What progress has more than 24,000 projects totaling 3.9 billion GSF designed last year made towards net-zero carbon? The AIA 2030 Commitment, a key climate action program, brings together a network of over 1,350 signatory architecture and design firms dedicated to tracking their projects’ energy data to reach carbon neutrality in the built environment. Upon this year’s release of the 2030 By the Numbers (RY23), join us for a conversation on the high-level findings from the report, including where we are succeeding as an industry and where we can still improve based on the reported data. We will discuss data trends on overall energy performance, the incorporation of energy modeling in projects, and the inclusion of renewable energy sources and embodied carbon data. 

What progress have more than 20,000 projects designed last year made towards net-zero carbon? Join us for a conversation on findings from signatories of the AIA 2030 Commitment in 2021, a key climate action program for reaching net zero emissions in the built environment. We’ll examine a variety of achievements, ranging from increases in gross square footage meeting the 80% reduction target to the big leaps in renewable energy reported, signaling positive trends for the industry in meeting net-zero carbon goals. Beyond high-level trends across all projects, we’ll also investigate the performance between different use types and various geographies, and where we can see just how important policy is in accelerating high performance.   Course expires 9/18/2025

Within the context of business models, what are the characteristics that would make someone a successful entrepreneur? What are the obstacles for architects to break out of our traditional model? Economics plays a central role in our ability to expand services or take our practice in new directions.  Our expert panel, moderated by AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, considers ways in which architects can create new sources of revenue by expanding their practices in different ways and embracing new models for doing business.  Questions explored include how architects are uniquely suited to development, key measures for exploring development opportunities, and factors influencing the decision process around undertaking a new business venture.   This cutting-edge discussion will inspire and enlighten you. This course expires on 4/20/2026.  

Do you want to integrate resilience into the design services your firm offers? The Resilience and Adaptation series is your answer. This exclusive multi-course series covers mitigation, resilience and adaptation, technical design application, and design process application. Take all courses in the series to learn best practices for mitigating risk for hazards, shocks, and stresses and adapting to changing conditions. Perfect for midcareer architects. Anyone completing all courses in the AIA Resilience and Adaptation series will receive a certificate acknowledging their completion of all courses in the program, in addition to the individual course certificates available for each course. This course is sponsored by Owens Corning

How do you successfully invest nearly $300 million in a master plan for a state psychiatric campus in the middle of a rapidly developing urban community? This session will look at how the redevelopment of the former Austin State Hospital campus provides an opportunity for academic engagement in the clinical process, implements a continuum of care, and offers opportunities for mental health partnerships in the heart of Austin, Texas. This project involved collaboration between the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, and a variety of design professionals and community advocates to master plan and execute on the construction of the new 240-adult bed Austin State Hospital. This panel is moderated by Nick Faust. This session was recorded live on March 21, 2023.

Accessibility is fundamental in today's architecture practice. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies not only to new construction, but also when remodeling existing facilities—and the guidelines and exceptions can be confusing. In this case-study course, we'll present real-life examples of applying the ADA during renovations. Topics to be covered include: The challenges of knowing how and when to apply the ADA to ensure accessibility compliance The difference between an alteration and an alteration of an area containing a primary function What happens if an existing building is not being altered, and what exceptions apply when an alteration occurs

Explore the critical role of architects in building community resilience to disasters, gaining an in-depth understanding of their contributions before and after disasters. This course is specifically designed for architects aspiring to become leaders in disaster resilience and community assistance. We’ll examine the Disaster Assistance Program and the significant contributions architects make in disaster scenarios. The course emphasizes proactive engagement, covering disaster preparedness and response at various levels while highlighting their importance for community safety and resilience. Explore the four phases of the emergency management cycle—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—while discovering architects’ roles in each and learning to integrate resilience thinking strategically through lectures, case studies, and interactive workshops. Equip yourself with the skills and knowledge to contribute to disaster preparedness, mitigate risks, respond effectively to emergencies, and support recovery efforts—enhancing your community’s safety and resilience.

Thursday, July 17, 2025  |  2:00-3:00pm EST Join Emily Mottram, known for her work on the "Pretty Good House" concept, for a session exploring the proper detailing and installation for air, water, and insulation layers within a building. Emily will demonstrate how to begin the design process with the specific climate zone, and then reverse engineer decisions from there. Participants will learn to identify risks associated with poorly executed detailing and explore strategies to enhance air quality and building durability through careful material selection and detailing control layers. By viewing the structure as a whole-building integrated system, this approach highlights a practical framework for designing custom residential homes that prioritizes occupant health, safety, and welfare.

Join the WLS founders in conversation. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities experienced at various career stages that brought us together to form the AIA Boston Women Principals Group. You'll learn how the power of this community led to the inaugural Women's Leadership Summit. You'll hear how conventional and unconventional strategies were utilized effectively to bring about meaningful and measurable change by building a new movement that continues to touch all regions of the country and span generations of leaders. And you'll discuss lessons learned that continue to lead to refinements and pivots, all with the goal of keeping WLS inclusive, timely, and meaningful. Come prepared to share your thoughts on how this movement can evolve and inspire design professionals of all backgrounds to foster support, mentorship, and pathways to grow careers with a focus on leadership and design. Be empowered as we discuss how each of us can (and must!) step up to ensure a pipeline of future women leaders. Course expires 10/22/2026

This session will review the principles of acoustic design and how they affect indoor environmental quality, improving occupant comfort and well-being by using and understanding modern acoustical solutions and performance. We’ll learn about incorporating acoustics into the design process from concept to completion to ensure function, aesthetics and sustainability goals are being met and understand how acoustical standards, codes and guidelines can influence design decisions. This course was recorded live on December 5, 2024.

