How many architects have you met who said that they got into architecture for money? More often than not, the element of creativity and design was the #1 motivating aspect for someone in the profession. But should it be? After viewing this course, you may become an architect who sees the word “profit” in a different way. Taking the steps and setting the foundation for a strong, healthy, profitable business can lead to an architect having the freedom to create art and more of it. This course presents the basic 12 fundamentals essential to a successful business in architecture, describing how they work and how to apply them in a small firm environment

This session will provide an overview of the Progressive Design/Build delivery method, considerations for the design team and the owner, and the opportunities presented by the business proposition inherent in Progressive Design/Build methodology.  The session will stress the importance of education on the project dynamics and teaming fundamentals that are key to success in the Progressive Design/Build delivery method.    This session will also explore why owners choose Progressive Design/Build, as well as how legal and statutory context informs the owner’s decision-making process.  Last, the session will explore the challenges in adoption of Progressive Design/Build for some public sector owners, and discussion of successful adoption of Progressive Design/Build delivery by other owners.  Hosted by the Project Delivery AIA Knowledge Community Course expires 3/27/2025  

Once you have a complete video of your project, it is time to decide how to share your story. In the final installment of the series, Alex Michl, AIA Film Challenge 2021 People’s Choice Award Winner, explores how to mobilize your network, identify the right audience, how to choose the best outlets for your video, and more. Course expires 05/24/2025

With substantial research demonstrating the connection between the environment and public health outcomes, it is imperative that we identify and pursue opportunities within our communities that promote health, address disparities, and improve well-being. While many of these factors—transportation, land use planning, housing, parks, and economic development—are outside the public health field’s direct control, the Tennessee Department of Health has still established itself as a national leader in improving public health, safety, and welfare through investments in its built environment. In this presentation, you’ll gain an overview of the Tennessee Department of Health’s successes—led by the Office of Primary Prevention— including the significance of regional healthy development coordinators, the Healthy Built Environments Grant program, and cross-agency, multi-disciplinary partnerships.  This session was recorded live on May 14, 2024. Course expires 4/1/2027

The community contexts in which we work today are defined overwhelmingly by pervading public mistrust, conflict and controversy, and community opposition. Our urban crises – climate, housing, equitable development - are forcing quick action to avoid catastrophe. Controversy, community opposition and legal challenges pose significant and costly burdens to achieving our collective goals. This session will provide an overview of the key challenges in the field of public participation today. It will identify core components of healthy processes that can lead to more successful community outcomes with broad community support. The session will address technique selection, as well as tools, resources and networks where participants can develop skills in public participation.  This session was recorded live on March 15, 2023.

Nearly 40,000 veterans are treated in Omaha annually.  The new $86-million, 157,000-square-foot, Omaha Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Care Center is a three-story facility which includes seven primary-care clinic, an outpatient surgery suite, a radiology suite, a women’s health clinic, and a specialty medicine clinic allowing 400 additional outpatients to visit the clinic each day. The outpatient facility connects via divided a corridor to the main 12-story hospital built in 1950, which continues to provide inpatient services, administrative offices and medical services. The Omaha Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Care Center is the first in the nation to take advantage of the C.H.I.P.I.N. for Vets Act. This federal law passed by Congress in 2016 allows the VA to accept private donations to complete construction projects and requires the builder to use innovative delivery techniques that fall outside federally prescribed specifications and methods. From subsurface utility mapping, virtual design & construction that helped bring the design to life and other advanced technology throughout design and construction to using a design assist subcontracting approach instead of a hard-bid approach, this complex project not only met its ambitious budget and schedule expectations, it is saving taxpayers roughly $30 million through a public-private partnership (P3) model that uses donations from the non-profit Veterans Ambulatory Center Development Corporation (VACDC). The design team has now been selected for the second CHIPIN for Vets Act project in Tulsa, currently in Schematic Design and will share how they’ve implemented lessons learned in Omaha for the Tulsa project. Presented by Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) an AIA Knowledge Community.  Course expires 04/16/2025

Success in high performance building design extends well beyond the project and requires an ongoing commitment to advocacy, tracking project results, and iterative learning. This course revisits the key design strategies and processes for achieving advanced energy performance on projects, then dives into how the 2030 Challenge and the AIA 2030 Commitment can transform a firm’s practice and culture, as well as the broader community. The AIA+2030 Online Series is an AIA and Architecture 2030 co-production. It's based on the highly successful AIA+2030 Professional Series, which was created by AIA Seattle and Architecture 2030, with support from the City of Seattle and Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. Course expires 11/01/2024

Cities in the 21 Century cannot continue to see nature as a destination through parks and trail system development. The natural environment must become the foundation of growth, transportation network, and neighborhoods. ULI Columbus and MORPC have embarked on a The Rapid 5 Project to develop a vision for an integrated open space network in Central Ohio that will prescribe how to best use our natural assets to benefit our economy, manage growth, provide access for recreation, education, and health, and preserve natural resources and environmental health. They partnered on organizing and sponsoring a creative exploration of the five waterways in Franklin County—the Big Darby, Scioto River, Olentangy River, Alum Creek, and Big Walnut Creek. The idea was to study knitting all five waterways into a single cohesive greenway system—one infused with exciting new ideas, expanded access, and community voices to benefit all Central Ohio. This session focuses on the results of this exploration with Moderator, Alicia Gaston (ULI Columbus) and key representatives from participating firms: Tedd Hardesty (EDGE), Michael Bongiorno (AECOM), Jeff Pongonis (MKSK), Megha Sinha (NBBJ), and Brian Bernstein (REALM). Course expires 03/26/2025

Tuesday, November 12, 2024  |  2:00-3:00pm EST The Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) Translational Research Building at the University of Utah marks a significant step in addressing the post-pandemic behavioral health crisis. HMHI will be an international hub of collaboration for testing and refining mental health design as well as research, clinical, and policy ideas. The facility will create a new model of translational research that unites experimental, computational, and clinical research under one roof to address national stigma, policy, and scientific challenges.  In this session, we will explore how behavioral health trends and emerging models of care impact the design of multidisciplinary clinical and research facilities, showing how HMHI’s neuroarchitecture-inspired design promotes interconnectedness and collaboration. We will discuss how the facility helps to rethink the American mental health care system by de-stigmatizing mental health, increasing awareness, and expanding mental health research and clinical services. 

