Modern open spaces create a unique set of challenges when it comes to acoustics, particularly because many new buildings are designed with open plans and open plenums. Fortunately, there are innovative acoustic systems on the market that are designed to integrate with open plenums that can help to overcome these challenges. This course will discuss customizable acoustical solutions for open plenum design, including baffles, beams, clouds, and acoustical wall panels, which are available in a variety of materials like metal, wood, fiberglass, and felt. The course will explore the importance of acoustical design and how these open plenum ceiling systems can transform a space aesthetically while maximizing acoustics.

Designing with green roofs affords design professionals opportunities to plan projects with exciting new elements, added value, and significant, tangible benefits, thereby enhancing the built environment with newly-created landscapes. This course examines green roof systems, including the types, benefits, components, and related standards. It also reviews a number of installations that demonstrate these principles.

This course will discuss light pollution and its relation to the International Dark-Sky Association. After taking this course, individuals will know the impacts of light pollution as well as the difference between IDA and non-IDA lighting.

At the end of this course, participants will learn:

1. To define IDA, light pollution, and related terms
2. To identify the impacts of light pollution
3. To demonstrate the difference between IDA and non-IDA lighting
4. To assess the process of establishing IDA certification

This course explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on design and construction decisions, particularly focusing on operable glass walls in interior and exterior applications, primarily in the hospitality industry. Students will gain familiarity with terminology, capabilities, and uses of operable glass walls, with an emphasis on addressing health concerns post-pandemic through responsive design. The course highlights how operable glass walls contribute to improving the health, safety, and well-being of building occupants while also providing psychological benefits by creating comfortable environments. Practical design concepts applicable to various commercial projects will be covered, with direct access to manufacturer resources for further assistance.

Learning Objective 1: You will be able to identify and recognize the significance of the health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic as they relate to building design and product selection.

Learning Objective 2: You will learn how to assess the safety aspects of incorporating design and product selections that protect buildings, occupants, and owners from harm and damage, particularly in light of unexpected violence and vandalism.

Learning Objective 3: You will be able to explain the welfare aspects of design and product selection that enable equitable access to all, can elevate the human experience with daylight and outdoor access, and benefit the environment through sustainable building design.

Learning Objective 4: You will be able to determine ways to incorporate the design principles as presented into different building types and applications.

NFPA 70, the national electrical code details 2 different types of Emergency Lighting Control Devices—devices that guarantee that life safety lighting will be on at desired illumination levels in the event of an emergency. This course will help mitigate the confusion regarding the specification of these devices and understand their applications in the real world.

Prerequisite Knowledge: Knowledge of life safety systems, particularly a high-level understanding of the purpose of emergency lighting inverters and generators. In particular, ISO-1001/ISO-1002 would be a perfect lead into this course.

HSW Justification: This deals with life safety, the safe egress, and illumination of buildings in the event of an emergency.

Learning Objective 1: Understand the background technology where ALCR and BCELTS devices need to be deployed.

Learning Objective 2: Learn the difference between the technologies and reviews how they sit within one-line diagrams.

Learning Objective 3: Understand some of the real world tradeoffs between the device types as it relates to wiring, proximity and ease of testing.

Learning Objective 4: Understand the integration of lighting controls with the different types of ELCDs and review some tricks for how to reduce costs in systems.

Program: Architecture, Design, and Building Science

The purpose of this presentation is to give you a clear understanding of the features and benefits of textured metals and discover how to best specify stainless steel and metal alloys in your projects. The first part of our talk will introduce the ecological and economic properties of textured stainless steel as well as educate you on the composition of metals and alloys. The second portion of this presentation will illustrate the process of texturing metals and their applications, as well as how to specify them. The session will also review projects that use textured metals - with beautiful results.

HSW Justification:
Most of this course is dedicated to explaining the aesthetic, ecological and economic advantages of textured metals. Most often, the metal used in stainless steel, which is very long-lived, valuable and 100 percent recyclable. The case studies focus on many beautiful installations that enhance the lives of occupants and visitors through the art and craftsmanship of the installations.

Learning Objective 1:
Students will understand ecological, economic, health and safety benefits of utilizing metals that can be deep textured.

Learning Objective 2:
Students will explore current applications that employ deep textured metals because of their ecological benefits, enhanced performance, and aesthetic attributes.

Learning Objective 3:
Students will learn compositions of metals that can be deep textured, how each performs under varying environmental constraints, and how to safely and economically specify deep textured metals.

Learning Objective 4:
Students will discover end user benefits of deep texturing metals, including performance enhancement, material usage reduction and longer product lifecycles.

This article explores some of the latest products and solutions improving the air quality, thermal comfort, electric light, and daylight control that can be incorporated into a project. Each improves the wellness of the people in the built environment.

Learning Objective 1: Explain how air circulation improves thermal comfort and alertness.

Learning Objective 2: Describe the ways that increasing the presence of plants and greenery on a project have been shown to clean the air, reduce urban heat island effect, and positively affect the health and wellbeing of people in the built environment.

Learning Objective 3: Summarize how circadian LED lighting technology delivers health benefits—improving overall sleep quality, daytime productivity, and feelings of wellbeing—that modern architectural lighting lacks.

Learning Objective 4: Discuss how using an underfloor air distribution system (UFAD) improves indoor air quality.

Learning Objective 5: Identify the latest advancements in smart window technology that allows these solutions to control glare and solar heat gains, while maintaining views to the outdoors.

Inverters are a modern, simple way to achieve an emergency lighting solution while minimizing maintenance costs and utilizing existing architectural fixtures for emergency purposes. This course will give the student the skills they require to design and specify inverter-based emergency lighting systems.

This course is designed to introduce the architect to egress marking systems that are used for ordinary way finding and building evacuation in emergency situations. These signage systems are meant to be selected and installed according to specific standards established by building codes. Additionally, once installed, these systems must be tested to assure their efficacy in case of an emergency. How to select and specify the appropriate markers and the technological solutions available, as well as testing methods, will all be covered in this course.

HSW Justification:
Building exit markings are critical to the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants during emergency situations.

Learning Objective 1:
When this course is complete the student will will understand egress signage obligations as imposed through building codes and standards.

Learning Objective 2:
The student will further understand the various technologies available to address those signage codes and standards.

Learning Objective 3:
And, the student will learn what the requirements are to conduct on-going testing of egress systems after installation.

Dynamic lighting, also known as tunable, color-changing, and circadian lighting, is being adopted and employed in current lighting designs.  There are many studies showing the benefits of dynamic lighting in built environments.  Early adopters have seeded the market and several lighting manufacturers now employ some level of Dynamic Lighting. This course is intended to explore what  Dynamic Lighting is, how it works in commercial luminaires, how to control it, and where the lighting community is being directed by standards, regulation, and voice of the customer. 

At the end of this course, participants will learn:

1. Define elements of dynamic lighting.
2. Learn the uses of dynamic lighting.
3. See illustrations of how to control dynamic lighting.
4. Become aware of the regulations, standards, and customer requests that are driving adoption.