Continuing Education Courses
Advancing Knowledge. Supporting Better Spaces.
At The Surfacing Group, we believe better recreational environments begin with informed decisions. Our educational resources are designed to help architects, landscape architects, engineers, interior designers, contractors, and other design and construction professionals better understand the materials, processes, sustainability considerations, and performance factors that shape today’s recreational surfacing systems.
Through continuing education courses and industry-focused resources, we’re sharing knowledge from across the surfacing lifecycle—from recycling and material manufacturing to system design and installation.
Continuing Education for Design Professionals
As recreational spaces evolve, so do expectations for sustainability, accessibility, safety, and performance.
The Surfacing Group makes surfacing knowledge more accessible through education grounded in real-world industry experience.
Our first continuing education course is available through AEC Daily, a leading provider of free online education for design and construction professionals.
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Featured Course
Access free continuing education courses through the Surfacing Group
Recycling Rubber and Polymer Materials for Sustainable Recreational Surfacing
Free Online Continuing Education Course
Discover how purposeful recycling and vertically integrated manufacturing can transform discarded materials into recreational surfaces that support communities, accessibility, and more sustainable design.
Course Details
This approximately one-hour online course explores an industry that repurposes rubber waste into surfacing for applications including campuses, playgrounds, recreational environments, and accessible playing fields.
Participants will follow materials through the collection, processing, manufacturing, and installation process while examining how environmental, social, and economic considerations can influence material selection and recreational space design.
- Course Length: Approximately 1 Hour
- Format: Online, Self-Paced
- Provider: AEC Daily
- Cost: Free
The course also explores connections to sustainability frameworks and rating systems, including LEED® v5 for Building Design and Construction, WELL Building Standard™ version 2, and SITES® v2.
What You Will Learn
Upon completion of the course, learners will be able to:
Understand TBL and ESG Principles
Explore the concepts of the triple bottom line (TBL) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values and consider how these frameworks can influence architectural, engineering, and material decisions.
Explore Sustainable Manufacturing
Assess sustainability and vertical integration within recycling and manufacturing processes, including their potential environmental benefits and relevance to sustainable design practices.
See Purposeful Recycling in Action
Examine examples of rubber and other materials being diverted from landfills and repurposed into applications designed to support community health, safety, welfare, and accessibility.
Connect Materials with Sustainable Design Goals
Explore how ESG-focused processes, product development, and recreational surfacing applications can help design teams address criteria within LEED v5, WELL v2, and SITES v2.
From Recovered Material to Recreational Surface
See the Full Material Lifecycle
Recreational surfacing is more than the finished product you see at a playground, park, campus, or athletic environment.
Our course provides a look behind the surface at the interconnected processes that make material recovery and reuse possible.
1. Collection
Discover how end-of-life rubber and other materials can be recovered rather than discarded.
2. Processing
Learn how recovered materials are sorted, processed, and prepared for new applications.
3. Manufacturing
Explore how recycled and polymer materials are transformed into components used within recreational surfacing systems.
4. Installation
See how these materials become finished surfaces designed for playgrounds, campuses, recreational spaces, and accessible environments.
By looking at the entire process, learners gain a broader understanding of how decisions throughout the supply chain can contribute to sustainability objectives.
Why Sustainable Surfacing Education Matters
Material selection can influence far more than the appearance of a finished space.
Architects, engineers, landscape architects, contractors, and other project stakeholders increasingly consider environmental impact, accessibility, performance, material sourcing, lifecycle, and community benefit when evaluating building and site materials.
Understanding where materials originate, how they are manufactured, and where they can go next gives design professionals another tool for making informed project decisions.
At The Surfacing Group, our unique perspective spans multiple stages of the surfacing lifecycle, allowing us to share practical insight into how recycling, manufacturing, product development, and installation intersect.
Built for the Professionals Shaping Tomorrow's Spaces
Our educational resources are developed for professionals involved throughout the design and construction process, including:
- Architects
- Landscape Architects
- Engineers
- Interior Designers
- Contractors
- Specifiers
- Parks and Recreation Professionals
- Facility Designers
- Campus and School Planners
- Other AEC Professionals
Whether you're researching materials for an upcoming project, expanding your understanding of sustainable design, or completing continuing education, our goal is to provide useful information you can carry into future projects.
Learn On Your Schedule
Professional development should fit into your schedule—not the other way around.
Through AEC Daily, our course is available online and on demand, allowing participants to complete the material at their own pace.
Free to Access
The course is available at no cost through AEC Daily.
Approximately One Hour
Gain a deeper understanding of recycling and recreational surfacing without a major time commitment.
Online & Self-Paced
Access the course when and where it works for you.
Designed for AEC Professionals
The subject matter is specifically relevant to professionals involved in architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, construction, specification, and design.
About AEC Daily
AEC Daily is a leading provider of online continuing education for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals.
Its course library gives design and construction professionals access to educational content covering building products, materials, systems, sustainability, design practices, and other topics relevant to the built environment.
By offering our course through AEC Daily, The Surfacing Group can make specialized recreational surfacing education easily accessible to professionals throughout the design and construction community.
Knowledge Across the Entire Surface Lifecycle
The Surfacing Group brings together companies with expertise spanning material recovery, recycling, manufacturing, product development, surfacing systems, and installation.
That connected knowledge gives us a unique perspective on the decisions that happen before, during, and after a recreational surface is installed.
By sharing that expertise through education, we aim to help industry professionals better understand the materials beneath their projects—and make informed decisions that support people, places, and the future of recreational environments.
Ready to Continue Learning?
Take Our Free Course on AEC Daily.
Approximately 1 Hour | Online | Self-Paced | Free
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course designed for?
The course is designed for architects, landscape architects, engineers, interior designers, contractors, specifiers, and other professionals involved in the design and construction of recreational and built environments.
How long does the course take?
The course takes approximately one hour to complete.
Is the course online?
Yes. The course is delivered online through AEC Daily and can be completed at your own pace.
Is there a cost to take the course?
No. The course is available for free through AEC Daily.
What does the course cover?
The course examines the triple bottom line and ESG concepts, recycling and vertical integration, material recovery and manufacturing processes, recreational surfacing applications, and connections to LEED v5, WELL v2, and SITES v2.
Will The Surfacing Group offer additional courses?
Yes. This course represents the beginning of The Surfacing Group's educational programming. Additional educational topics and resources may be added as the program expands.