Green Building Certification Inc.

The "GBCI CE" mark indicates that the course, as described in the application and materials submitted by the provider to USGBC, holds a General CE designation and meets the General CE conditions set out in the USGBC Education Partner Program course guidelines.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 256 results.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    In the last couple of decades, houses have become progressively more airtight due to energy efficiency and cost concerns. While air infiltration and exfiltration rates have been significantly reduced, the need for an efficient ventilation system has become extremely important. This course evaluates different types of mechanical ventilation systems and discusses why heat recovery ventilation (HRV) and energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems are characterized by a high level of energy efficiency and as an effective means for improving indoor air quality.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    There are a multitude of building envelope products used and a variety of methods taken for achieving energy and building code requirements. Understanding the different roles a product plays in the envelope simplifies its design. In this course, we take a look at the code requirements for buildings classified as IBC Types I–IV, paths to achieving compliance, and the number of roles polyisocyanurate insulation plays in meeting these requirements.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    In the fight against climate change, efforts intensify against the planet’s number one enemy—carbon dioxide. The building industry will play a significant role in these efforts. Embodied carbon—the global greenhouse gas emissions generated from sourcing raw material and processing, manufacturing, transporting, and installing building materials—will be the target over the next decade. This course will define embodied carbon, its impact on greenhouse gas emissions, the construction industry's impact, and the methods and tools that building designers can employ to limit embodied carbon.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Bamboo is a versatile building material that brings warmth and character to indoor applications such as flooring, furniture, and wall and ceiling panels; an innovative process also allows bamboo to be used outdoors in decks, soffits, and siding. This course reviews the material technologies that make bamboo products with reduced environmental impacts and better performance than traditional materials and discusses their potential to meet requirements of the LEED® v4.1 Building Design and Construction and Interior Design and Construction rating systems and the WELL Building Standard™ version 2.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    With buildings accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, the push for greener construction has never been more critical. Sustainable building initiatives are taking center stage as the world strives to reduce emissions. The industry is moving toward adaptive and net-zero buildings, emphasizing energy efficiency and environmental awareness across sectors. Broaden your expertise in energy-efficient and adaptive building design by exploring the role of high-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fans in enhancing thermal comfort. This course shows why and how to specify HVLS fans as part of initial airflow designs to support sustainable building goals. Learners will discover how to optimize multiuse spaces for greater comfort through effective air distribution, temperature control strategies, and energy savings. By the end of the course, learners will have a solid understanding of HVAC efficiency challenges and solutions that align with LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction (BD+C), LEED v5 Interior Design and Construction (ID+C), WELL Building Standard™ version 2, ASHRAE, and OSHA standards. This course equips architects and engineers with practical strategies for integrating sustainable, cost-effective airflow solutions into their designs.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    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, postconsumer tires, and green building certification systems.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    It is an expectation that today’s buildings have to be more than just aesthetically pleasing: they have to provide measurable environmental benefits. This course outlines how insulated concrete forms (ICFs) help meet sustainable design objectives and examines the advantages that ICFs and ICF technology have over conventional construction materials for building envelopes in all building types.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Concrete is a key construction material in modern society. As the foundation for much of what we make, it has a substantial environmental impact, mainly reflected in its carbon footprint. This course introduces best practices to make concrete more sustainable and lower the embodied carbon in concrete with its use and application.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The strength, versatility, local availability, and ease of use of concrete help make it the most consumed manufactured substance in the world. Concrete also offers sustainability and resilience benefits: a long lifespan, low maintenance needs, durability against natural disasters, high-albedo surfaces, smoother and stiffer pavement, carbon sequestration capabilities, and increased building energy efficiency. This course describes some of the new technologies that continue to evolve to produce concrete with the same performance and benefits as traditional concrete but with a lower carbon footprint. Also discussed is how to specify low-carbon concrete using EPDs, a carbon budget, and performance-based specifications and how it can contribute to the Building Design and Construction rating systems of LEED® v4.1 and the upcoming LEED v5.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The use of sustainable materials and products during building design will become the standard within the construction industry, and environmental product declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) help architects and owners make informed decisions for their projects. Insulated metal panels— a prime example of a sustainable product—are one of the most cost-effective solutions to reduce energy and greenhouse gases.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    “Sustainable” design isn’t just “environmental.” It’s design that works for and contributes to the health and welfare of all individuals as well as the planet, now and in the future. This course looks at hand dryers as part of sustainably designed restrooms and discusses how air knife hand dryers benefit the environment through energy efficiency, resource conservation, and waste reduction, and benefit all members of society by meeting ADA requirements and Universal Design principles.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    While natural wood has traditionally been viewed as an ideal material for decking boards and tiles, wood-plastic composite (WPC) has emerged as a durable, easy-to-maintain, and sustainable alternative. This course provides insights into the advantages of composite decking, especially fully capped products, and explores topics including its environmental benefits; contribution to occupant wellness and safety; resistance to fading, staining, and other potential defects that decking experiences; various applications; and attractive aesthetics.