CPD Live is back for October 2024: 10 Sessions, 10 CPD Points

September 18th, 2024

Mark your calendars for October 16-17, 2024, as CPD Live returns with a brand-new season. This virtual event offers architects, designers, and specifiers 10 CPD-accredited sessions, providing valuable insights into contemporary design challenges and innovations. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn 10 CPD points from leading industry experts.

Visit the CPD Live website for more information and to register for free.

Day 1 Sessions Include:

Physical Contaminant Ratings in Ceiling Grid Tiles

Wednesday, October 16 – 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (AEDT)

The term ‘clean room’ refers to spaces – such as science laboratories, data centres, food manufacturing facilities, healthcare settings, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and so on – in which, for a variety of reasons, contamination control and ensuring the absence of airborne particles is critically important. Across Australia and New Zealand, the design, construction, and maintenance of these clean rooms is closely regulated. They must be certified as suitable for the purpose in question, and they must be maintained and cleaned according to a strict set of guidelines.
In addition, considering their potential for introducing airborne particles, the materials used within these spaces are also closely regulated. They must be capable of handling the relevant cleaning routines without negatively affecting the environment.
In this session of CPD Live, we focus on one particular class of product, ceiling grid tiles, with reference to their suitability for installation in clean rooms. Our speakers will outline all the relevant regulations, as well as the best ways to identify products that are suitable for use in these types of applications.

Deemed to Satisfy Compliant Level Entry Thresholds – A Technical Guide

Wednesday, October 16 – 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (AEDT)

As with a As with all aspects of the construction sector, the specification of level entry thresholds in Australia involves compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC). As is also standard, compliance of these products can involve either the more prescriptive and standardised Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) solutions, or Performance Solutions (which vary according to the specific job). In the case of level entry thresholds, the DTS option is broadly acknowledged as the way to go. For these products, specifiers generally see Performance Solutions as not just unnecessary but too expensive. That said, the pathway to DTS compliance is not as clear as it could be. This CPD Live Session is intended to address that lack of clarity. Beginning by outlining the relevant regulations, their purpose, and their origins, our speakers will go on to outline the clearest and simplest pathway to not just DTS compliance but best practice.

Considered Bathroom Design For An Ageing Population

Wednesday, October 16 – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (AEDT)

As we often hear, Australia has an ageing population. As the proportion of older people in the community grows, it is time to discover that the ageing process can be a seamless, uplifting and pleasurable experience – with a little bit of planning and consideration in design. As a society, we need to settle on policies and strategies that not only allow older Australians to meet their own aspirations in terms of health, quality of life and independence, but also minimise the cost of this transformation to the broader population. Titled ‘Considered Bathroom Design for an Ageing Population’, this session of CPD Live focuses on the role that design – or more specifically bathroom design – can play in fulfilling these important societal goals. Beginning by outlining current demographic trends, the ageing process and the attractions of ‘Ageing in Place’ as a genuine alternative to residential aged care, our speakers will go on to identify the various design strategies (and product choices) that architects and designers can employ when designing for an ageing population.

The Art Of Sun Shading Selection – An Introduction To Blinds & Curtains

Wednesday, October 16 – 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (AEDT)

As is obvious, even to the layperson, the choice of blinds and curtains involves an appraisal of the aesthetic appeal of the various options. It involves sorting through colour options, assessing the ways a given product could contribute to broader design ambitions, evaluating the need for privacy in a given space, and so on. But for design professionals, specifying blinds and curtains should involve more. It should involve an understanding of not just the functional capabilities of the various products on offer, but the suitability of each for a given application. On top of that, in 2024, specifiers should be aware of the potential environmental impacts of blinds and curtains. They should be aware of the raw materials and manufacturing practices used to bring a given blind or curtain to market, the ways that quality products of this type can improve the thermal efficiency of buildings, and the role that automation can play in maximising this benefit.
In this session of CPD Live, we consider all of this and more. Noting the various regulatory requirements associated with blinds and curtains, our speakers will outline the best ways to find the right products for your next project.

Sublimation – The Future Of Surface Finishes

Wednesday, October 16 – 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (AEDT)

Developed in Italy 30 years ago, sublimation for aluminium is a process through which printed images can be transferred directly into powder coated aluminium surfaces. Introduced into the Australian architectural market in the early 2000’s, this finishing technology has revolutionised the architectural aluminium products industry.
Strong and durable, yet light-weight and easy to install, sublimated aluminium is available in a broad range colours, designs and finishes, including woodgrain, concrete, weathered, steel, and marble. In terms of application, sublimated aluminium surfaces find use as cladding, windows, doors, panelling, decking, splashbacks, and more.
Titled ‘Sublimation – The Future of Surface Finishes’, this CPD Live shines a light on these surfaces. Beyond identifying the features and benefits of sublimation, our speakers will outline the process through which it is carried out. They will highlight relevant standards, the various classes of products available, and everything else that specifiers considering sublimated surface finishes need to know.