How do you support a population of 4.5 million with limited staff and no reliable sources of electricity and water? This session will present a case study of the Mbale Regional Referral Hospital’s Neonatal Unit. This project was designed to address the challenges of a low resource setting while pursuing the goal of reducing the neonatal mortality rate in that region of Uganda. In this session, attendees will learn how to apply the principles of restorative design, contextual design, and resilient design to promote community well-being within a low resource setting, with special attention given to the specific needs of neonates. Course expires 08/25/2025

Join the AIA Regional & Urban Design Committee for a series exploring sustainability practices at the intersections of natural and man-made systems.  In a time with increasing global challenges perpetuated by environmental and socioeconomic inequities, cities are looking to implement more regenerative urban strategies that replenish resources faster than we are consuming them through circular economies. This panel seeks to discuss adaptable tools and strategies used across the globe that aim to strengthen our cities and restore communities long separated by harmful infrastructure.  Course expires 03/27/2026  

With an increasing demand for medical design expertise throughout the world, this course provides AEC professionals with the crucial tools needed to adapt to local contexts, reimagine healthcare delivery models, ensure successful design outcomes, and have a positive impact on community health globally and locally. Hear from expert speakers, with experience spearheading large-scale hospital and master planning projects around the globe, on the complexities, nuances, variations, and influences impacting healthcare planning and design. Learn the many factors affecting healthcare delivery, including local public health systems, socio-economic conditions, demographics, an aging population, payer and business models, pandemic preparedness, climate, regional culture, codes and regulations, project delivery methods, and project teams operating across time zones. Explore compelling case studies from resource-limited settings to advanced urban centers, demonstrating how contemporary architectural models, sustainable practices, innovative solutions, and technological advancements are revolutionizing healthcare facilities worldwide.  This course was recorded live on September 10, 2024.

When you have numerous deficiencies in an existing building, where do you begin? Removing barriers for renovation and alteration projects is easier when you have excellent options and strategies for doing so. This course provides the guidance you need to understand the complexity around barrier removal and provide solutions for removal, and answers to common questions, such as "Is there such a thing as being grandfathered?" and "Why is the plan's examiner asking us to confirm that 20% of the construction cost is for resolving barrier-removal matters?" Applying accessibility regulations to existing buildings is complex. It's critical you understand these regulations and how they may apply to your current and future projects. Examples covered include parking, exterior accessible routes, interior accessible routes, common restrooms, amenity and common spaces, and employee common areas. By equipping yourself with a plan for tackling barriers to renovation, you'll help ensure your firm avoids costly redesigns—and headaches. Course expires 10/31/2024

How are building materials affected by increasing temperatures, extreme water events, increasing humidity levels, and wildland-urban interface fires? Scientists from the Chemical Insights Research Institute will discuss the effects of changing environmental conditions on the release of chemicals, unexpected chemical transformations, microbiological growth, and fire emissions and residues. Presenters will discuss how this research may translate into tools for the building community, offering a glimpse into future design of healthy and durable materials and buildings. Course expires 06/05/2026

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 1/31/2025 This course is sponsored by Owens Corning

In the ever-evolving landscape of architectural practice, understanding and incorporating resilience design principles have become imperative. This course delves into the fundamental aspects of resilience design, equipping architects and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to create projects that are adaptable, sustainable, and capable of withstanding a range of challenges. Through a structured approach and practical exercises, participants will learn how to identify hazards, develop resilience strategies, and integrate them seamlessly into their architectural projects, fostering a holistic approach to design. Note: The course content is based on the AIA Resilience Design Toolkit. This comprehensive resource offers an objective analysis process which incorporates financial evaluation of resilience design strategies. Hosted by the Resilience and Adaptation Advisory Group (RAD AG). Course expires 08/30/2026

The acceleration of climate change and climate migration has created an unprecedented diversity of challenges that our built environment and communities must face in the coming decades. This acceleration is matched by a growing diversity of research and design efforts to counteract these challenges—both in academia and practice—centered around concepts of resiliency. This conference invites practitioners, scholars, and policy leaders engaged in shaping the future of resilience to identify challenges shaping the built environment, as well as the emerging tools, methods, practices designed to address the challenges ahead. AIA/ACSA Intersections Research Conference: RESILIENT FUTURES 2022 Fall Conference Proceedings The focus of the INTERSECTIONS programs is intended to strengthen the INTERSECTION between academia and design practice, especially when it comes to research and innovation, focused on resilience strategies.

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

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

With all the talk about the importance of cities in the global climate fight, suburban jurisdictions have received relatively less attention. However, in the US suburban residents are responsible for half of our household carbon footprint due to inefficient land use and the resulting transportation and resource use patterns they produce. This session will explore strategies for shifting drivable suburbs to more walkable urban communities and explain how this change supports goals and policies related to resilience, active transportation, and community building. In addition, the speakers will discuss gentrification pressures and the implications strategies have on communities, with the goal of breaking cycles of disinvestment and preventing displacement.  Join this important conversation with thought leaders who are driving the movement and working on the front lines of suburban change today.  Hosted by AIA Center for Communities by Design. Course expires 09/18/2025