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    This course explores how airborne and structureborne noise affects building acoustics and impacts occupant focus, learning, healing, and overall well-being across offices, educational facilities, healthcare environments, and fitness spaces. Participants gain a foundational understanding of sound behavior, testing methods, and common misconceptions and learn how mass, resiliency, and decoupling are integrated into construction assemblies to achieve effective noise control and acoustic performance, in alignment with the LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction and Interior Design and Construction rating systems and the WELL Building Standard™ v2.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Daylight is an essential part of our health and well-being, but it needs management. Shading strives to maximize daylight without compromising building occupant comfort and well-being. This course explores the role daylight has within the built environment and its impact on occupants and energy usage, with a focus on how to better specify shadecloth based on factors such as project type, solar optical properties, shadecloth composition, and environmental factors.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    This course explores the impact of construction materials and manufacturer transparency on health and environmental sustainability. It emphasizes the architect’s role in influencing these outcomes through product specification. Health product declarations (HPDs), environmental product declarations (EPDs), and life-cycle assessments (LCAs) are examined for their contributions to informed decision-making and alignment with green building frameworks such as the LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction and Interior Design and Construction rating systems and the WELL™ Building Standard v2. A prefabricated fireproofing product serves as a real-world case study in documentation.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    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.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Lack of secure bicycle parking and storage is one of the top barriers to increased bicycle ridership. However, there is much more to selecting functional and appropriate bike storage than installing a few racks at the building sidewalk. This course examines best practices for bicycle racks and shelters for indoor and outdoor bicycle parking and storage, including typical municipal guidelines and regulations, incentives, guidance on shelters, and rack planning and design.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Noise negatively impacts human health, making sound control crucial in multifamily housing and various commercial applications. This course reviews airborne and impact sound, the key elements of soundproofing, and the role of high-performance wood fiber soundproofing products in providing effective noise control. Additionally, it discusses how these solutions contribute to meeting requirements of the LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction (BD+C) and Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) rating systems and the WELL Building Standard version 2.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The reasons for and benefits of adopting STEP have become increasingly clear as both national and international communities continue in their efforts to transition from dirty fuel sources to renewable ones. This course reviews the various systems and strategies that enable STEP, such as smart grids and microgrids, and explores strategies that STEP enables, such as integrated design processes, efficient water management, and energy innovation.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Vinyl has long been a material of choice for construction products for interiors and exteriors because of its durability, cleanability, affordability, and suitability for a vast range of applications. This course furthers the conversation by discussing vinyl’s recyclability and sustainability and the attributes of laminated rigid PVC exterior and interior wall panels and siding and soffit products.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    As noted in the first two parts of this course, water-related issues arising from growing, concentrating, and shifting populations, new weather patterns, the increasing frequency and ferocity of storm events, disappearing water supplies, and rising costs have become increasingly important in community planning. This portion of the course outlines many of the evolving, resilient, and environmentally responsible management strategies that communities worldwide are adopting in response to these issues. The descriptions are accompanied by several case studies of resilient water plans and projects.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    Growing US cities face escalating housing costs, residential and commercial displacement, homelessness, and the suburbanization of poverty. As increasing numbers of households are pushed out of the city by rising housing costs, they are burdened with long commutes and increased transportation costs while their carbon emissions escalate. These challenges are exacerbated by a deeply embedded policy—single-family zoning—that accounts for 75% or more of the land area allotted for housing in many fast-growing US cities. Part 2 of this two-part series outlines policies implemented at the city and state levels to make existing single-family neighborhoods more inclusive, equitable, walkable, and sustainable. It illustrates innovative case studies at the building scale to increase access to these neighborhoods for both renters and homeowners. In addition, it reviews efforts by architects and AIA chapters to address this issue despite the controversy that surrounds it. Each part of Right to the City can be taken as an individual course. Want free access to this and other NCARB courses? The NCARB Continuum Education Program offers free HSW CE courses to licensure candidates and architects who hold a current NCARB Certificate, which can be accessed through their NCARB record. Renew your NCARB Certificate , or get NCARB Certified .

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     In order to download this course, a USD $25.00 fee must be paid.

  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The operation of mechanical equipment generates vibration and noise, which, if left untreated, can damage the building structure and the equipment itself and be a source of discomfort for building occupants. This course examines HVAC equipment vibration and the specification of isolation solutions. It provides discussions on each of the ASHRAE isolator and base types and describes some acoustical floor treatments.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Main entrance air curtains are used by architects and engineers in commercial, institutional, and industrial settings to both improve energy efficiency and protect occupant comfort and well-being. This course reviews the research that led to air curtains being approved as an alternative to vestibules in ASHRAE 90.1-2019 and other building codes, as well as how air curtains on main entries contribute to sustainability goals around energy conservation, public health, and indoor air quality.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Stormwater management is a critical component in any municipality to retain and infiltrate increased runoff volumes and flow rates from developed land that creates increased impervious cover (roofs and pavements). The course discusses the hydrologic and structural design fundamentals of permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) and why it is an excellent choice to help meet stormwater management goals. Discussions include the benefits of using PICP, components of PICP, design and construction considerations and how use of PICP can help earn LEED® credits.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 256 results.

FIRST [1-25] [26-50] [51-75] [76-100] [101-125] NEXT LAST