The integrative process relies on the series workshops that keep the project on track and the expanded team on the same page. But given all the considerations, planning a series of successful workshops can be a challenge, especially when integrating health. With the help of two case studies, this course will walk you through key considerations and goals for workshops in each phase of the design process. You will get an overview of how to keep your stakeholders engaged, the kinds of information you would present at each phase, and various facilitation techniques to ensure success even after the workshop is complete. Course expires on 9/13/2026.

You cannot control what curve-balls are thrown your way (yes, including a global pandemic), but you can control how you respond. When faced with adversity, feeling lost or even paralyzed, is completely normal, but within life's setback lies a silver lining: an opportunity to lean into the most incredible comeback - and growth - you could have ever imagined. Learn how to work through the five stages of a setback, increase your productivity levels, nurture meaningful business relationships in a virtual world, and build a powerful professional brand based on a strong foundation, mission, and creative, empathetic leadership. Course expires 10/31/2026.

Thursday, July 10, 2025  |  1:00-2:00pm EST This program will feature a panel discussion with authors of Prospering in the US - A Handbook for Immigrant Architects, a comprehensive guide published by the Immigrant Architect Coalition in 2024. This session will offer invaluable insights into navigating the architectural profession in the United States for immigrant architects. Panelists, who are themselves successful immigrant architects and designers, will share their experiences and practical advice on topics ranging from cultural acclimation to career development. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn directly from the contributors of this essential resource, gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities unique to immigrant architects seeking to build thriving and inclusive careers in the US. This program builds upon the mission of the Immigrant Architects Coalition to support their fellow immigrant architects through shared knowledge and mentorship.

Develop the skills to craft an effective marketing strategy for your architectural practice. We’ll begin by defining the fundamentals of marketing and uncovering the key traits that make services marketable. Then, we’ll dive into the four essential pillars of marketing, learning how to apply them effectively to elevate your practice within the architecture industry. You’ll learn how to create a marketing plan by first assessing your current market position and setting clear, achievable goals. Then, you’ll learn how to understand and reach your target audience—identifying and analyzing their needs and preferences. We’ll uncover a range of marketing tactics tailored to architectural services, including how to guide prospective clients through a marketing funnel—from first contact to agreement. Finally, we’ll introduce various analytic tools and metrics to help you track and evaluate your success.

​​Experiential design is uniquely human in nature. Designers and creators are challenged to bring a brand to life within a space, creating a meaningful connection through creativity and ingenuity, leaving a lasting impact. Join Lacy Maxwell, Founder and CEO of Lacy Maxwell Experiential, for a conversation about using humanity to inspire design. ​ Hosted by the Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community (REKC). Course expires 9/30/2026 This session was recorded live on November 8, 2023.

This session from the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series discusses thermodynamics and the laws of heat transfer and the application of these concepts to buildings to show how, where, and why heat flows through walls. Topics addressed include Fourier's Law, R-values and insulation, windows and fenestration, infiltration, control layers, and commissioning.   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.

Women are the future of architecture, and the future of architectural practice is working with existing buildings.  In 2022, existing buildings accounted for 53% of architectural billings, and the proportion is rising.  Building reuse is an essential component of achieving a more sustainable future.  Strategies for sustainable retrofitting can reduce a building’s energy use by half.  New tools for measuring embodied carbon reveal the true cost of demolition and reconstruction.    Renovation and adaptive reuse projects are often considered to be more complicated than new construction, and for good reasons.  The issues that are commonly encountered can be challenging, but by anticipating and planning for these conditions, projects can be completed more successfully and at a lower cost.  This session will address methods of analysis and documentation for existing buildings and will present strategies for improving energy performance, accessibility, and inclusion.  By developing expertise in existing buildings, architects can create a more sustainable practice that is better positioned to ride out economic downturns.  Women are well positioned to lead these trends.  The majority of professionals with degrees in both architecture and historic preservation are female.  We lead the field in both technical preservation and cultural preservation.  We are natural collaborators who understand how to engage stakeholders and set aside ego to achieve mutual interests.  These skill sets give us the power to affect both the environmental impact and the social impact of our built places.  We have the power--and a mandate--to transform the existing the built environment to become more sustainable, resilient, and relevant. Course expires 10/22/2026

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 the opportunity to earn 7.25 LU|HSW credits across six Solar Decathlon Building Science Education courses that aim to educate on: Where/how energy is used in buildings How to define zero energy buildings How to apply the fundamentals of thermodynamics to building envelope design How to explain the science of how/why buildings use energy How to apply this knowledge to design comfortable energy efficient buildings Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Over the past half-century, our development policies and practices have led to segregated communities with starkly disparate realities. This trend is creating a society with vast inequalities and institutionalizing these inequalities into the very fabric of American society. Our cities today are struggling to recalibrate our approaches to growth and development so that everyone can participate and share in its benefits. This session will highlight perspectives from community leaders working on the frontlines of anti-displacement and equitable development efforts. It will feature initiatives to heal divides and repair the urban fabric to create more equitable communities. The session will share practical lessons learned from a range of diverse experiences in major American cities that can provide guidance to other community practitioners, designers and civic leaders.  This session was recorded live on May 17, 2023.

This session from the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series, presents the fundamental physics of power and energy and discusses how and where buildings use energy. Topics addressed include the impacts of buildings using energy, measuring power and energy, energy flows in the United States, buildings and the electricity grid, reading an electricity bill, and energy codes. 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.