Upcoming live courses
Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training 2026 | May 20-21
May 20-21, 2026 | 12 - 4pm ET / 9am-1pm PT
Intended for licensed architects, engineers, or certified building inspectors, this training certifies attendees as Building Evaluators in the nationally recognized Safety Assessment Program (SAP).
- To register | Click Add to cart and complete the checkout process.
- Evaluator Field Manuals | ATC 45 | ATC 20 | Participants are responsible for purchasing these texts from ATC. They are not included in the course cost.
The program is managed by Cal OES with cooperation from professional organizations, including AIA. It utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in an aftermath of a disaster. SAP is the training standard of the AIA Disaster Assistance Program, which provides leadership, advocacy, and training to architects who are interested in volunteering their professional skills in times of crisis. This workshop will teach participants to conduct rapid damage assessments of structures affected by earthquakes, wind, and water. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to consistently and safely assess structures for habitability and will receive a nationally recognized Cal OES registration ID card from the state of California.
Economic Update Q2 2026 ABI Insights
Friday, May 22, 2026 | 2-3pm ET
Join AIA Chief Economist Richard Branch for a 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.
Economic Update Q3 2026 ABI Insights
Friday, July 24, 2026 | 2-3pm ET
Join AIA Chief Economist Richard Branch for a 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.
Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training 2026 | September 16-17
September 16-17, 2026 | 12 - 4pm ET / 9am-1pm PT
Intended for licensed architects, engineers, or certified building inspectors, this training certifies attendees as Building Evaluators in the nationally recognized Safety Assessment Program (SAP).
- To register | Click Add to cart and complete the checkout process.
- Evaluator Field Manuals | ATC 45 | ATC 20 | Participants are responsible for purchasing these texts from ATC. They are not included in the course cost.
The program is managed by Cal OES with cooperation from professional organizations, including AIA. It utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in an aftermath of a disaster. SAP is the training standard of the AIA Disaster Assistance Program, which provides leadership, advocacy, and training to architects who are interested in volunteering their professional skills in times of crisis. This workshop will teach participants to conduct rapid damage assessments of structures affected by earthquakes, wind, and water. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to consistently and safely assess structures for habitability and will receive a nationally recognized Cal OES registration ID card from the state of California.
New on demand courses
Design-Build Project Delivery: Risks & Rewards for Architects
As owners, constructors, and architects, all parties share professional, legal, and financial interests in the success of a project. This course explores how architects can transition from a potentially subordinate position to a principal or shared role with co-managing authority within Design-Build (DB) delivery. A panel of industry expert architects from the design and construction sector within the federal, state and local government will present and explore focused remarks about architects' roles in design-build project delivery. Participants will gain insights into navigating the technical and financial risks inherent in DB agreements, such as managing contingencies and ensuring cost transparency. By focusing on early engagement and clear project criteria, architects can better advocate for design excellence while mitigating professional liability and contractual gaps. Based on the article, The Role of Architects in Design-Build Project Delivery: A Crucial Conversation about Opportunities and Risks, published in 2025 by the Project Delivery Knowledge Community (PDKC).
This session was recorded live on March 31, 2026.
Designer’s Guide to Holistic Material Selection to Improve Health, Equity and the Environment
This certificate series prepares architects to evaluate, select, and implement building materials that support improved human and environmental health across projects and firm practice. Material choices influence occupant exposure, emissions, ecosystem conditions, and supply chain practices, yet these impacts are often difficult to assess using conventional design and procurement processes.
Across five courses, you will learn how to apply the AIA Materials Pledge impact categories—Human Health, Social Health & Equity, Ecosystem Health, Climate Health, and Circular Economy—along with lifecycle thinking to evaluate material options and inform project decisions. The series explores how ingredient transparency, disclosure about material contents, and lifecycle documentation can support more informed material selection.
You’ll examine how procurement practices, supplier relationships, and firm-level planning influence installed material outcomes. The courses address common implementation challenges and introduce strategies for integrating material priorities into specifications, workflows, and firm policies.
After completing the series, you’ll be equipped to apply structured evaluation methods, use available documentation during selection and procurement, and support firmwide implementation of healthier materials strategies.
Overcoming Barriers to Adopting Lower-Impact Materials
Efforts to advance materials with lower human and environmental impacts often encounter technical, procedural, or organizational barriers during project delivery. Concerns about cost, performance, liability, or documentation can limit consistent adoption across teams and project types.
This course explores practical strategies for overcoming these challenges and supporting the use of lower-impact materials in architectural practice. You’ll learn how to incorporate material impact criteria into project specifications and quality assurance processes, and how to apply verification strategies during construction administration. You’ll also examine the ethical, legal, and insurance considerations related to material selection, along with the role of policy and regulation in shaping building material markets.
After completing this course, you’ll be able to support consistent implementation of lower-impact materials and identify opportunities to engage in policy and advocacy efforts.
Creating a Materials Action Plan for Your Firm
Many firms set goals to reduce holistic material impacts but lack a consistent framework for applying those priorities across projects or tracking progress over time. Without defined roles, evaluation methods, and documentation practices, material commitments can be difficult to implement in daily workflows.
This course prepares you to develop a firm-specific Materials Action Plan aligned with the impact categories referenced in the AIA Materials Pledge. You’ll learn how to translate strategic materials priorities into project- and product-level goals supported by clear metrics, baselines, and evaluation methods. You’ll also explore team roles, governance structures, and reporting practices that strengthen accountability in materials decision-making.
After completing this course, you’ll be able to create a draft Materials Action Plan that supports coordination across teams and guides ongoing evaluation and refinement within your firm.