Deck 2: Regulatory Constraints, Standards and Sustainability

Question 1

Explain the new design movement called universal design.

Answer 1

Universal Design advocates the design of products and environments that are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The movement encourages architects and product designers to make all spaces and fixtures accessible and comfortable to users with a variety of needs and abilities, including the disabled, elderly, women that are expecting, and those with temporary injuries. Universal design accommodates the widest range of individual abilities by creating spaces that are easy to understand regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

Question 2

Describe the purpose of the NAHB Research Foundation and its four divisions.

Answer 2

The NAHB Research Foundation is a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders. Its four divisions serve as a center of technical research for the residential and light-frame construction industries. The Laboratory Services Division performs tests on materials and components under contract from manufacturers. The Industrial Engineering Division designs and performs cost and economic studies of alternative construction techniques and materials. A Building Systems Division provides technical studies of whole functional systems in small buildings. The Special Studies Division initiates projects in new areas of interest to the residential construction industry.

Question 3

Name and describe the function of each of the four divisions of the NAHB Research Foundation.

Answer 3

​ The four divisions of the NAHB Research Foundation and their functions include:
The Laboratory Services Division performs tests on materials and components under contract from manufacturers.
The Industrial Engineering Division designs and performs cost and economic studies of alternative construction techniques and materials.
A Building Systems Division provides technical studies of functional systems in small buildings.
The Special Studies Division initiates projects in new areas of interest to the residential construction industry.

Question 4

Describe the purpose of the American Institute of Steel Construction and list the types of materials that they publish.

Question 5

The purpose of ____ is to promote the development of housing in the nation's communities.

A) the U.S. Department of Commerce
B) the National Institute of Building Sciences
C) Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
D) the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Question 6

Describe the impact of the construction industry on energy and resource depletion in the United States.

Question 7

____ are local land-use regulations written into municipal law that regulate the degree of building development according to land use.

A) Zoning ordinances
B) Zoning codes
C) Building ordinances
D) Building codes

Question 8

____ is a green building certification program administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

A) ENERGY STAR
B) GBI
C) ATHENA
D) BREEAM

Question 9

Name the code and publisher of the four model codes that local and state building ordinances typically adopted until 1995.

Question 10

The ____ is a process by which the earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation causing a gradual increase in global temperatures.

A) Carbon Emissions Effect
B) Global Warming Effect
C) Greenhouse Effect
D) Greenhouse Gas Omission Effect

Question 11

Explain the purpose of the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Question 12

Describe the mission of the Green Building Initiative and its rating system.

Question 13

The ____ rating system provides a tool that simultaneously guides and evaluates a building over its entire life cycle, from project inception through building operation.

A) ASTM
B) WCED
C) USGBC
D) LEED

Question 14

The weight of the actual materials of construction, walls, floors and roofs, and finishes, is known as the ____ .

A) live load
B) heavy load
C) dead load
D) light load

Question 15

The ____ establishes minimum regulations for commercial building systems using both prescriptive and performance related provisions.

A) International Building Code
B) International Residential Code
C) National Association of Home Builders
D) Uniform Building Code

Question 16

A ____ is an organization whose membership includes manufacturers or businesses involved in the production or supply of materials and services in a particular area.

A) production association
B) trade association
C) product development association
D) trade group

Question 17

Describe the five categories of building constructions as classified by the IBC based on the types of materials used and their degree of combustibility.

Question 18

____ is the world body that coordinates the development of engineering an d product standards for worldwide use.

A) The International Organization for Standardization
B) The National Association of Home Builders
C) The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
D) The American Institute of Steel Construction

Question 19

Name three practices used in construction that have an enormous potential to mitigate climate change, improve our quality of life, increase productivity through better occupancy conditions, and reduce operating costs.

Question 20

____ is unchecked land development that places tremendous burdens on natural systems.

A) Urban slump
B) Urban spread
C) Urban sprawl
D) Rural sprawl