Our society is undergoing a profound transformation. By mid-century, an estimated two-thirds of our global population – 6 billion people - will live in cities. Global population growth and urbanization are putting enormous stress on our civilization, fueling a host of cascading crises from climate change to housing, health to inequality. Despite the unprecedented challenges facing us, cities are uniquely positioned to serve as the hub of a global strategy to address our current crises. This series will focus on a number of key themes facing the future of our cities, offering provocative ideas about how we conceptualize our collective future and the role of design leadership in achieving global goals.  This series is intended for civic leaders, architects, and other design professionals looking to make a difference in their community. These sessions were recorded between February and May 2023. Save up to 15% when you purchase the series.

Cities across the U.S. face critical challenges in behavioral health, substance abuse, and homelessness. San Francisco is leading the way with over 20 groundbreaking projects – either in design, under construction, or recently completed – that provide new solutions, including crisis stabilization units, child and family therapy facilities, and modular buildings.  This course features experts from the San Francisco Department of Public Works, highlighting innovative new solutions for supporting the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants and the broader community. By shining a spotlight on behavioral health projects, this course will demonstrate how designers can improve service navigation, enhance connectivity, and create more effective support networks to address urgent health and housing needs. This course was recorded live on May 13, 2025.

Medical respite care is defined as acute and post-acute care for people experiencing homelessness who are too ill or frail to recover from a physical illness or injury on the streets, but who are not ill enough to be in a hospital. Every medical respite care program shares the same fundamental elements: a short-term, safe place to stay, allowing people experiencing homelessness an opportunity to rest, recover, and heal in a safe environment while accessing medical care and supportive services. These programs are a critical opportunity to provide safety and opportunity to connect with providers and services to address the many factors contributing to a person’s experience of homelessness. To attend to the safety and healing of end users, programs would do well to employ intentional, trauma-informed, human-centered design approaches that support the mental and physical health needs presented by this population. Dignified Design is one such approach that prioritizes the needs of individuals accessing and delivering services in medical respite settings through a clear framework of principles and practices. This webinar will provide an overview of medical respite programs, their role in communities, and how the field of architecture can contribute to these programs through a Dignified Design approach, which centers the needs of people experiencing homelessness. This session was recorded live on August 12, 2025.

This session explores the vital role of sound in shaping healthy, sustainable, and inspiring built environments. Drawing on research in indoor environmental quality (IEQ), behavioral science, and biophilic design, it examines how acoustic design influences human well-being, productivity, and social connection. Participants will discover how to integrate acoustics seamlessly with aesthetics, using evidence-based strategies and real-world case studies to create spaces that are not only visually compelling but also sonically supportive. This session was recorded live on October 28, 2025.

This 4-part series will explore the dramatic story of architect-led community change and its lessons today, as well as comparative models and approaches to design leadership that mobilizes engaged architects for community transformations. “We are the last generation that can prevent irreparable damage to our planet,” noted United Nations General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garcés in 2019. Today’s climate crisis means our cities and towns serve as more than simply the hubs of economic and cultural vitality. In an era of climate change, our communities represent the central organizing mechanisms for the survival of humankind. This reality positions communities at the heart of our solutions to all the world’s most pressing issues, from the affordability crisis to a climate-friendly future. However, at the time we urgently need effective decision-making, a democratic crisis is contributing to political paralysis, controversy and loss of public trust in institutions the world over. Professionals must adopt a new democratic orientation that empower citizens to codesign solutions. Member surveys have demonstrated in the past that over 75% of architects believe community engagement to be important. We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines now. The stakes are too high. It’s time to recommit ourselves to public service, jump start the democratic process, honor the citizen architect tradition and galvanize the next wave of design leadership in our communities. This series is intended for civic leaders, architects, and other design professionals looking to make a difference in their community.

Communities by Design (CxD) brings together volunteer professionals and citizens to build strategies that solve the most pressing issues facing the places we call home. CxD represents one of the most impactful investments ever made in communities by the profession and one of the largest sustained investments ever made in urbanism. The program has a five-decade track record of demonstrated success with tens of thousands of volunteers and citizens working hand in hand to benefit communities. Today, the initiative encompasses direct work in over a dozen countries across 5 continents, including communities in 47 US states. The outcomes have created international renown for places like the Pearl District in Portland, Santa Fe’s Railyard District and East Nashville. Several Kemper Award winners have emerged from the program as well. It has profoundly impacted how our profession approaches communities, with its methodology widely adapted to fuel thousands of additional processes and a global participatory urban movement in recent decades.  Along the way, the program has influenced future Presidents and Kings, the Olympic Games and a spectrum of institutions. This session will focus on the core elements of the methodology that have made the program so impactful.   This session was recorded live on February 5, 2026.

Health care buildings are often defined by popular, income-generating spaces—patient rooms, operating rooms, imaging rooms, and grand public spaces. These rooms create an image that is presented to patients and the public and thus define the character of the building. But what about the other required spaces that are essential to the building’s functions? Without attention to detail, the failure to design these spaces properly will result in a building that is inefficient for users and costly for operators. Join presenters to look at the successes and failures of back-of-house rooms in health care buildings and learn how their design can impact your next project.  This course was recorded live on December 12, 2024.

In April 2007, two graduate architects founded The Urban Charrette as a response to what they saw as disappointing city leadership around the built environment in Tampa. The organization convened emerging professionals across the city to discuss its future. The Urban Charrette was described as “a guerrilla movement in its approach to influencing urban development,” because it utilized innovative tactical urbanism, social networking and unconventional formats and interventions to push change. Its impact on the city over time was undeniable. The volunteerism and public service work also helped launch careers and gave voice and then influence to its core members, who have become civic leaders across the city and points beyond. The Urban Charrette provides a quintessential example of grassroots design leadership and creative problem-solving where new civic mechanisms can provide breakthrough ideas for positive change. This session was recorded live on February 12, 2026.

