Through detailed data analysis, we will examine the latest Compensation Trends and Employee Benefits, shedding light on salaries for architectural positions and recent graduates at the national level. Discover which employee benefits and diversity and equity initiatives play a pivotal role in talent recruitment and retention, equipping you with strategies to foster a competitive edge in the industry. As part of this exploration, we will review a comprehensive assessment of the application of contemporary workplace policies in the architecture profession to improve work-life balance and well-being. Finally, we will discuss how the report and accompanying calculator can be used to engage your staff to understand the tangible and intangible value that you as an employer provide to your employees in exchange for work. View the 2023 AIA Compensation & Benefits Report here. Course expires 8/27/2026 This session was recorded live on November 2, 2023.

An architect’s journey, starting in school, through licensure, and into practice, can be rewarding and simultaneously challenging. The culture of work in architecture sets a high bar for performance standards. It is a creative industry that requires rigorous attention to detail while upholding the health, safety, and welfare of people in the built environment. For students, emerging professionals, women, and BIPOC individuals, there is mounting pressure to excel, resulting in dedicated action to prevent extreme burnout, exhaustion, and mental fatigue. Join this group of panelists who will have an open and honest dialogue on mental health and well-being and will talk about opportunities for improvement and examples of firm leaders leading within their firms.

Owners and planners are seeking innovative ways to transform service delivery to address worldwide challenges such as declining birth rates, geopolitical issues, employee safety, and natural disasters. We will specifically address the five Ds (Dirty, Dull, Dangerous, Difficult and Dear) as key qualifiers to consider logistics automation. In this session, we will discuss a variety of decision factors such as feasibility, practicality, safety considerations, space requirements, & engineering considerations for various automation alternatives within different operating environments. Business case evaluation being one of the first steps in understanding the overall decision factors that will help all parties involved understand how it impacts their function. This seminar will go over the overall evaluation process including information gathering, user input, cultural and operational factors. Part of our case studies will involve presentation of empirical data driving the decision process. Considering and implementing logistics automation presents challenges in project planning, space programming and regulatory compliance. We will present practical solutions that have been tried and tested in Healthcare Facilities Planning arena. Hosted by the Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH). Course expires 10/24/2026

As healthcare systems are looking for innovative ways to bring hospital services to rural communities and neighborhoods, healthcare architecture is challenged to include all the requirements of a licensed 24/7 hospital within a footprint that is a fraction of a traditional hospital while simultaneously designing a community-friendly building that still reflects the healthcare system’s branding.   This course will present case studies of four micro-hospitals – each having its own unique solution while staying true to the micro-hospital model. Hosted by the Academy of Architecture for Health AIA Knowledge Community.  Course expires 06/12/2025

Join the AIA Interfaith Design Knowledge Community’s Knowledge and Resource Committee for a presentation by John White, AIA, emeritus professor Texas Tech University, concerning his documentation and preservation work on the San Antonio Missions in San Antonio, Texas. As the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas, this lecture will discuss the important history and significance of five mission locations: Mission Nuestra Señora de Acuña, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, Mission San Antonio de Valero, Mission San Francisco Xavier de Najera Centennial Marker, and Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo. White will also present his process of documentation of the sites through the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and how this has informed ongoing preservation efforts. Course expires 07/29/2026 This session was recorded live on August 9, 2023.

Winner of the 2023 AIA Architecture Firm Award, Mithun is an interdisciplinary collaborative of designers, constantly evolving to address the critical challenges of our future. The practice is driven by a shared mission, Design for Positive Change, that is reflected in the firm’s structure, culture, and award-winning body of work. Learn about the evolution of the practice, now in its fourth and fifth generation of leadership, and significant work, both built and on-the-boards, nationwide. Presented in partnership with AIA Colorado.  

Both COTE® award and the Architecture Awards programs celebrate exemplary models of contemporary architecture which highlight parameters of AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence. From the extensive list of projects, one can discern those that define the intersection between sustainable principles and design achievement, including within them a unique sense of place, use of materials, and other more formal qualities that exist within a well-defined environmental approach. Through exploring three projects, learn innovations of sustainable design integration and come away with a greater understanding of the built environment’s role in communities. Hosted by Committee on Design (COD). Course expires 03/27/2026

Tuesday, June 10, 2025  |  2:00-3:00pm EST Historically, people experiencing disability have been segregated and excluded from mainstream spaces. With a majority presence of non-disabled participants in design teams, there’s often a lack of inclusive practices that address the perspectives of those with varied sensory abilities. Through a case study presentation of the Life Skills Training Center at the Washington State School for the Blind, participants will gain practical insights and actionable strategies to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of the design process and the resulting decisions forming the built environment.

