Join the Chief Economists from the American Institute of Architects, the Associated General Contractors of America, and ConstructConnect for an in-depth discussion on what’s in store for the construction industry over the remainder of 2024 and beyond. This is the only place to see presentations from the top experts on the US construction economy.  This session was recorded live on May 9, 2024. This free course is brought to you through a partnership with ConstructConnect and AGC. By registering for this course, you grant AIA permission to share your name and email address with ConstructConnect and AGC.  Course expires 5/23/2025

What values manifest in the built environment and what design principles can we apply to our projects to assure that our physical environments embody the diverse cultures of their inhabitants? Today, the architecture profession recognizes that diverse teams are more successful, particularly when it comes to analysis, creativity, and innovation, all of which are the cornerstones of architecture firms. Intersectionality in architecture is not just about the politics of recognizing individuals and their multiple and intersecting identities but extends to a framework of collective responsibility and action toward practices that are inclusive, diverse, and socially just. In this session, attendees will hear from a diverse group of architects, designers, and artists who will share their cultures, visions, project samples, and insights in why the intersection of architecture and culture is imperative for the built environment and their communities they serve. The panelists will expand on how thoughtful planning and design can contribute to a more welcoming, and diverse place for occupants to live and thrive, and why architects should incorporate different communities' experiences with culture, policies and design, to create both beautiful and more diverse environments. This session will have ample Q&A time, allowing for attendees to engage with the panelists. Course expires 03/25/2026

Thursday, April 24, 2025  |  3:00-4:00pm ET Reducing the total carbon footprint of buildings is a frequent goal for designers, and the roof can be a strong contributor to that mission. Imagine if these goals can be achieved using the roof you already specify. It’s not a fantasy. This presentation will dive into the details of how you can take a code compliant roof assembly to the next level. We will share data on how the choice of materials can impact the total carbon footprint of a project, and specifically the embodied carbon. It will also show examples on ways to improve the energy efficiency of a roof assembly and the impact it has on overall building performance across all climate zones. Finally, the presentation will provide attendees with examples of how to use environmental product declarations (EPDs) and energy analysis tools to do similar evaluations for their specific projects.

This webinar will feature a brief introduction to FGI and the feature highlights and updates to the FGI 2022 Edition. The Facility Guidelines Institute is an independent 501 c3 not for profit organization that promotes consensus-based guidelines and publications, advised by research, to advance quality health care design. FGI produces three distinct volumes for the planning, design, and construction for 1) Hospitals 2) Outpatient Facilities and 3) Residential Health Care and Support Facilities.  There is a regular review and revision cycle every four years, where consensus methodology is used to produce improved future editions of the Guidelines. FGI 2022, is the latest in the 75-year history of the Guidelines and is an update from the 2018 edition. The 2022 edition of the Guidelines has been updated with a few topics that note the evolving role of FGI in promoting patient centered care, building resiliency during community emergencies, the impact that design can have on palliative and end of life care, flexibility to reduce overcrowding in Emergency Departments, and new design guidelines for behavioral and mental health crisis units. As the needs of planning, design and construction for healthcare facilities evolves, FGI responds with updated editions of the Guidelines.  This session was recorded live on November 8, 2022. Course expires 10/4/2025

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.

There is a shift happening in cities today with more and more sustainable and human-centered mobility options, including public transit enhancements, the promotion of walking and cycling, and the design of mixed-use neighborhoods. Explore the impact of emerging mobility technologies and the importance of policy in shaping urban mobility in this crucial course charting the future of mobility in cities.  You’ll develop the tools to analyze and evaluate mobility solutions, integrate them into urban design, and advocate for policy changes that support sustainable urban spaces. You’ll also acquire the practical skills to implement emerging technological solutions and sustainable transportation options in real-world projects. This course is your key to designing sustainable, human-centric urban spaces and actively engaging in urban planning processes.  This course was recorded live on October 17, 2024.

According to the U.S. EPA, almost 90% of our time is spent indoors, emphasizing the importance of the materials that surround us. Acoustical design can enhance or diminish the experience of any space. This course will walk through the importance of designing and installing appropriate acoustical treatments, which may be about more than absorption – for example, spaces in healthcare, education, and offices rely on sound blocking for speech privacy and clear communication.  Participants will learn how acoustical ceiling and wall solutions can contribute to improved Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and meet today’s most stringent sustainability requirements. 

