OBERLIN, OH --The Natural Stone Institute is proud to announce two new CEU courses covering Natural Stone vs. Manmade Materials in exterior and interior applications.

Both courses compare the versatility, performance characteristics and green building considerations for both natural stone and manmade materials. Understanding these key points will prepare participants with knowledge for design concepts, applications and how to educate clients. Learning objectives include:

• Defining and explaining attributes to understand what can affect the performance of both natural stone and manmade materials.
• Comparing and contrasting the attributes and installation capabilities of natural stone and manmade materials to understand the optimal building material choice for project design and installation.
• Discussing common green building considerations for these materials, including embodied energy, potentially harmful ingredients, and land impacts. 
• Learning which innovative design trends can be satisfied with natural stone, including biophilic design, complex geometries and textures to offer both creative and aesthetic opportunity. 

Daniel Wood, natural stone and materials consultant for Lurvey Supply and CEU Committee chair said: “The material comparisons in these CEUs provide a side by side look at the different attributes and performance characteristics of both natural stone and manmade materials. This content will help the design community understand the differences between them, their environmental footprints, and will allow them to make more informed specification decisions.”