From Roger Ulrich's research and the numerous evidence-based studies that followed, we know that connecting patients to views to nature can have a direct impact on health outcomes. This session will walk through the Rainier Beach Clinic case study, where the project team utilized an evidence-based process to build on this research and put nature at the center of a dialysis center, seeking to improve patient health outcomes and staff satisfaction.   As a recipient of a 2021 COTE Top Ten Award, 2021 Healthcare Design Award, and 2021 Healthcare Environment Award for ambulatory care settings, the Rainier Beach Clinic has been recognized for its innovation in blending innovative design concepts, sustainability performance, and an evidence-based process to reimagine a more patient-centric dialysis care environment. The presenter will also share how biophilic design strategies can be implemented in a variety of settings and projects, linking research to the built environment, and allowing for Architecture to take a more active role in the health and well-being of occupants. This session was recorded live on February 14, 2023.

SF Public Works plays a pivotal role in supporting San Francisco’s homeless population. This session will explore the city’s homelessness challenges and how the department’s architects are designing innovative shelters to meet them. In addition, the speakers will discuss how SF Public Works collaborates with other city agencies to serve people experiencing homelessness by overcoming the challenges posed by limited funding, regulatory requirements, bureaucracy, and NIMBY opposition. This will include a discussion of shelter typologies including Navigation Centers (rapidly-deployed tensile structures and modular units), Vehicular Triage Centers (individually occupied vehicles), Tiny Cabins, Safe Sleeping Sites, Transient Hotels, and newly constructed or renovated permanent buildings serving as Family Homeless Shelters or Congregate Dormitories. Hosted by the Public Architects Knowledge Community (PAKC). Course expires 05/14/2026  

The Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law partnered with the AIA to conduct An Investigation into Bias in the Architecture Profession, a survey examining the workplace experiences of members in the profession of architecture. WorkLife Law will present survey data showing how the most common patterns of gender and racial bias impact architects and designers, and how individuals can act to reduce bias in their workplaces. This program is designed to provide architects, design professionals, and firms with Bias Interrupters: basic tweaks to interrupt bias as it is playing out in the workplace.

Does that little voice inside you say - Be happy with what you have - don't get pushy! - Times are tough right now - I can't ask now... But why not? The fact is that WOMEN DON'T ASK and most bosses are not mind-readers. But they also don't want to lose you - particularly in these tought times. However, if you are not happy, you won't produce your best, so let's come clean and learn how to negotiate for everyone's benefit. Did you know 20% of adult women admit having never negotiated? Of course, that means that 80% have, but maybe you didn't get what you wanted. Women are known as strong collaborators, multi-taskers and relationship builders, which happen to be three essential skills needed to negotiate successfully. Multiple studies attribute this lack of negotiating to a lack of confidence and some would add risk-taking. Don't let fear of negotiating get you stuck! Join Elizabeth Suárez as she leads participants through her exclusive and effective Negotiation Unleashed System. This process will have you feeling prepared, confident, and excited to negotiate for everything you want - in business and in life. By the end of the session, you will feel more confident and embraced three essential tips that you can immediately implement to accomplish your goals! Course expires: 10/09/2026

As billion-dollar natural disasters happen with increasing frequency and intensity, clients need buildings that help them protect their assets now—and into the future. This intermediate-level course teaches you best practices in hazard mitigation strategies that go beyond the existing code to protect your client’s investment and reduce their risk in new building projects. Using case studies of successful mitigation strategies and best practices from leading experts like FEMA Building Science, this course dives deep into design principles and key concepts to help you make strategic design decisions for hazards including water inundation, wind and storms, geologic/seismic hazards and other climate-related hazards. Every property will be exposed to a unique set of hazards. This course can help you design to reduce the risk associated with primary and secondary hazards, and their cascading effects. 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

