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...

Specifying door products that are durable enough to withstand the rigorous demands of high-traffic applications in the healthcare and hospitality industries is crucial to the long-term success of each installation. This course reviews traditional doorway materials and doorway protection options, and provides design solutions that utilize engineered polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) components that extend the life of the door assembly and minimize health and safety issues for the building occupants.

Few aspects of the design process are conducted in “silos” that are as disassociated from one another as the approach many projects take to interior concrete slab specifications and subsequent flooring specification sections. This is not done intentionally but is rather a by-product of lack of coordination and a fundamental misunderstanding between those involved with the structural elements and those involved with the aesthetic and finishing elements. This presentation discusses sustainability and what it means, drawing the reader into a clear discussion of how sustainability relates to LEED®, lean construction, green building, and process improvement. Inconsistencies are exposed between the tenets of sustainability and current specification processes related to concrete moisture, with clear recommendations given as to how the specifying professional can resolve those disconnects.

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

(Canadian Version) Without light, an object, or a viewer, we do not have colour. In fact, the way we perceive and view colour is impacted by light, both natural and artificial. This course delves into the properties of colour and light. The program includes discussions on types of lighting, metamerism, colour rendering index (CRI), and light reflectance value (LRV) and how they affect design choices.

Commercial kitchens are demanding environments, and flooring selection directly impacts employees’ health, safety, and welfare. A durable, hygienic, and safe floor protects employees and increases productivity. This course presents slip-resistant flooring performance requirements, types of slip-resistant flooring for commercial kitchens, applicable codes, standards, and tests, and slip-resistant polyvinyl flooring applications and installation procedures and details.

Paints provide a decorative and protective barrier on the surfaces and substrates they are applied to. Paint performance is influenced by the quality of the ingredients, and by specifying the correct product and finish for the application. This program discusses types of paint, components of paint, paint finishes, surface preparation, and a three-coat painting system.

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.

When you think of acoustics in the built environment, you may think of something…precise, like a sound rating, mathematical equation, or acoustic test report. Or perhaps you think of acoustical products that help create soft, sound-absorbing surfaces. But I bet you don’t think of the word "blurry." In this course, we’ll dive into the blurry, gray area of acoustics. Our guest is an expert in acoustic architecture who will open our minds to the possibilities of acoustics and take us on a journey with sound that will spark new thinking about acoustics.

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 to 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.

Porcelain tile containing recycled content provides residential and commercial building projects with a durable, easy-to-maintain finish material for interior or exterior floors, walls, or other surfaces. This course highlights the eco-friendly production practices of porcelain tile and details its contributions to the design and performance of a building.

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

The variety of paint products offered can be overwhelming. And with each variety of paint offering different properties that affect the outcome of a project, understanding what is in a can of paint is key to success. Reviewed in this course are the types of architectural paint, the components of paint, and proper surface preparation, as well as the causes of and solutions to common paint problems ranging from simple to complex.

Architectural metal fabric is a dynamic interior and exterior material used to create beautiful and functional façades, balustrades, and screening for a wide variety of commercial and public structures. This course discusses applications for metal fabric and its performance benefits, including safety, security, solar management, and sustainability. It also discusses how coatings and graphics technologies can be incorporated into metal fabrics to enhance branding and visual identity.

Architectural resin panels are engineered to suit the demands of a wide array of interior and exterior applications and offer almost unlimited combinations of color, pattern, and design. This course presents the features and options that allow resin panels to meet design requirements for both function and beauty and discusses how resin panels may play a role in projects seeking LEED® v4 BD+C, ID+C, and O+M; Living Building ChallengeSM v3.1; or WELL Building Standard® v1 certification.

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

Leading aluminum extrusion manufacturers have established a variety of methods pertaining to material grade, surface protection, and component solutions to maximize the benefits of aluminum to suit a wide variety of applications. These advancements in technology have led to the development of sustainable wood-patterned aluminum products designed for exterior and interior applications. This course focuses on how these products can be used as a beautiful, high-performance, durable alternative for real wood in a range of applications, including screens, facades, decking, fencing, gates, cladding, and more.