Day 2 Sessions include:

The Influence Of Colour & Sound On Biophilic Design

Thursday, October 17 – 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (AEDT)

In the built environment, biophilic design responds to the human need to connect with nature. It is the theory, science and practice of creating buildings inspired by nature, with the aim to continue the individual’s connection with nature in the environments in which we live and work every day. In today’s contemporary built environment, people are increasingly isolated from the beneficial experience of natural systems and processes. Yet it is often natural settings that people find particularly appealing and aesthetically pleasing. Using colour, texture and acoustics, we can mimic these natural environments to create interior spaces that are imbued with positive emotional experiences. It is often the case that we don’t take enough time to immerse ourselves in nature or appreciate the living systems that exist everywhere around us, making it vital for us to incorporate nature into our day-to-day environments. In this session of CPD Live, titled ‘The Influence of Colour & Sound on Biophilic Design’, we examine all of the above and more. Our speakers will explore the origins of the concept, point to successful examples of it in action, and outline the ways to incorporate it into your own work.

Fire Protection In Heritage Buildings

Thursday, October 17 – 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (AEDT)

Adaptive re-use is one of the surest ways to ensure heritage buildings continue as more than historical artifacts. In the right hands – when re-imagined as residential, commercial or retail buildings – the factories, schools and convents of yesterday can be given a new lease of life. That said, transformations of this kind are not without their challenges. Fire is a good example. The materials and methods used to design and construct most heritage buildings (many of which date back 100 years or more) don’t measure up to today’s fire safety standards. This session of CPD Live focuses on the topic of ‘Fire Protection in Heritage Buildings’. Beginning by outlining the prevalence and benefits of adaptive re-use, our speakers will go on to identify the hazards typically associated with these types of buildings. Noting the relevant fire safety regulations, strategies and materials, they will highlight the best ways to ensure they are safe from fire, and therefore ready to continue contributing to the cultural and social fabric.

Creative Public Spaces – Delivering Public Art With Precision And Purpose Thursday, October 17 – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (AEDT)

There is a requirement, in many urban jurisdictions across Australia, for developers to spend a percentage of their budgets on public art. Considering the many benefits of this work – and its capacity to work as both a placemaking strategy and a way to increase the liveability of our cities – regulations of this type are to be applauded. That said, public art projects should be approached with caution. It is important that the various stakeholders involved see the requirement as the opportunity it is. It is important that, rather than presenting as an afterthought, the finished work fits seamlessly and organically into the broader architectural scheme. In this session of CPD Live, we examine the emergence of public art as an integral part of master planning and precinct development. Our speakers will identify relevant public art regulations, policies and strategies, and note the various challenges associated with bringing projects of this type to fruition. Explaining key concepts like ‘Designing with Country’, they will highlight the importance of effective collaboration in work of this type, note the key role that industrial design plays in this context, and examine what it takes to incorporate the ideas of artists, both Indigenous and non-indigenous, into our cherished public spaces.

Fire Resistance Levels For Walls & Ceiling Systems – A Specifiers’ Guide Thursday, Thursday, October 17 – 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (AEDT)

As illustrated by numerous incidents, including the Lacrosse fire in 2014 and the Neo200 tower fire in 2019, building fires represent a significant threat to human life, property and the economy. Passive fire protection is a technique for containing a fire at its source and stopping the spread of flames and smoke throughout a building for a predetermined amount of time so occupants can escape. Under the National Construction Code (NCC), wall and ceiling assemblies are among the key areas of focus for passive fire protection design strategies. For the best possible fire protection, building regulations stipulate that these assemblies must undergo testing in accordance with industry standards to ascertain the levels of fire resistance they can be expected to provide. A solid understanding of fire-resistant construction, its regulation and how it applies to a building’s walls and ceilings is essential in today’s regulatory environment. In this session of CPD Live, we examine how passive protection works in the context of building design. Our speakers will outline how Fire Resistance Levels are determined, what is required by the NCC for different building elements, and how these requirements impact the design and specification of wall and ceiling systems.

Drinking Water As A Sustainable Design Issue

Thursday, October 17 – 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (AEDT)

The rise in the popularity of bottled water over the past couple of decades has come at a price. Beyond its expense, the production of these products has several environmental drawbacks, including the carbon emissions associated with its productions, the pollution it causes, its association with microplastics, and more. In this context, the installation of water filtration systems in our homes, offices, and other places of work represents a more sustainable option. That said, those responsible for specifying systems of this type should do so with caution. They should realise that not all water filtration systems are the same. They should understand their potential environmental impacts, as well as the best ways to assess these impacts. They need to be aware of the various filtration options available, the emergence of sustainable technologies in this market, and the roles that lifecycle assessment and third-party certification play in identifying genuinely sustainable products. As we explain in this session of CPD Live, the architects and designers who choose and install water filtration systems need to understand that, in 2024, the supply of drinking water should rightly be considered a sustainable design issue.