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.

Safety and security window films offer protection from a variety of events, from accidents and natural disasters, to break and entry and bomb blasts. This course examines safety and security window film and attachment systems and includes discussions on the history of films and film classifications, the functional benefits and applications of window films and attachment systems, and the relevant testing standards and specifications.

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

ACM/MCM cladding meets design criteria not physically or economically possible with other building façade materials. This course describes the continuous manufacturing process that results in extremely flat and strong panels and reviews fabrication, installation, and attachment techniques. Fire performance testing and ACM/MCM’s sustainability benefits are reviewed, and a wide array of coating and finishing options are presented.

Without a doubt, the human-nature connection contributes to well-being and improves our mood. Water features are one way to extend this connection to the indoors. In this course, we’ll review the components of indoor water features, design options, and considerations and look at a few case studies.

Kiln-fired glass is a fine art form with many architectural and interior design applications. This course explains how kiln-fired glass is produced, what the range of applications is, and how installations can meet architectural glass performance and safety requirements.

This presentation celebrates the value of incorporating artisanal, handcrafted fixtures and furnishings into a building’s design. Not only are these products unique, functional, and aesthetically appealing, but they can also establish a sense of connection with their maker. Many artisanal, handcrafted products are made using traditional techniques that have been passed down over time, often from generation to generation. And because many of these products are made from sustainable, recycled, or reclaimed materials that are locally available, they can help reduce the environmental impact of a new build. This course illustrates how sourcing artisan-made products for their projects can allow designers and builders to effect social, economic, and environmental change

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

Millennial consumers are committed to making environmentally sustainable purchasing choices. But what makes a product truly sustainable? This course presents data to show that thermally fused laminate (TFL) and other waste wood fiber products are among the most sustainable building materials on the market. Forest management, the properties that make wood climate positive, efficiencies in the panel manufacturing process, and the criteria and processes behind environmental certification are discussed.

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

In this one-hour presentation, we explore how HVLS fans can contribute to LEED v4, increase thermal comfort, and provide a silent and elegant design strategy. We discuss how to save energy and improve indoor air quality for building occupants. Our team will explain how HVLS fans provide a creative design solution that effectively moves large amounts of air within occupied spaces to cool building occupants, maintain thermal comfort, and support ventilation strategies. Finally, we will review computational fluid dynamics to measure airflow performance and impact to a space and how this can contribute to LEED v4 certification.

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

Health, safety, and welfare: Three simple words, yet three complex concepts. Every healthcare-related facility has a responsibility to provide a sterile, physically safe, and secure, yet nearly always accessible, managed environment just to conduct its daily operations. This course will help you discover effective, scalable access and control strategies specific to the healthcare environment and introduces the latest standards, codes, products, and technologies impacting the design and management of these always complex, life-giving facilities.

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

In the wake of the green movement, combined with rising energy costs, building sustainability has become an important topic. This course examines how foil-faced polyisocyanurate (polyiso) continuous insulation can function as a multiple control layer, providing a building with an air and water-resistive barrier and a thermal control layer. Additionally, this course reviews building codes and standards for meeting the continuous insulation requirements in steel stud building envelope designs, the benefits of using polyiso insulation in wall assemblies, and how polyiso insulation meets NFPA 285 requirements.

 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 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.

Quartz surfacing material is one of the most durable products in the market today. While there are many surfacing options available such as natural stone, acrylic solid surface, ceramic, concrete, and laminate, none offer the flexibility, strength, durability, and endless design possibilities of a quartz surface. This course examines the characteristics, attributes, and manufacturing processes involved with quartz surfaces, explaining how they influence material performance, safety, and durability. A comparison with other surfacing options and the use of quartz surfaces in healthcare applications are also discussed.

Thin brick veneer wall systems offer a lightweight design option to use in many areas, both where traditional brick is commonly used as well as where its use is limited, such as interior accent walls or inset panels. This course outlines the differences between wall systems using anchored and adhered masonry veneer, with a focus on the design, materials, and installation methods of adhered brick veneer wall systems. The use of adhered brick veneer in interior applications is also discussed.