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

Rubber has been recycled for more than a century and used in recycled rubber flooring for over 65 years. Over this time, it has been proven to be a durable and flexible product that improves numerous aspects of the built environment while benefiting the natural environment. This course examines the sustainability attributes of recycled rubber flooring, how rubber is recycled, how it is used to make flooring, its health and safety benefits, and where to use and not use the product. The course also includes an overview of how recycled rubber flooring can be used to meet a number of USGBC’s LEED® v4 BD+C and WELL Building Standard® v2 credit requirements.

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

In this course, the second segment of a two-part series on practice management, industry professionals offer their tried-and-true guidance on how to take a design business to the next level.

Presented here are the strategies for expanding business and increasing revenues, as well as other factors to consider when scaling your practice, such as finding a business partner or setting up a satellite office. Most importantly, the lessons in this course will prepare any design principal to be an effective leader during times of change.

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Typically specified for pavements because of its strength, durability, and life-cycle value, concrete is increasingly being specified for a variety of exterior and interior projects because of its aesthetic potential. This course explores colored concrete including coloring methods, pigments, color consistency, and maintenance. It examines the specification considerations of cast-in-place and precast concrete and looks at a range of interior applications and concrete finishes.

With a radiant heat system, the temperature profile associated with a forced-air system is switched around, and the entire floor becomes the radiator. The heat radiates from the floor, warming all of the objects in the room, and everything in the room gains a warm, comfortable feel to it. This course evaluates self-regulating polymer technology and the performance benefits of using PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heaters for energy-efficient floor warming, primary heating, snow melting, and roof deicing.

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

Around the globe, companies and manufacturers are embracing socially responsible design, construction, and the development of sustainable products. This course provides an overview of sustainable design and the creation of healthier environments in reference to architectural paints. Included are discussions regarding the components of paint, independent testing methods and standards, categories of LEED®, and specification of paint systems for today’s designer.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the 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 and its manufacturing process, testing standards, and performance characteristics. The course discusses the environmental impacts of vinyl flooring throughout its life span and its contributions to meeting green building codes and standards.

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

Undesirable acoustics in educational spaces have long been considered averse to our goals to effectively teach, create, collaborate, listen, and learn. Now, in the wake of implementing pandemic protocols, our acoustic comfort in these spaces is greatly challenged. This course examines the impacts of poor soundscapes in educational facilities and introduces innovative solutions for improving acoustics in these areas while keeping us comfortable and safe from exposure to emerging viruses.

Different types of paints are typically classified according to the type of resin they contain or the mechanism by which they dry and cure. This course discusses the classification of paints, advantages and disadvantages of latex versus alkyd coatings, the benefits of a three-coat system, surface preparation and priming techniques, and causes of and solutions for common paint problems.

Falls are responsible for more open wounds, fractures, and brain injuries than any other cause of injury. Photoluminescent (PL) exit path markers have proven to provide safe and quick egress in all light conditions for occupants and fail-safe guidance to first responders entering unfamiliar surroundings in the event of an emergency. This course discusses the benefits of PL safety products and the codes and testing standards related to PL way-finding systems.

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

While architects and designers have many choices for specifying dynamic architectural surfaces in their projects, the result of using photography in such applications has historically presented challenges. This course explores typical digital images used in glass installations, gigapixel photography, guidelines for glass transparency, and the impacts of luminosity and reflectivity. Finally, it looks at potential applications for gigapixel images in large- or small-scale architectural surfaces.

Finish elements such as the floorcovering system have a great impact on the final aesthetics of a structure. Floorcovering specification sections often do not address the compatibility of the floorcovering system with the type of application and intended service use. This is not done intentionally; rather, it is an innate result of a misunderstanding of sufficient compatibilities of the various types of floorcovering systems with their installed environments. This course discusses published floorcovering system installation standards and specifications that aid in the strengthening of 09 sections to avoid these incompatibilities. In addition, identification and categorization of various floorcovering system failures, immediate and latent, are presented, as well as how to properly prevent these failures from occurring during the design process for a successful floorcovering system installation.