A century of constructing zoning laws in America has resulted in illogical, disconnected, and homogenous built environments that are not environmentally or economically sustainable. Yet we keep hoping that doing much of the same will yield different results. This course examines how deconstructing zoning leads to more economically sustainable development outcomes.  Produced in partnership with AIA|DC Course expires 10/17/2026

Hear about K-25, the "Queen Marys", and other scientific and military buildings of the Manhattan Project. G. Martin Moeller, Jr., curator of the exhibition Secret Cities, discusses how extraordinary achievements in architecture and engineering yielded the world's largest building (K-25) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, when it was completed in 1944 and the 800-foot-long chemical separation plants (Queen Marys) of Hanford, Washington. Provided by The National Building Museum Course expires on 09/13/2026.  

Centering justice means different things to different people, depending on context and on their definition of justice. For architects, justice in the built environment encompasses history and practices that can be unrecognized and therefore difficult to notice and name. For clients and communities, justice may be understood through lived experience and values that are recent or continued from their ancestors. This course will offer participants frameworks for examining their own practices and broaden their capacity to center justice in ways that are most likely to be effective. The research team will share what they learned while writing the Justice in the Built Environment supplement after completing the AIA Guides for Equitable Practice and suggest ways they think practitioners can use the actions, prompts, and worksheets to center justice with their clients and community partners. Download the Guides for Equitable Practice Course expires 2/13/2026

The Collaborative Achievement Award recognizes and encourages collaboration among design professionals, clients, organizations, knowledge communities and others that have had a beneficial influence on or advanced the architectural profession. This year’s presenters will increase your understanding of the role of architecture in society, promoting what constitutes urban and community design excellence. Each attendee will gain inspirational insights to assist them in the evolution of their own practice. Hosted by Committee on Design (COD) an AIA Knowledge Community. Course expires 06/11/2025

The physical environment of trauma room plays a significant role in improving the treatment process and saving lives. This session will present the findings from a vigorous research project on Level I trauma rooms design, titled “Toward a Model of Safety and Care for Trauma Room Design.” This project is a $2.47m grant project awarded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). It is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Kent State University’s Healthcare Design, Nursing, and Computer Science programs and Cleveland Clinic Akron General. The principal investigator of this project, Dr. Sara Bayramzadeh will present the research outcomes; a list of design strategies that create efficient workflow, reduce interruptions and disruptions of the treatment process, address the sensory stimulating factors properly, and integrate technology according to the clinicians’ experience and suggestions. All this knowledge can serve as a primary source to direct trauma room designs. Presented by the Academy of Architecture for Health. Course expires 06/12/2025

As healthcare systems are looking for innovative ways to bring hospital services to rural communities and neighborhoods, healthcare architecture is challenged to include all the requirements of a licensed 24/7 hospital within a footprint that is a fraction of a traditional hospital while simultaneously designing a community-friendly building that still reflects the healthcare system’s branding.   This course will present case studies of four micro-hospitals – each having its own unique solution while staying true to the micro-hospital model. Hosted by the Academy of Architecture for Health AIA Knowledge Community.  Course expires 06/12/2025

Ancient Design Principles for the Modern Day looks to the past in order to pave way for a more sustainable future. In this course, we’ll investigate the design and architectural universality of four historical cultures across space and time. Explore how past relationships to color, wellness and ecology can ignite modern designs that not only sustains future generations, but continues the legacy of timeless inspiration. This course was recorded live on July 30, 2024. Course expires 06/21/2025

In the past decade, retail health has emerged as a popular model for bringing quality healthcare into American communities. As retailers go online, their former storefronts present opportunities for repurposing into outpatient health centers that are mutually beneficial to patients and healthcare institutions. Patient consumers can enjoy the convenience and customer experience of a retail facility located in their neighborhood while medical facilities can fulfill expansion plans with financially and environmentally efficient solutions. The adaptive reuse of big-box groceries, with their ample parking and strategic locations, has become a competitive iteration of retail health in an increasingly consumer-driven market. During this session, attendees will follow the development of Vanderbilt Health Belle Meade in Nashville, TN and the BJC Outpatient Center in Edwardsville, IL from former grocery stores to new health centers. Though Vanderbilt Health Belle Meade is an ambulatory surgical center and the BJC Outpatient Center is a multi-specialty healthcare center, these two case studies will explore their opportunities, challenges, and outcomes in transforming former supermarkets into community based, outpatient health centers. Hosted by the Academy of Architecture for Health an AIA Knowledge Community. Course expires 06/27/2025