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

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

Esports, or electronic sports, is a rapidly growing form of sports competition using video games. This emerging sports gaming market needs venues to have unique spatial requirements to serve the needs of the players and spectators. While a traditional sports stadium is the closest equivalent, a copy/paste approach will not hit the mark—presenting designers with a new and exciting challenge: Designing a new arena.  Get an overview of the current state of the esports market. Learn what types of spaces are currently being used in esports venues. Explore the unique creative opportunities that can be mined in this emerging building typology. Moderated by Luanne Carleton and presented by ​Simon Hoffiz of Nelson Worldwide​. This course was recorded live on May 23, 2024.

Join us for a lively discussion on how urban food systems can change for the better, and how architecture and urban design respond to the challenge. Our food systems are facing challenges from post-pandemic supply chain issues, a changing climate and rising conflicts. This panel explores how architecture and urban design can redesign our foodscapes to prioritize nutritious food. Hosted by Regional and Urban Design Committee (RUDC). Course expires 7/25/2025

What happens in planning and design impacts what happens in the facility life cycle and vice versa. Unfortunately, project life cycle factors are overlooked when the project team has a myopic attitude to capital planning only putting first cost front and center.  Brushing TCO aside during planning and design leads to costly waste and unintended consequences.  Responsible Owners envisage the long-term impact of ROI on their bottom line and strive to minimize TCO within their business model. Accountable Architects strive to meet the Owner’s project requirements by providing solutions with considerations to "cradle to grave” and TCO assessments. The TCO is a crucial factor in calculating the ROI, for efficiency and for value creation.  A TCO strategy is an approach to delivering a sustainable project. Course expires 01/17/2026