Amale Andraos, FRAIC, presents recent projects demonstrating principles of resilience and high performance design strategies. She speaks to the methods available to architects even when confronted with small budgets and tight timelines. Amale also appears in conversation with conference co-chair and research assistant professor Stephen Mueller to discuss the challenges of designing in areas of social and environmental instability and highlights the strength of connecting academia with practice in an intentional way. Course expires 01/25/2026

As health systems increasingly focus on leveraging the facility design process to improve patient outcomes and improve staff workflow, multidisciplinary design teams comprising architects, constructors, researchers, and operators are relying on current research to inform facility design decisions.  Clemson University has engaged with health systems and architecture firms as part of a multi-year federally funded patient safety learning lab to design a safer and more ergonomic operating room. This work represents the most comprehensive evidence based on OR design and has resulted in an OR prototype that has been implemented in multiple health systems. This webinar shares how Clemson University has collaborated with health systems and design professionals to develop concepts for flexible and safe operating room layouts.  This course will present an overview of the research process and how findings were implemented in real-world settings at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Emory Musculoskeletal Institute.  This program was recorded live on March 12, 2024. Course expires 02/03/2027

Research shows the design of pediatric inpatient rooms significantly impacts the emotional and physiological well-being of young patients and their families. Hear findings from studies using virtual reality (VR), eye-tracking, and facial electromyography (EMG) to evaluate various design elements, including artwork, privacy features, and social support areas. These studies provide evidence-based insights into creating therapeutic environments that enhance comfort, reduce stress, and improve patient experience and satisfaction. Learn how to apply these innovative methodologies in practical settings to improve health care outcomes. Explore the implications of these findings for architects and designers, emphasizing the role of neuroarchitecture and biofeedback in developing effective and supportive health care environments. This course is aimed at professionals who are seeking to incorporate research and technology into pediatric health care design to foster health and well-being. Presented in partnership with the Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH). This course was recorded live on August 13, 2024.

This 120-minute on-demand course explores the design strategies and outcomes of the 10 COTE Top Ten Award winners and the 10 COTE Top Ten for Students Competition winners. It includes videos from each professional project team and commentary from 2020 jury member and COTE founder Bob Berkebile, FAIA, as well as COTE 2020 Chair Julie Hiromoto, AIA; 2019 Chair Marsha Maytum, FAIA; and 2021 Chair Betsy del Monte, FAIA. The AIA COTE Top Ten Awards have become the profession’s preeminent awards for projects that holistically integrate and exemplify design excellence and building performance, defining a new standard for “great design” that addresses the urgent needs of our time. Winning projects demonstrate excellence across the COTE Top Ten measures through multiple project types, sizes, and locations. This presentation highlights the value of architectural design through high performance, community building, and innovation. Attendees will gain valuable insight, learn about new techniques, systems, and tools, and leave feeling inspired by the broad range of design solutions presented. With the 2019 adoption of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, formerly known as the COTE Top Ten Measures, this celebration of award-winning projects is even more poignant. Course expires 10/8/2026

The AIA COTE® Top Ten Awards have become the profession’s preeminent awards for projects that holistically integrate and exemplify design excellence and building performance, defining a new standard for “good design” that addresses the urgent needs of our time. This year’s winning projects demonstrate that beautiful, high-performance design is possible for every project. This years winners include, sustainable housing for veterans, repurposed spaces that focus on community engagement and learning spacings that promote equity and inclusion.   This presentation examines those projects through the lens of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence to highlight innovative, replicable models for more sustainable development regardless of project type, size, or location. Attendees will gain valuable insight, learn about new techniques, systems, and tools, and leave feeling inspired by the broad range of design solutions presented.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025  |  2:00-3:00pm EST Women have historically been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, driving advancements in patient health, safety, and welfare. From Clara Barton improving healthcare processes to Marie Curie pioneering healthcare technology, Florence Nightingale championing infection control, and countless women advancing evidence-based design, women’s leadership has been transformative.   Join us for a dynamic panel discussion featuring influential women in healthcare design and construction. These trailblazing professionals will share their career journeys, leadership insights, and strategies for overcoming challenges. They will reveal their leadership philosophies, the key lessons they've learned throughout their careers, and their empowering approaches to uplifting others. Whether you’re an established professional or just starting out, this event offers inspiration and practical advice to help you navigate your path to leadership in healthcare design and construction. 

This focused nano-session of the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series discusses plug, process, and other miscellaneous loads in a building to demonstrate why they are an important part of the design problem. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.