The materials we use have a significant impact on the environment, our communities, and our health. Consequently, material transparency—wherein manufacturers disclose vital sustainability information about their products—is an increasingly necessary element of modern life. This course examines the tools and resources that are available for both manufacturers and the A&D community that effectively communicate transparency information and optimization of building products. Also reviewed are the benefits of the new-generation insulated metal panels (IMPs) designed to achieve a trusted range of health and wellness certifications.

Sealed integral blind assemblies are a low-maintenance and cost-effective solution where shading, privacy, sound mitigation, security, or sterile conditions are required. Presented here are integral blind assemblies and their benefits over conventional blinds, components and framing options, performance characteristics and testing standards, and common applications.

Stairs are an essential component of a movement and wayfinding strategy in a structure and a primary means of egress, exit, and floor-to-floor access in the event of a fire or emergency for buildings with multiple floors or a change in rise. This course discusses stair and egress system design and evaluates why the design and fabrication of pre-engineered steel stairs create safe stair environments that comply with building codes.

Exterior wall systems are the dividing line between the exterior and the interior and must address several fundamental performance goals of the building envelope. This course reviews traditional rainscreen design and examines why, with its single-component construction, an insulated composite backup wall system is a vast improvement over traditional multicomponent building technology.

Fireplaces remain one of the main focal points of a home. No longer used only for heating or cooking, and coupled with advances in technology and fuel options, fireplaces have evolved into an architectural component of the designed living space. Modern gas fireplaces offer an environmentally friendly heating solution with high efficiency ratings and contemporary designs that don’t sacrifice form for function. This course offers an overview of contemporary fireplace styles, options, venting, and installation, with a focus on cool wall technology and how it allows electronics and other design elements to be safely mounted over a fireplace.

Over time, urban parks and other open landscaped areas are being lost to development. One solution to mitigate this issue is to reconsider undeveloped areas such as building roofs to create green amenity spaces. Amenity decks can provide some alleviation of lost green space, while affording developers the potential to monetize underutilized spaces in their buildings and provide an advantage over older buildings to attract tenants.

Originally developed to reduce solar heat gain from entering through a pane of glass, window films in today’s market provide UV protection, reduce glare, reduce fading, increase occupant comfort, offer safety and security, and yield energy savings. This course evaluates the performance of different types of solar control window films and offers daylighting strategies for commercial, retail, and residential building and architectural applications.

Comfortable indoor environments with enhanced air quality improve the health and well-being of the building’s occupants. This course compares fabric air dispersion systems to traditional metal duct systems. It explores the evolution of fabric air dispersion systems and discusses essential design considerations, including: shape, layout options, system dimensions, suspension systems, fittings, air dispersion design, fabric options, orifices/vents, and air pressure design, and how they impact energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

Places of public accommodation and commercial facilities in the U.S. must follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements regarding many facets of design and landscaping, including site furnishings. This course reviews ADA requirements for tables and benches and the benefits to communities, people, and businesses of creating accessible outdoor seating areas for all to enjoy.

Sound control is a critical element in a building’s design. We all think of the walls, ceiling, and floor when discussing sound attenuation, but without the proper acoustic door, the sound-control goals in an acoustic plan may not be met. This course reviews healthy sound levels and how to test and identify target STC ratings. Also discussed are the elements of acoustic door assemblies and how they address fire ratings and ADA compliance, contribute to LEED® certification and green building, and provide security for classified files and electronic data.

The use of life safety dampers is driven by requirements in various building codes. There are many different applications for which fire, fire/smoke, smoke, and/or ceiling radiation dampers can be used, each having its own specific purpose and unique installation requirements. This course gives an in-depth look at the different types of dampers and explains how and where they're each used and installed.

Air control dampers are an essential component of a building’s HVAC system, regulating heating, cooling, and ventilation performance. Presented here is an introduction to control, balancing, backdraft, industrial, and multizone dampers; each type plays an important role in the HVAC system. Discussed are damper types, components, and performance metrics. Guidance is provided for damper specification, installation, maintenance, and inspection.

