• Collections - Fundamentals Series

    This series of courses is designed to equip AEC professionals with the essential knowledge and skills needed to create well-designed, technically sound, and buildable projects. Whether you're refining your approach or building expertise from the ground up, this series ensures you have the tools to design with confidence and clarity.

    This collection contains a total of 12 courses totaling approximately 12 hours, 15 minutes


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    A growing number of high-rise fire incidents around the world have raised awareness about the fire safety performance of taller structures. Timing for containing a high-rise fire is critical, as high numbers of occupants have limited means of escape. Vertical fire spread along the exterior facade may quickly overwhelm firefighters at ground level, especially if it advances to heights beyond the reach of their ground attack. This course looks at issues surrounding high-rise fires, how they spread, and how following building codes and proper material testing can lessen the risk or impact of these blazes.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Megatrends are long-term global trends that impact societies in complex ways, including design of the built environment. This course examines seven megatrends and how they may inspire kitchen and bath designers to create accessible, diverse, and sustainable solutions to the social and environmental issues our society faces.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The issue of lead in drinking water is a significant concern that affects many communities. This course explores the harmful effects of lead consumption through drinking water. It addresses fundamental questions about lead’s common sources, how it enters our water supply, and the populations at high risk. Additionally, the course reviews water regulations and strategies for safeguarding against this widespread toxin, emphasizing approaches to reduce lead contamination through the use of filtered water delivery systems.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Selecting the right grout for a project is essential for its success. In this course, we delve into the world of grout, exploring the various types available and their unique characteristics, strengths, and challenges. The course describes the latest innovations in grout that provide superior performance characteristics such as lifelong durability, flexibility, stain and mold resistance, color consistency, and sustainability, while also being easy and safe to install. Additionally, guidance is provided on the essential questions to ask during the selection process, ensuring that every aspect of the project is carefully considered to achieve the desired outcome.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Biophilic design is a methodology for designing buildings and landscapes that improve human health and well-being while fostering a deeper appreciation for the natural world. This course provides an overview of biophilic design and its frameworks and how it can help projects earn certification through LEED® v4.1 Building Design and Construction (BD+C): New Construction, WELL Building Standard™ version 2, Sustainable SITES Initiative® v2, and the Living Building Challenge (LBC).


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Roughly 10 million tons of office furniture, furnishings, and equipment (FFE) end up in landfills annually in the US and Canada. Sustainable decommissioning is an innovative solution that ensures that the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) value of workplace change is measured, maximized, and reported. This course reviews sustainable decommissioning, a proven strategy for reducing carbon, building community, and embracing circularity in corporate builds, moves, renovations, and refreshes. Also discussed is the role of sustainable decommissioning in meeting requirements in LEED® v4.1 Building Design and Construction (BD+C): New Construction and LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance (O+M): Existing Buildings.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA®) is the only organization accredited by the American National ‎Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop and maintain builders hardware ‎standards with cycling, operational, strength, security, and finish test requirements. This course explores the performance standards and the certification program related to commercial architectural hardware.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Embodied carbon represents a significant portion of the building industry’s carbon footprint; it is essential to utilize low-carbon construction processes and materials now, before the tipping point of the climate crisis is reached. This course discusses the use of LCAs and EPDs as tools to measure the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of building products and how architects and designers can utilize them to make sustainable choices in the design stages of a project. The course also looks at the growing relevance of EPDs in policies and green building standards, such as the Building Design and Construction rating systems of LEED® v4.1 and the upcoming LEED v5.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Urbanization and increasing land costs creating a tight housing market are driving densification and multifamily residential development. There is increased interest in midrise timber construction due to the 2021 International Building Code®, which permits mass timber buildings up to 18 stories high. This course discusses current IBC® requirements for the fire design of wood structural elements in Type III and Type IV buildings. Learners will review the use of continuous rod tiedown systems for light wood frame shearwalls and uplift restraint for wood structures up to 6 stories.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    People are captivated by birds, and for many, they hold intrinsic value. However, millions of birds collide with glass every year, significantly impacting avian populations. This course examines the ecological services that birds perform that impact human wellness and safety and reviews how bird-friendly glass can mitigate collisions. Various bird-friendly glass examples are also identified, and design guidelines and existing legislation mandating bird-friendly buildings is discussed.


  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to all state and local government agencies, commercial facilities, and public entities that have “places of public accommodation.” Presented in this course are the fundamentals of what accessibility means in terms of architectural door hardware specification. Topics include available hardware technology, the criteria for interior and perimeter access, and the codes and guidelines pertaining to the ADA requirements that affect door hardware selection.


  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Single-family attached residences (residences that share one or more walls between neighbors) are required to utilize area separation walls between units. A key design criterion of any firewall—besides its fire rating—is that it be structurally independent in a fire. This course evaluates two-hour fire-resistance-rated walls used in single-family attached and multifamily residential construction, the options available in today’s marketplace, firewall installation requirements, and fire-resistance testing.