, and durable construction material, and it has the potential to be very beautiful as well. Graphically imaged precast concrete is a creative, inspiring technology that can be used by architects and designers to create visually impactful building façades and other concrete surfaces. Discussed are the fabrication process, design possibilities, and budgeting considerations. Global case studies present a range of applications of both stock and unique designs.

This course provides an overview of integral blind assemblies and discusses their benefits over conventional blinds, components and framing options, performance characteristics and testing standards, and common applications.

The U.S. has the worst fire fatality rate in the industrialized world, and consideration should be given to the use of intumescent acrylic latex paint for its fire-resistance attributes. This course outlines the evolution of intumescent coatings. The program focuses on intumescent acrylic latex paint coatings and the performance and aesthetic advantages they have over traditional coatings. It includes discussions on codes and standards, applicable substrates, adhesion, and application, curing, and cleanup.

Provides an overview, including the history, components, characteristics, types, and applications, of resinous terrazzo and seamless flooring systems.

Wood is both beautiful and practical but lacks long term durability when used outdoors. Modified woods change the material properties of the wood at the molecular level to improve its weathering capabilities. This course discusses one type of modification; acetylation. We discuss the process, its impact on wood performance, the life cycle impact of acetylated wood and how and where this type of wood can be used.

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

With the increasing prominence of glass in new buildings and retrofit projects, the use of window film can raise the style, performance, and safety of today’s building projects. This course examines the use of various types of window film, (decorative, solar control, and safety/security) and their role in improving occupant comfort and safety, lowering energy costs, and enhancing privacy.

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

Wood is the only carbon-negative, sustainable building product there is. Using more wood and wood-based products for interior and exterior applications can help to lower carbon emissions and combat climate change. This course discusses the benefits of using wood, identifies what sustainable hardwood species are the most abundant and where some of the best managed, certified hardwood forests are located, and compares the physical and performance properties of European beech to eight other temperate hardwoods.

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

Deck structures provide neat and sturdy living spaces that mirror interior conveniences while set in the ultimate, great outdoors. Choosing the right deck board for a specific project requires considering the size of the project, its location, and local climate conditions. This course discusses the performance characteristics and benefits of using multi-layer, cellular PVC decking—a durable decking material that replicates the unique beauty of exotic hardwood.

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.

In order to address tile installation difficulties effectively and avoid failures, designers and specifiers must maintain full awareness of current knowledge, practices, and products. This course reviews potentially problematic contemporary tile installation issues along with the industry guidance, methodologies, and products available to address them.