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

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, application, curing, and cleanup.

Firehouse doors are operated frequently, and it is critical that the doors operate as intended, every time they are used. This course examines commercial door operators and includes discussions on types of commercial doors and operators, safety sensors, firehouse accessory options, and UL 325 compliance as it relates to firehouse door operation.

Frameless glass railing systems are completely post-free and offer a minimalist aesthetic that maximizes views. This course presents the IBC code requirements for glass railing systems and explores how to specify the appropriate mounting, glass, and handrail components for the substrate, location, and expected use. Case studies of completed projects illustrate the unlimited design possibilities of frameless glass railings.

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.

Concrete-faced insulated products are composite prefinished panels that are used to construct walls and roofing assemblies to maximize the energy efficiency, durability, and performance of a building envelope. This course discusses the design criteria used in designing energy-efficient buildings using concrete-faced continuous insulation systems for low-slope roofing, walls, and foundations. The functional and physical features of protective membrane roof (PMR) systems, concrete-faced insulated panels for walls and foundations, and concrete structural insulated panels (CSIPs) are evaluated.

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

Aluminum drywall trim is a high-quality, easy-to-install material that can elevate drywall from a simple wall and ceiling treatment to the paramount feature of a sleek, modern design aesthetic. Provided here is a synopsis of the performance attributes and sustainability features of aluminum trim. This includes the types of trim available, installation details, and design potential, as well as the manufacturing, fabrication, finishing, and specification of aluminum trims.

Architects and designers have many options for specifying site furniture products for their projects. Selecting materials and finishes is an integral part of this process, yet making material selections has become more and more complex. The course examines conditions and constraints of outdoor environments; evaluates materials commonly used in outdoor applications; discusses using green building standards and rating systems, and the role of suppliers as resources for material selection; and provides examples of products that adhere to a higher environmental standard.

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

This course is Part 1 of two courses aimed at helping contractors get organized, be proactive, and to work efficiently on LEED projects. Part 1 covers proposal preparation for LEED projects and general documentation principles, and also provides some recommendations and best practices for bidding and award during preconstruction.

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

 In order to download this course, a USD $35.00 fee must be paid.

Properly designed ventilation is a key component of a heathy roof environment and exterior building envelope. A balanced intake and exhaust system will ensure the attic space is not retaining excess moisture that could result in damage to the roof decking material, excess mold and mildew growth, ice dams causing shingle damage, algae growth, and water or mold stains on the interior ceiling and walls. Additionally, proper ventilation in the exterior building envelope can help prevent premature deterioration of the siding and roof covering materials. This course explains the fundamentals of attic and envelope ventilation and highlights the importance of a balanced system, identifies the many venting options available, and discusses various ventilation case studies.

Motorized doors in industrial and warehousing environments provide convenience, save time, and increase productivity. However, motorized doors also carry the risk of entrapment. This course explains the need for entrapment protection devices on motorized commercial and industrial doors and discusses how to specify the appropriate sensing edge actuation method and monitoring function to meet design, safety, and industry code requirements for specific building projects.

Designing restrooms to allow for and maximize proper hygiene is important in reducing the spread of germs. This course discusses the elements of hygienic restroom design and how reducing required touchpoints helps to increase safety and cleanliness. The key steps in proper hand hygiene are also discussed. The course then focuses on hand dryers and considers their impact on hand hygiene and sustainability. The future of commercial restroom design is then explored.

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

In today’s high-performance building market, specifying materials that work together as a complete wall system is more critical than ever. Systems can help designers meet new energy codes, reduce costs, and improve building function and sustainability while making the design process faster and simpler. Focusing on the most common exterior wall system, steel stud with masonry veneer, this course details key system components, recent advances in building analysis, code requirements, and a comprehensive systems approach.