AIA Continuing Education Training

Western Red Cedar has been a preferred and appealing choice for many buildings over the past 150 years for a lot of good reasons related to design, construction and maintenance. Routinely used in buildings across the country and around the world because of its warm, natural, aesthetic appeal and well-known durability and stability.

This course will identify the general characteristics of sustainable Western Red Cedar wood products and the options for finishing, investigate the different finishing options for Western Red Cedar when used on building exteriors in both exposed and protected conditions for safety, sustainability, and durability, assess the types of finishes on Western Red Cedar when used to create interior spaces that support biophilia and other aspects of wellness for building users and explore case studies that demonstrate the ways that Western Red Cedar can be used for new and renovation projects to create appealing, durable, and sustainable buildings.

Register for the course here. 

Biophilic design is an established and vital aspect of architecture today, but it is still a growing field with new research emerging about the importance of reconnecting humans to nature and how this can be
accomplished via the built environment.

This course will explore the principles of biophilic design, and
more specifically how wood materials elicit biophilic responses in building occupants. We will drill down even further into how designers have used a specific species of wood, western red cedar, to accomplish
their biophilic design intent.

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Wood’s role in reversing climate change is well known, and the growth in mass timber projects is an excellent opportunity to incorporate Western Red Cedar as a finishing material to maximize carbon sequestration, decrease the use of environmentally damaging materials and increase efforts to reduce global warming.

This course will discuss the different types of mass timber products, applications for mass timber construction, and the softwood lumber species that are used to manufacture mass timber products, including Douglas fir, spruce-pine-fir, and Southern pine. We will examine the benefits of mass timber, from carbon sequestration to construction efficiencies, review how Western Red Cedar products can
be used on both exteriors and interiors to complement mass timber construction and explore several projects where Western Red Cedar was used to complement mass timber structures.

Register for the course here. 

Western red cedar is a wood prized for its beautiful color and grain, natural insect and moisture resistance, and durability. It is an extremely versatile building product that can be used both indoors and out and can be finished in myriad ways to complement a building’s aesthetic.

This course will discuss best practices for finishing, care, and maintenance of western red cedar that will ensure a long-lasting finish in both exterior and interior applications.

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Architects and others who specify wood products have the responsibility to specify wood from sustainably managed forests. By selecting sustainably harvested wood products, architects can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support a low-carbon future.

This course will examine commonly held beliefs about forestry; review the environmental, economic, and social importance of specifying responsibly sourced wood products; and discuss North American softwood species that are increasingly being used as an alternative to more energy-intensive building materials.

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This course will explore the design versatility of Western Red Cedar, exterior and interior applications, and the value that Western Red Cedar brings to a project. We will also compare Western Red Cedar to alternative building materials and demonstrate how it is often imitated but never duplicated in numerous project applications.

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This course will examine the Western Red Cedar lumber industry, including the environmental benefits of Western Red Cedar versus alternative building products, Environmental Product Declarations available for the material, and case studies where it was used in various commercial applications.

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This course will discuss how designers are incorporating more natural wood products into their designs and how Western Red Cedar contributes to this return to nature, the biophilia effect, sustainability, and health and wellness.

It will also examine exterior and interior uses for the product and new Western Red Cedar products have recently entered the market that will transform how the material is used in both residential and commercial buildings.

Register for the course here.