Embodied Carbon 101: Structure

2020-BSA04

Included in subscription

1.00 LU|HSW

4.59

Course expires on: 11/15/2026

$30

Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Description

Structure accounts for a significant portion of a project’s embodied carbon. In this course, a panel of structural engineers and researchers discusses the positives and negatives, with regard to embodied carbon, of using concrete, steel, and timber each as primary structural materials. Panelists share ways to reduce and measure the embodied carbon impacts of each structure material–-through material makeup and specification, material reduction, material sourcing, and reuse.

Course expires 11/14/2026

Learning Objectives

check

Identify the factors that determine the embodied environmental impact of concrete and implement strategies to reduce the impact.

check

Employ holistic design strategies for low embodied carbon or carbon positive structural systems using timber and mass timber.

check

Appraise the embodied carbon impacts of steel structural systems related to steel production, reuse, and reduction.

check

Compare and contrast the environmental impacts of single-material and hybrid structural systems for a project.

Instructors

Suni Dillard

AIA

As a Sustainability Leader at HMFH, Suni has quickly established herself as an in-house resource and champion for the integration of social, environmental, and economically sustainable solutions to design challenges of all sizes. She advocates for equitable access to architecture and has enjoyed working on educational projects throughout her career.

View details

Jeremy Gregory

Jeremy Gregory is a research scientist in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT and the Executive Director of the Concrete Sustainability Hub.

View details

Michael Gryniuk

Michael is an associate at LeMessurier, a structural engineering firm based in Boston, and serves as chair of the SEI (ASCE-Structural Engineering Institute) SE 2050 Committee, which is developing a national SE 2050 Commitment Program to promote net zero carbon structural systems by 2050 and provide quantitative tracking demonstrating progress to that goal.

View details

Christopher O'Hara

Chris O'Hara PE, SECB is a Founding Principal of Studio NYL, a Colorado-based structural engineering and facade design studio with offices in Boston and Minneapolis. Chris and Studio NYL are members of the Carbon Leadership Forum and signatories to the Structural Engineering Institute’s 2050 Challenge and the AIA's 2030 Challenge.

View details

Similar courses

card_membership

Included in subscription

Setting Fees

This course takes a detailed look at setting fees, providing you with in-depth understanding of the impact of risk and the value of the services architects provide. You will learn "top-down", "bottom-up" and 'staff level" methods for building fees, with additional discussion of creating and managing contingencies properly. Course expires on 5/21/2026.

1.00 LU

$30

Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 3.98

card_membership

Included in subscription

Disruptive Small Firm Practices: Innovative Models for Expanding Services

A disruptive innovation helps create a new market and value network. In this course, three professionals will demonstrate how firms can utilize these innovations to expand into more sustainable and resilient business models beyond traditional architecture. Learn how to: Utilize tools to re-conceptualize your firm's expanded services offerings Determine how expanded services integrate with your current business models Develop strategies for marketing expanded services to new and existing architectural clients Consider how expanded services augment opportunities for traditional architectural services offerings Course expires on 1/2/2026.

1.00 LU

$30

Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.04

card_membership

Included in subscription

AIA Entrepreneur Summit 2015: New Models

Within the context of business models, what are the characteristics that would make someone a successful entrepreneur? What are the obstacles for architects to break out of our traditional model? Economics plays a central role in our ability to expand services or take our practice in new directions. Our expert panel, moderated by AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, considers ways in which architects can create new sources of revenue by expanding their practices in different ways and embracing new models for doing business. Questions explored include how architects are uniquely suited to development, key measures for exploring development opportunities, and factors influencing the decision process around undertaking a new business venture. This cutting-edge discussion will inspire and enlighten you. This course expires on 4/20/2026.

1.50 LU

$35

Architect$35

Member Price

$50

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.13

card_membership

Included in subscription

Making the ADA Accessible

The ADA Standards for Accessible Design can seem like a complex web. In this course, you'll review case studies and detailed real-life examples to help you navigate ADA compliance with confidence. Facilitated by an architect and accessibility expert with an intimate understanding of the intent and the letter of the ADA, you'll learn to identify and avoid common errors, and provide guidance on designing for contractor and client success. Return to your firm equipped with valuable strategies that ensure your future projects are built right the first time. Course expires on 3/18/2027.

3.75 LU|HSW

$35

Architect$35

Member Price

$55

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.47

card_membership

Included in subscription

Emerge by AIAU: Making Architecture Accessible

Guided by the expertise and insight of industry professionals Brad Gaskins, Tom Hirsch, and Karen Braitmayer, this course highlights the history of accessibility by focusing on the work of civil rights organizations and the role played by members of the American Institute of Architects; discusses how universal design reinforces the principle of access for all; reviews the key requirements of complying with the ADA for new construction; and explains the best approach to updating existing buildings to comply with the ADA. This course offers entry into a conversation that is essential for emerging and seasoned professionals alike. Course expires: 03/11/2027

1.75 LU|HSW

$35

Architect$35

Associate$0.00

Member Price

$50

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.48

card_membership

Included in subscription

Hazards, Vulnerability, and Risk in the Built Environment (Resilience Series Course 2)

Learn how to recognize, anticipate, and plan for the impacts shocks and stresses have on communities and buildings. In this interactive course, you’ll explore the relationships between hazards, vulnerability, and risk in the built environment, which will, in turn, inform a holistic design process that protects public safety and reduces damage to property. Designing communities that are safe, healthy, and sustainable rests on this foundation. This course is part of the AIA Resilience and Adaptation Series, a multi-course series that provides you with the tools and knowledge you need to design for resilience. Take all of the courses in this series to earn a certificate of completion. This course is sponsored by Owens Corning

1.50 LU|HSW

$35

Architect$35

Member Price

$50

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.28

card_membership

Included in subscription

Resilience + Adaptation: An Introduction (Resilience Series Course 1)

This detailed and interactive course introduces resilience and adaptation foundations, including history and evolution, and offers key data points that will help you develop as a knowledgeable resource on the topic, support your efforts to integrate resilient design services into your firm, and be equipped to participate in local and national resilience conversations and efforts. This course is part of the AIA Resilience and Adaptation Series, a multi-course series that provides you with the tools and knowledge you need to design for resilience. Take all of the courses in this series to earn a certificate of completion. Course expires on 9/1/2025 This course is sponsored by Owens Corning

1.00 LU|HSW

$30

Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.28

card_membership

Included in subscription

Responding to Climate Change (Resilience Series Course 3)

Designing and building climate adaptive buildings is not a choice—it’s an imperative. This course explores the major obstacles—and opportunities—that climate change poses for architects. On the one hand, short and long-term risks to the built environment are evolving with climate change. On the other, buildings are major carbon producers. Thus, architects must be part of the solution; designing buildings that both adapt to climate impacts and mitigate global warming. This course shows you how with an interactive approach to exploring data, innovative design strategies, and case studies that highlight how building design can adapt to—and even slow—climate change. This course is part of the AIA Resilience and Adaptation Online Series, a multi-course series that provides you with the tools and knowledge you need to design for resilience. Take all of the courses in this series to earn a certificate of completion. This course is sponsored by Owens Corning

1.25 LU|HSW

$30

Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Learn more chevron_right 4.35