The project began in the mid-1980s in an area of Central Los Angeles and Culver City consisting of industrial and warehouse buildings that had been abandoned as industry moved abroad. The once vital manufacturing area was in serious decline as property values plummeted and crime rates increased.   Along with clients Laurie and Frederick Samitaur Smith, EOMA set out to develop a strategy to reconstitute the former industrial zone, utilizing its built assets, eliminating its social and economic liabilities, and imagining a constructive concept for a new model for urban revitalization. One building at a time, warehouses were transformed into venues for a wide range of creative enterprise.   Viewed individually, the projects represent a wide array of architectural and technical achievement that has been discussed, published, awarded, and studied around the world. More important (and sometimes overlooked) is the collective value of these singular architectural works as a progenitor of radical urban transformation in the neighborhood.   The project set a contemporary standard for adaptive re-use; a standard for change-in-use without substantially altering the scale of the 27-acre neighborhood; a standard for sustainability in terms of the careful remodeling rather than replacing of existing structures; and most importantly, in an area touched twice by the LA riots, a standard for job creation. Currently, an estimated over 15,000 workers are newly employed in an area that 35 years ago was empty of purpose. The unprecedented project has made Conjunctive Points – The New City a model for city re-thinking around the globe. It continues to be a subject for study in municipalities around the world and regularly hosts tours for politicians, policymakers, urban planners, and architects.   The late architecture critic for The New York Times Herbert Muschamp wrote that “Moss’s projects strike me as such a form of education. The knowing spontaneity of his forms, the hands-on approach implicit in their strong, sculptural contours, the relationship they describe between a city’s vitality and creative potential of its individuals: these coalesce into tangible lessons about how a city should face its future.”  In 2020, Conjunctive Points was awarded the AIA Twenty-Five Year award.  Presented by AIA Committee on Design (COD).  Course expires 12/06/2024

As businesses strive to maximize their bottom line, tax saving opportunities are becoming increasingly important. This course is specifically designed to assist architecture firms in identifying if they qualify for the R&D Tax Credit, the 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction, as well as opportunities to be aware of related to the 45L Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit. Attendees will learn about the history of these tax incentives, what legislative changes have taken place, where the tax incentives are headed in the future, and how your firm can capitalize on them.  This session was recorded live on April 3, 2024.

Governments at all levels spend billions of dollars each year on major capital projects from public sector buildings to infrastructure renovations. However, there is a lack of architects in government to oversee and ensure these projects are built to the highest level of standards. Civic projects often only occur once in a lifetime and thus need to be built to last as they are of high use and meant to represent the best of civilization. Through a diverse panel discussion, you’ll learn the many roles that an architect in government can play from project manager, review board member, designer, or official city architect. We’ll define the economic, physical, and functional benefits of architects in public and government leadership. Finally, we'll identify and discuss best practices in government work and examples of architects as stewards of public health, welfare, life safety, and design excellence. This course was recorded live on November 21, 2024.

Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, is principal/owner & founder of Olson Kundig—a collaborative global design practice whose work expands the context of built and natural landscapes. Tom’s diverse body of work champions the formal and technical yet makes a genuine connection with the people who inhabit it. His longstanding interest in the ways people engage with their environments, both built and natural, was honed throughout his extensive career designing private residences, but it is just as present in his larger scale work. In this way, Tom’s design practice is an ongoing exploration of architecture’s elemental qualities: materiality, texture, and detail in dialogue with the human condition. In this session, Tom will speak to his contextual approach to design, providing an overview of his work that often serves as a backdrop to the built, cultural, or natural landscapes that surround them. Moderated by Sarah Broughton, Tom will share his philosophies around craftmanship, collaboration, and what it means for humans to be in a relationship with architecture. Presented in partnership with AIA Colorado.

Join us for a rich presentation by Studio Gang’s Founding Partner Jeanne Gang, FAIA, on how her practice is leading the way for architects across the globe towards a more sustainable and equitable future. In her keynote lecture at the 2022 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, Gang shares several projects, ranging in scale and typology, that demonstrate how her firm is pushing design’s ability to generate meaningful change and offer practical solutions to larger issues like climate change. She also discusses her firm’s major step towards pay equity after closing the gender wage gap for all Studio Gang employees in 2018. Course expires 06/18/2027

This course is a free resource that does not offer credit for completion. Equip yourself with the necessary skills and strategies to create and deliver engaging presentations that effectively convey your message and inspire your audience. Whether you are looking to enhance your professional communication skills, captivate stakeholders with your ideas, or become a more confident speaker, this two-part course will provide you the comprehensive insights and practical skills to achieve your goal. Feel free to engage with the lessons that align with your needs and in the order that best suits your requirements. Each lesson is packed with engaging video lectures, enlightening readings, interactive quizzes, and hands-on assignments designed to facilitate the practical application of the concepts covered.

