Windows and Sustainability: An Environmental Perspective

Instructions

• Read the article "Windows and Sustainability: An Environmental Perspective"
• Complete the questions below, then fill in your answers.
• Fill out and submit the AIA/CES education reporting form in the magazine, securely online, or print the form to receive one AIA learning unit.

Questions:

Program Code: 057SPONB
LU: 1

1. LEED provides a green standard of measurement that can prevent:
a. low embodied energy.
b. professional liability claims.
c. greenwashing claims.
d. greenhouse gas emissions and low VOCs.

2. Post-consumer material is:
a. diverted from the waste stream after production.
b. recycled after reaching the marketplace.
c. biodegradable and renewable.
d. no longer usable for its intended purpose.

3. Which statement is true about achieving a LEED credit for certified wood?
a. Most wood windows are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and qualify for credit.
b. Non-certified wood windows can earn certified wood credit if the wood is recycled.
c. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified millwork can earn LEED credit when non-certified wood windows are used.
d. Windows, flooring, furnishings, millwork, and permanent construction applications must all be of certified wood in order to achieve the certified wood credit.

4. Design strategies to provide daylighting and views for LEED credits should:
a. Achieve a minimum glazing factor of eighty percent.
b. Decrease building perimeters to lower energy heat loss.
c. Simulate a maximum interior daylight illumination level
of 25 foot-candles.
d. Ensure performance criteria are met in a minimum of 75 percent of all regularly occupied spaces.

5. Which statement is true regarding window frame materials?
a. At current tree planting rates, the supply of wood is expected to increase.
b. Some types of vinyl are made from fossil fuels and bauxite.
c. Aluminum is made from fossil fuels, minerals and chemical polymers.
d. Recycled wood is rarely used in window frames because pieces are generally too small.

6. The material that produces the highest environmental impact due to pollutants and high-energy consumption during production is:
a. fiberglass composite.
b. polyvinyl chloride.
c. aluminum.
d. wood treated with paints and coatings.

7. Which statement best describes recycled materials?
a. Aluminum recovery in the building industry exceeds the rate of recovery in the consumer sector.
b. Of all available aluminum, over 50 percent is recycled.
c. Vinyl windows are widely considered as recyclable, especially in Europe.
d. Aluminum can be recycled, during manufacturing and before building demolition.

8. The categories and credits that can achieve the most points for LEED certification are:
a. Energy and Atmosphere, Minimum Energy Performance, Whole Building Simulation.
b. Indoor Environmental Quality, Daylight and Views: Views for 90 Percent of Spaces.
c. Materials and Resources, Rapidly Renewable Materials.
d. Energy and Atmosphere, Prescriptive Compliance Path.

9. The LEED Green Building Rating System:
a. can self-certify green projects in municipalities with self-certified building codes.
b. advances performance based design and is self-documenting.
c. provides third party certification for selected building materials.
d. certifies sustainable building materials.

10. Rapidly renewable materials can contribute to achieving LEED credits if:
a. window frames are made from pine.
b. materials are made from plants harvested within 10 years or less.
c. if they represent one-and-one-half percent of the total value of all building materials and products used on a project.
d. window frames are made from recycled aluminium