Propel your practice’s success with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence—the defining 10 principles of design excellence in the 21st century. In this introductory course, you will learn the origin, evolution, and significance of each of the framework’s principles and examine how they advance progress toward a zero-carbon, healthy, just, resilient, and equitable built environment. Learn from real-world case studies showcasing successful implementations across diverse firms and project types. Plus, you’ll learn how to navigate the valuable online resources for each of the 10 principles to use in your design process for future projects. Course expires on 2/04/2027

Changing access and supervision requirements are beginning to challenge the traditional norm of designing segregated, gender-specific restrooms and locker rooms for K–12 schools. Inclusive facilities offer a more humane and dignified approach to the traditional toileting and locker room experience. Learn the benefits and practicalities of designing inclusive restrooms and locker rooms—highlighting their role in promoting equity, accessibility, efficiency, and student health.  Understand how inclusive facilities can reduce bullying, enhance privacy, and improve overall student safety and well-being. Gain practical tools to navigate conversations with community stakeholders, code officials, administrators, staff, families, and students—ensuring a smooth transition to more inclusive environments in K–12 schools. AIA Best Practices Guide To learn more about inclusive and universal restroom and locker room design in K-12 schools, read the AIA Guide on Inclusive restrooms & locker rooms in K-12 schools by Cheryl Jacobs, AIA, Greg Louviere, AIA, & Benjamin Fields, AIA, published June 2024. This session was recorded live on August 29, 2024.  Course expires 6/14/2027

Take your architecture career to the next level with our 3-course package designed for architects aspiring to step into leadership roles or elevate their impact within their firms. This specially curated bundle provides the tools, strategies, and insights to shape you into a leader who can inspire, motivate, and drive team success. 

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals the opportunity to earn 7.25 LU|HSW credits across six Solar Decathlon Building Science Education courses that aim to educate on: Where/how energy is used in buildings How to define zero energy buildings How to apply the fundamentals of thermodynamics to building envelope design How to explain the science of how/why buildings use energy How to apply this knowledge to design comfortable energy efficient buildings Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024  |  1:00-2:00pm EST

By helping owners understand the tensions and alignments between their organization’s decision-making profile and different types of project delivery methods, the Building Owner's Assessment Tool (BOAT) empowers project managers to understand their organization, to reflect on delivery methods, and to onboard project team members with an understanding of and create strategies to address roadblocks and pain points during project delivery. 

Discover how you and your clients can leverage this new tool to foster productive collaborative conversations, identify organizational challenges, set shared expectations, and design specific processes to address challenges. 

The Building Owner’s Assessment Tool was developed by the University of Washington with support from the Charles Pankow Foundation, AIA Project Delivery Knowledge Community, Integrated Project Delivery Alliance, P1 Consulting, and Chandos Construction.  

Tuesday, November 5, 2024  |  3:00-4:00pm EST

In this era of recyclability and building more sustainably, how can architects, engineers, and designers help their builders and general contractors succeed in this matter? To the greatest extent possible, specify architectural products that are custom fabricated 100% offsite (custom prefabricated), and delivered to the jobsite ready-to-be-installed. Due to its durability, recyclability, and resistance to corrosion stainless steel is the preferred choice for products and structures that require little maintenance and long lifespan. Offsite fabrication of architectural products contributes to building sustainability by allowing the builder/general contractor to install the product themselves while dramatically reducing product waste & cost and improving quality since there’s no need for a Local Metal Fabricator.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024  |  2:00-3:00pm EST

The public sector is experiencing a surge in project demand—driven by new federal, state, and local funding sources and increased fee limits for Department of Defense (DoD) projects—presenting small and mid-sized architecture and design firms an unprecedented opportunity to expand their practice and influence. Traditionally, these lucrative public projects have been dominated by large firms, but the landscape is shifting—allowing smaller firms to compete and succeed.

This comprehensive course is designed to equip architecture and design professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to identify, pursue, and secure public sector projects. Through a discussion of key case studies, you’ll learn how to navigate the complexities of public procurement processes, use your skills and experience, and strategically position your firm to win public contracts. You’ll develop the skills to leverage emerging public sector opportunities to diversify your project portfolio and grow your small business. 