Learn how to effectively define your presentation objectives, organize your content, enhance accessibility, and use visual aids. Each step is carefully structured to ensure a seamless and thorough understanding of the art and science behind impactful presentations. This course is a free resource that does not offer credit for completion. Feel free to engage with the lessons that align with your needs and in the order that best suits your requirements. Each lesson is packed with engaging video lectures, enlightening readings, interactive quizzes, and hands-on assignments designed to facilitate the practical application of the concepts covered.

Learn how to refine your delivery, manage presentation anxiety, and effectively engage with your audience. From mastering rehearsal techniques to confidently addressing audience questions, you’ll build the tools and confidence to deliver presentations that leave a lasting impression. This course is a free resource that does not offer credit for completion. Feel free to engage with the lessons that align with your needs and in the order that best suits your requirements. Each lesson is packed with engaging video lectures, enlightening readings, interactive quizzes, and hands-on assignments designed to facilitate the practical application of the concepts covered.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025  |  2:00-3:00pm ET Individuals with justice system involvement or individuals impacted by the justice system are among the most disadvantaged populations in the U.S. They often experience complex challenges and harmful stigmas that prevent them from successfully reentering society. These challenges include accessing education, employment, affordable housing, substance abuse treatment, health care, and family services.  Architects have a unique opportunity to help. Learn how the key principles of trauma informed care can inform trauma informed design and create environments that actively address these challenges. Trauma informed design has the potential to significantly improve the health, safety, and well-being of justice-impacted individuals—creating spaces, residences, and facilities that help them become contributing members of society.  

Healthcare institutions are rethinking capital planning strategies and the future of care, as a reaction from the COVID pandemic and continued financial strain.  These changes are expected to be permanent.  In a study of over 100 healthcare engineering professionals, the importance of community trends and agility/flexibility of spaces are priorities.   The future of project delivery for healthcare spaces requires strategic alignment of health systems, real estate developers, design professionals, and builders.   Chantily Malibago, Director of Healthcare Development with Mortenson, presents healthcare research and market trends on the impact of the built environment and project delivery. Course expires 01/25/2026

Tri-Faith Commons serves as an international model for interfaith learning, collaboration, and community-building. This unique project brings together a synagogue, church, mosque, and interfaith center on a 38-acre campus in Omaha, Nebraska. Using Countryside Community Church—the most-recent architectural addition to Tri-Faith Commons—as a case study, discover how these diverse communities worked with the design team to find common ground to create a built space that unites populations that have been traditionally perceived to be in conflict in an ongoing conversation.  Through a conversation with Executive Director Wendy Goldberg, explore how the project evolved to create four distinct spaces that coexist within an intentionally planned landscape.  This session was recorded live on February 15, 2024.

As a member of an awards jury, it’s critical to foster an inclusive and equitable selection environment—ensuring that every candidate is evaluated fairly and objectively. Often, that begins with acknowledging the potential impact our own biases may have on the outcome. Sometimes, we're aware of our biases. Other times, we have to work to identify them. In this course, we'll explore unconscious biases, understanding their impact on decision-making and the fairness of award outcomes. Through self-reflection and practical strategies, we'll learn to identify our own biases and apply techniques to mitigate their influence. We'll equip ourselves with the knowledge and tools to continuously monitor and address bias, promoting a culture of awareness and inclusivity in the awards selection process.

This session delves into the unique challenges faced by Black women and women of color (WOC) in the AEC industry. Attendees will gain invaluable insights into their experiences, exploring topics such as work-life balance, power dynamics, and pay scales. The session critically examines the path to leadership for WOC, highlighting systemic obstacles and bias. It emphasizes the importance of removing subjectivity from processes, supporting mentorship, and fostering leadership roles for Black women and WOC. Executives' role in supporting diversity is discussed, with actionable steps provided to drive positive change and promote inclusion. The session highlights the detrimental impact of excluding these voices and inspires attendees to create a more inclusive environment. Course expires 10/22/2026