As architects and clients alike demand the creation of what’s next, design teams rely on new product systems and solutions to help them push the boundaries of form and function. This article profiles a few solutions that enable architects to create distinct building envelopes that don’t sacrifice on the efficient performance or sustainable design considerations that also occupy prominent spots on almost every client’s wish list.

HSW Justification:
This article explores solutions that enable architects to deliver a desired aesthetic that also performs efficiently and offers sustainable design benefits. For example, thermal barriers in the aluminum framing that hold the glazing in place allows architects to complete historic renovation projects that exceed thermal performance targets, without compromising the integrity of the historical aesthetic. Composite metal panel systems that support very unique applications and creative demands from design teams can also offer top-tier performance in terms of fire-, water-, and impact-resistance. Extruded aluminum trim beautifully meshes different types of exterior cladding, while helping the envelope to better manage moisture.

Learning Objective 1:
Explain how incorporating thermal barriers into the aluminum framing in the fenestration of the Crosstown Concourse helped the project become the world’s largest LEED Platinum historic rehabilitation project, while maintaining the integrity of its historic aesthetic.

Learning Objective 2:
Specify a composite metal panel system that offers the resistance to fire, water, and impact best-suited to the needs of a particular project.

Learning Objective 3:
List the aesthetic and sustainability-related benefits of specifying extruded aluminum trim on an exterior cladding.

Learning Objective 4:
Describe how the different finishes of precast concrete used in the façade of the Ale Asylum were reverse engineered to perfectly match the concept originally pitched and accepted by the city.

This course is designed to introduce the architect to emergency lights. These lights 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:
The selection and implementation of a proper emergency lighting program is essential to the life safety of a building's occupants.

Learning Objective 1:
The student 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:
The student will learn what the requirements are to conduct on-going testing of egress systems after installation.

Designing with Pre-Crimped Woven Wire Mesh is a streaming video course that explores interior and exterior applications and functions for woven metal mesh products in architectural design. The course examines key functions of these materials, details the manufacturing process, and outlines critical specification considerations to ensure beautiful and long lasting installations.

Solar shading devices, while available in numerous weaves, textures, and colors, go beyond contributing to the aesthetics of a space. Specified correctly, solar shading devices can maximize daylighting benefits and contribute to occupant well-being, productivity, and engagement, while mitigating the detrimental effects of UV rays and glare.

Learning Objective 1:
Students will understand the benefits daylighting, including the psychological and physiological well-being of occupants, as well as its drawbacks, such as glare and solar heat gain

Learning Objective 2:
Students will become familiar with the types of solar shading fabrics available for use in commercial settings and their components, including operating systems, weave, color, and openness factor, and the ways in which these contribute to the control of daylighting.

Learning Objective 3:
Students will explore the benefits of solar shading devices that extend beyond light management, such as sound mitigation, sustainability, and antimicrobial properties.

Learning Objective 4:
Students will determine how to select the right fabric for an application, taking into account aesthetics and room conditions

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.

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.

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.

The building envelope has a lot of different jobs to do—from insulating the building so that it can be efficiently heated and cooled to providing air and water barriers that keep harmful moisture at bay, as well as providing the aesthetic face of the project. High performance building envelopes do all of those things extremely well. This article explores some of the latest high-performance solutions that can be used to create those high-performance envelopes.

HSW Justification:
A high-performance building envelope is necessary to create a building that is efficient and healthy. This article takes a look at how different components in the building envelope perform—giving architects the information they need to choose high-performance components that will produce a high-performing envelope.

Learning Objective 1:
Compare different types of continuous insulation in terms of the thermal performance they offer and the way they behave when exposed to water and fire.

Learning Objective 2:
Describe how insulated metal panels (IMPs) can be used on the envelope to improve building performance, create efficient and healthy interiors, and enhance design flexibility.

Learning Objective 3:
Explain how PET bottles can be upcycled into insulation creating a new product that contains recycled material and improves thermal performance of the building envelope.

Learning Objective 4:
Describe the ways that architectural metal wall systems enable architects to push the creative boundaries of their designs.

Program: Landscape Environmental Design

This course will describe the replica Green Wall Trend, that is the use of biomimicry in artificial plants in interior and exterior green wall systems. The trend toward biomimicry is driven by low cost, low maintenance, very high quality plant substitutes, and no water, light, power or HVAC resource requirements. Yet, Replica installations provide the same aesthetic and evoke the same desirable biophilic responses as live plants.

HSW Justification:
Replica Green Walls have all the biophilic benefits of green walls, such as promoting healing, reducing anxiety, and attenuating noise. Replica green wall spaces are especially conducive to gathering and can foster community, encourage group meeting and communication, and promote human interaction. In addition, they have added sustainability benefits by eliminating regular maintenance, the need for water for irrigation, or the need for electrical energy for light, or the need for electrical and/or natural gas for heating or cooling.

Learning Objective 1:
Students will be able to define a Replica Green Wall and describe its benefits and advantages

Learning Objective 2:
Students will be able to identify and describe the quality indicators in a green wall, including the types of systems available, the types of foliage available, and the areas of research and development underway.

Learning Objective 3:
Students will be able to describe appropriate applications for a replica green wall.

Learning Objective 4:
Students will be able to list in detail the various methods of installation.

Note: The Continuing Architect is permitting the brand name of this product to be mentioned because it was the only product of its type and is patent pending.

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.