Rainscreen systems are designed to prevent moisture from infiltrating walls and weakening their structural integrity. Multicomponent backup wall systems have traditionally been used for commercial projects but have drawbacks ranging from creating plenty of waste to producing design challenges. The alternative of insulated metal panel barrier wall systems offers many advantages that are discussed in this course, including economic and environmental benefits, easier installation, and a fresh, modern look.

Health, safety, and welfare remain fundamental aspects of building design practices. The principles of limiting risk through openings and the creation of safe separation distances remain fundamental to fire-resistive building design practices and the basis for modern model building codes. Incorporating fire-rated glazing products provides creative design options that adhere to current code. This course establishes the differences between fire-protective and fire-resistive glazing products and their proper applications, as well as the related test standards and current building code requirements for specifying architectural fire-rated glazing.

Ventilation grilles influence HVAC system performance but can pose aesthetic challenges for designers. Custom grilles made with modern fabrication techniques employ a variety of materials and finishes to create solutions that enhance and fully integrate with architectural interiors. This course discusses the basic mechanics of effective air distribution in buildings, performance characteristics of grilles, grille types, and custom design options.

More than ever before, homeowners are interested in creating the type of outdoor living space that will enhance their enjoyment—and the energy efficiency—of their homes. This course discusses how retractable screens offer sustainable design solutions for homeowners, architects, and builders. Subjects including screen components, insect and UV protection, and how retractable screens contribute to a home’s increased energy efficiency are discussed, and various case studies focusing on sustainability are examined.

Birds, bird droppings, and nesting materials can detract from buildings' architectural features; more importantly, they can negatively impact the environment by creating health and safety risks. Eliminating a bird problem requires a strategic combination of preventive measures and proven bird control products. This course explores the characteristics of common birds, bird problem assessment, and the solutions designed to deter the roosting and nesting of pest birds.

Ensure your turf, plants, and trees are getting the appropriate water—in the right quantity, with the proper safety, at the highest efficiency—to reflect your unique landscape environment. This course addresses the most important factors to be considered to achieve optimal performance. At the “root” of an effective irrigation system is proper water volume, pressure, and safety.

ICF construction is cost effective and sustainable, and is a superior way to build stronger, quieter, healthier, and more energy-efficient commercial structures. This course explores insulated concrete form (ICF) construction, describing the forms themselves and their construction, performance, and sustainable benefits. Also presented are design guidelines, the installation process, flooring systems, and commercial project applications.

Artificial turf is essentially a flooring fabric made from a variety of materials and layers. Since its creation, the artificial turf industry has studied the behavior of natural grass and the safety and sustainability of artificial grass. This course examines today’s artificial grass systems and discusses how they are carefully planned, designed, and built to suit the specific needs of an outdoor residential or commercial landscape.

Some roof underlayments can trap moisture, degrade insulation performance, and create excessive condensation accumulation. Breathable, self-adhering roof underlayments enhance the drying capacity of the roofing assembly and therefore improve roofing performance. This course investigates current developments in these easy-to-install, vapor-permeable roof underlayments that mitigate water intrusion, reduce long-term exposure to wetted substrates, and extend the life of the overall structure. The course concludes with several sample installations.

Selecting flooring is an important decision, but equal emphasis should be placed on proper surface preparation to avoid costly flooring failures. This course reviews best practices for a typical hardwood flooring installation and discusses the innovative options that consolidate products and steps, saving time and money while enhancing certain performance characteristics.

Ensuring a building’s roof is waterproof, on top of being structurally sound, is critical to the success of any building project. This course examines rapid curing, polymeric liquid-applied waterproofing membranes for roofing and other demanding applications. Discussions include the history of PMMA, PMMA system components and characteristics, the installation process, and the versatility of PMMA products.

In response to steadily growing demands for more and more storage capacity and the costs and energy required to implement that storage, data center design is now focusing on solutions that conserve energy, materials, money, and space. This course explores the current influences that directly or indirectly affect energy usage and management, the resulting trends in data center development, and how containment strategies enable designers to optimize energy efficiency and create facilities with minimal environmental footprints.

Concrete is an essential part of modern buildings. As net zero energy buildings become more common, it is crucial to find ways to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint without losing the performance characteristics that make it valuable to the building team. This course explains the sources of concrete’s carbon footprint and explores strategies for reducing embodied carbon and operational carbon in precast sandwich wall panels and insulated architectural cladding.