As climate hazards grow more frequent and severe, resilient design has become a professional, ethical, and business imperative. This course equips licensed architects with the frameworks, data, and strategies to address resilience through the lenses of risk management, long-term value, and economic opportunity. Participants will learn to evaluate hazard risk based on ownership type and geography, communicate effectively with clients about exposure, and leverage cost-benefit analysis and financial incentives to support resilient outcomes. Real-world case studies, performance tools, and updated guidance from FEMA, NIBS, and ULI provide practical frameworks to help architects enhance life safety, reduce liability, and demonstrate the long-term value of resilient design.

Thursday, February 12, 2026  |  2-3pm ET 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.

Local, state, and federal government projects, especially those located in low income areas, often try to include features targeted to improve the local community. The area immediately surrounding a new government building or campus is taken into account during the design process. This webinar will focus on three urban projects: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Ariel Rios Federal Building in Washington, DC; the Department of Homeland Security Campus in Washington, DC; and the City of Chicago Joint Public Safety Training Center in Chicago, IL. The speakers will discuss how each project met health, safety, welfare, sustainability, and energy requirements while also contributing positively to their local communities.  Hosted by the Public Architects Knowledge Community (PAKC). Course expires 9/6/2026 This session was recorded live on October 11, 2023.

December 10-11, 2025  | 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. AIA SAP Training Program

March 25-26, 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. AIA SAP Training Program

As disasters increase in frequency and intensity across the country, communities now more than ever need the help of architects to address unprecedented challenges. Enter AIA's Disaster Assistance Program, which equips architects and chapters with the knowledge and skills to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. This course teaches you how to properly lead an AIA Disaster Assistance Program in your state and provides you with the tools needed to become a state disaster coordinator. In this comprehensive course, you’ll examine the four phases of the emergency management cycle—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—highlighting the roles and contributions of architects in each phase. You’ll learn how to engage proactively in disaster preparedness and response at various levels, emphasizing the importance of these actions for your community’s safety and resilience. You’ll also explore the evolution of the program and recognize the significant contributions architects can make in different disaster scenarios.