Thursday, November 7, 2024  |  2pm ET

Join AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, and AIA President Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC, for our quarterly conversation about the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI). The ABI is a leading monthly economic indicator that uses proprietary AIA data to predict nonresidential construction activity 9–12 months ahead. Get ahead of emerging challenges and opportunities and inform your strategic planning with key insights into the industry’s latest economic data and trends.

This free live course is brought to you through a partnership with Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope. By registering for this course, you grant AIA permission to share your name and email address with Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope. 

Improve your understanding of the fundamental business concepts in architecture and design. Learn the significance of business acumen in your professional journey and gain insights into how you can use it to have the greatest impact on your career. Dive into the current and historic internal and external business dynamics—from organizational culture to economic conditions—shaping architecture and design firms to establish a crucial foundation for making informed and strategic decisions.

Learn the essential skills and insights needed to develop effective team leadership and cultivate positive team dynamics. Understand the six essential characteristics of team excellence that distinguish high-performing teams from average ones so you can analyze individual roles and nurture the key traits that drive successful teamwork. Plus, dive into the major impact employee engagement can have on team performance—learning actionable strategies to boost engagement and motivation among your team. Assess the influence of team dynamics on productivity and performance and acquire practical techniques to optimize these dynamics, ensuring that your team works cohesively towards shared goals. Course expires 04/06/2027

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? In this interactive course, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the core leadership principles needed to become an effective leader in any organization. Explore various leadership styles, including autocratic, democratic, transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire, and discover the situations when each style is most suitable. You'll also learn the key elements for creating a leadership vision statement that motivates and drives your team and/or organization. Get actionable insights to enhance your leadership skills with six proven practices to propel you toward becoming a more effective leader. Whether you're a seasoned leader seeking to refine your abilities or an aspiring leader ready to take your first step, this course will empower you to become a more confident leader capable of inspiring, motivating, and driving positive change. Unlock your potential on your path to leadership excellence.

In today’s competitive and turbulent marketplace, it can be a challenge for design firms to reach and maintain sustained growth. That’s why developing your firm’s strategic planning and learning new growth strategies is vital to your firm’s success. In this course, you will learn about the strategic planning process and explore growth strategies such as market development, diversification, and strategic alliances. You’ll also understand how to incorporate the components of the business model canvas into your decision-making to develop and implement effective strategic plans that drive firm growth.  

Architects have a critical role to play in preparing communities for disasters. In this 3-course series, learn how you can use your skills to support communities before and after a disaster. Discover innovative approaches and best practices to safeguard structures and minimize the devastating effects of floods. Explore the trends and projections that highlight the growing frequency and complexity of cascading and compounding disasters, and gain insights into the implications for disaster preparedness and response efforts. Learn how you can contribute to enhancing equitable outcomes by actively involving community members, considering their unique perspectives and needs, and designing resilient and inclusive spaces. Presented in partnership with the AIA National Disaster Assistance Program (DAC).

Get an in-depth overview of the accessibility requirements for new and existing buildings and learn how to avoid common compliance issues.  

Upholding ethical obligations to clients and fellow professionals is the cornerstone of a successful architecture practice. These essential courses will reinforce your ethics knowledge and skills, helping you effectively navigate ethical dilemmas. Explore the foundations of client-professional relationships with a focus on the importance of ethical standards and legal requirements and steering clear of conflicts of personal gain.  Learn how the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct can assist in attaining individual and organizational objectives while safeguarding the public's health, safety, and welfare. Review anti-discrimination laws and specific sections within the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct that underscore the critical need to prevent harassment and discrimination, especially concerning protected characteristics Learn strategies for preventing and addressing harassment and discrimination, such as cultivating a respectful workplace culture, establishing clear policies, and providing education on diversity and inclusion Save up to 15% when you purchase the bundle.

Invest in your career with this bundle of courses focused on health, safety, and welfare.