As healthcare systems face increasing demands for high-quality, efficient care, facility design is crucial in meeting operational and patient-centered goals. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a cutting-edge tool that enables architects, planners, and healthcare professionals to visualize and optimize complex patient flows and resource utilization. This session showcases how DES was applied in two emergency departments and two multi-clinic buildings, addressing critical operational challenges and offering long-term design solutions. The speakers will discuss how across all four projects, DES provided a data-driven framework to test scenarios, evaluate performance metrics, and implement evidence-based design improvements. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for incorporating DES into future healthcare facility design projects, ensuring operational efficiency and patient-centered care.  Emergency Department Projects: Importance: DES was instrumental in modeling patient triage, treatment times, and discharge processes to accommodate current and future patient volumes. Challenges: Handling unpredictable patient influx, managing resource allocation, and reducing care delays in high-stakes environments. Lessons Learned: Simulation uncovered inefficiencies, prompting design adjustments that reduced congestion and improved patient flow.  Multi-Clinic Building Projects: Importance: In multi-specialty clinics, DES helped optimize spatial layouts and resource sharing (e.g., imaging, labs) to streamline patient flows. Challenges: Predicting and coordinating department interactions and managing complex, overlapping patient journeys. Lessons Learned: Early DES integration allowed for flexible space planning and workflow improvements, enhancing staff efficiency and patient throughput.  This session was recorded live on February 10, 2026.

The AIA was a critical partner to the early Community Design Centers in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today, there are dozens of community design centers across the country. The Civic Design Center represents one important model that emerged out of local advocacy efforts and has gone on to have a profound impact on the future of Nashville.  The Minnesota Design Team embodies a Component-led model at the state level. Established in 1983, the MDT has served over 100 communities across the state, leveraging the contributions of hundreds of volunteer professionals. The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Resilient Metro-Regions has partnered with Communities by Design in recent years to deliver technical assistance to 9 towns in Vermont and Massachusetts, offering another model. This session will explore comparative approaches to design leadership and volunteer mobilization to impact communities. This session was recorded live on February 19, 2026.

Design professionals across the United Kingdom have been at the forefront of efforts to promote international adaptation of collaborative design practice since the 1980s. In 1988, a seminal joint design assistance team project took place between UK and American professionals in Pittsburgh, leading to a wave of new practice across Europe and beyond. This session will explore comparative experiences in collaborative design and planning with two leading thinkers, as well as the development of the Association for Collaborative Design. The session will share experiences with collaborative planning events from the UK and elsewhere and introduce the new Engagement Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, a tool to promote best practice and ensure the most successful and collaborative project outcomes. This session was recorded live on February 26, 2026.

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.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of key product categories—facade and roofing systems, interior finishes, daylighting solutions, and security features—emphasizing their role in sustainable and modern architectural design. Through case studies and technical insights, architects and designers will learn to evaluate and specify materials that align with project goals, meet code requirements, and support long-term environmental performance, resilience, and value.

Whether through patterns, materials, or color, the influence of fashion has always played a role in how we dress our surroundings. Similarities and connections drawn between fashion and interior design create a compelling narrative that serves as a point of inspiration for Color Trends 2026. Through an analysis of three major design movements of the 20th century – Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, and Mid-Century Modern, correlations between decorative styles and fashion are illustrated, alongside their iconic color palettes. Throughout the course, a renewed interest in classics refreshed for today’s interiors is demonstrated through a reverence for craft and attention to detail. Inspired by cues from fashion, the Color Trends 2026 palette invites an approachable sensibility with exceptional use of color. This session was recorded live on April 29, 2026.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of commercial glass performance – from monolithic substrates and coating technologies through insulating glass units, laminated glass, and advanced glazing solutions. Learners will gain a working understanding of the key metrics, technologies, and tradeoffs that drive glazing decisions across energy efficiency, occupant comfort, daylighting, acoustics, and façade strength. Real-world case studies illustrate how these products and principles come together on commercial projects, giving specifiers a practical framework for selecting the right glass for any application. 

What happens when a transportation project does more than move people? This course explores two case studies, the World Trade Center redevelopment in New York City and the Springfield Transportation Center in Illinois, to illustrate how complex transportation challenges can unlock broader urban value. Participants will learn how transportation planning drives development outcomes, influencing urban structure, architecture, and public space. Topics include coordinating diverse stakeholders, navigating layered funding, delivering long-duration projects, and keeping systems operational during construction. The session also highlights how multimodal hubs can become civic anchors that strengthen access, economic vitality, and community identity. 

New! Earn product-specific CE: Learn how specific products and systems perform, where they can be appplied, andhow to use them in your projects—all while earning AIA-approved CE. As energy codes continue to raise minimum insulation requirements, specifiers need roofing insulation that delivers more thermal performance without adding thickness. This course introduces ThermaThin™ 7, Carlisle SynTec Systems' next-generation polyisocyanurate roof insulation panel engineered to deliver R-7 per inch, compared to approximately R-5.7 per inch for standard polyiso.Participants will examine ThermaThin 7's material composition, physical properties, and code, fire, and insurance listings, then compare its thermal, logistical, and sustainability performance against standard polyiso, including real-world assembly and freight examples. The course also covers ReadyFlash® facer technology and product compatibility across ballasted, mechanically fastened, and fully adhered roofing systems. The session concludes with applied specification strategies for two of the most demanding project types: cold storage facilities and height-restricted or re-roof applications, where thinner, higher-R assemblies directly reduce retrofit complexity and operating costs.By the end of this course, participants will be able to identify, analyze, evaluate, and apply ThermaThin 7 specification data to real-world roofing design decisions.