American Institute of Architects

As the largest design organization in the world, AIA is working to transform the day-to-day practice of architecture to achieve a zero-carbon, resilient, healthy, just, equitable built environment, for everyone.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 599 results.

FIRST [1-25] [26-50] [51-75] [76-100] [101-125] NEXT LAST

  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Installing snow retention systems on rooftop applications improves the safety of building occupants and can decrease the risk of property damage. This course identifies different snow guard styles and explains how each contributes to snow retention. Installation techniques are reviewed, and layout designs that maximize occupant safety and minimize hazards are also discussed.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The AIA Materials Pledge identifies five impact areas that building products and materials can and should address: ecosystem health, social health and equity, circular economy, climate health, and human health. This course reviews the concepts, certifications, and tools designers can apply to choose materials that support these five impact areas, including the mindful MATERIALS Common Materials Framework (CMF), the industry’s first common language for sustainable building materials. Finally, the course presents practical examples of exemplary products and materials and assesses them using this framework.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Net zero energy ready buildings are a popular topic in today's world of climate change. This course explores how energy efficiency has expanded toward exterior wall assemblies, where thermal bridging and thermally broken subframing systems are becoming the new norm.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Access panels are covers for the openings in walls or ceilings that allow access to concealed equipment for the purpose of maintenance or replacement. This course provides a detailed understanding of architectural wall and ceiling access panels, including how they are specified, installed, and finished. Design and selection considerations such as ventilation options, safety, security, and fire-rated enclosures are also examined.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Trash, recycling, and linen chutes must be designed, installed, and maintained to meet the 2019 NFPA 82 standard. This course addresses trash, recycling, and linen chutes and includes discussions on system components, accessory components, compactors and sorters, and meeting NFPA 82 requirements. The program also guides you through a typical installation of a chute system.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 30 minutes ) 

    An ideal railing system enhances the appeal and value of a property and contributes to design as well as safety, while not requiring large amounts of time or money to maintain. This course presents an overview of railing system material options with a focus on aluminum and thermoplastic. The performance, design, and sustainability benefits of each material are discussed, along with mounting and aesthetic options. The course concludes with tips on selecting the right railing system for the project and case studies showcasing aluminum and thermoplastic railing system installations.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Often the largest access point in a building, sectional door systems play a significant role in controlling energy costs and supporting sustainable design in residential and commercial buildings. This course explores the specification considerations and the different types of sectional garage doors, as well as their role in enhancing the thermal performance of homes and commercial buildings.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Centralized mail and package delivery is often a last-minute design consideration that creates confusion due to the intersection of various federal compliance and accessibility requirements. This course explains how different mailbox installation types meet accessibility standards while remaining in federal and postal compliance and elevating mail areas from functional spaces to social ones.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    As urban areas become denser, land values increase, and the demand for space becomes more challenging, developers are seeking alternative, innovative approaches to parking cars that allow a project to proceed while meeting all parking and sustainability requirements. Automated parking systems, parking lifts, and multilevel car stackers provide multiple benefits for developments, car parking operations, and vehicle storage facilities. High-density parking systems can help to maximize ROI with a reduced parking footprint and better building flow; reduce construction costs and operational overheads; and improve safety, security, and sustainability. This course explains the types of high-density parking systems, their sustainable advantages, and design considerations.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 30 minutes ) 

    The principles, tools, and techniques for sustainable community planning (SCP) outlined in Part 1 of this course have evolved into various approaches to the actual implementation of SCP around the world. These approaches have been developed in response to local context and in communities ranging in size and form from large cities to small ecovillages and housing clusters. Part 2 of this course describes a number of these approaches for both land and water and also suggests a means of integrating them into a single, comprehensive planning model. The course concludes with case studies of a range of built sustainable community examples and planning exercises and includes some of the lessons learned.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Stairs are an essential component of a movement and wayfinding strategy in a structure and a primary means of egress, exit, and floor-to-floor access in the event of a fire or emergency for buildings with multiple floors or a change in rise. This course discusses stair and egress system design and evaluates why the design and fabrication of pre-engineered steel stairs create safe stair environments that comply with building codes.

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  • ( ~ 2 hours, 30 minutes ) 

    The magnitude and negative impacts of solid waste have become increasingly apparent, especially in regard to plastics and their presence in the oceans. As a result, there have been many approaches to rethinking what constitutes waste and how it can be avoided or used/managed in a more sustainable manner. This course explores these emerging approaches to waste management planning and illustrates them with current examples of solid waste management plans and initiatives from various countries around the globe. In the first part of this course, we’ll dig into the impact of our growing waste problem and some methods for rethinking this waste. In the second, we’ll provide guidance for the design of a sustainable community waste management plan.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    This course delves into the increasing and expanding role of outdoor living and its importance in households, businesses, and communities. Reviewed are the styles and specification considerations of aluminum shading products. The focus is pergolas and cabanas made with dual-walled aluminum louvers that seal completely to block rain and snow and complement any architectural style.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Vinyl membrane decking can prolong the life cycle of various building components; however, performance and durability depend on vinyl membrane selection, specification, and installation. Fortunately, vinyl membrane manufacturers can support architects, contractors, and specifiers through all phases of the project to ensure a successful outcome. This course examines walkable, waterproof roof deck membranes and roofing systems and includes discussions on system characteristics, design considerations, and how to properly specify roof deck membrane systems. 

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Building science experts have acknowledged the need for both drainage and ventilation in exterior wall systems in order to eliminate moisture issues and extend the life of buildings. This presentation reviews the concepts of rainscreen technology and the solutions for compliance with a focus on engineered rainscreen drainage and ventilation mats used in direct-applied and ventilated wall designs. Prerequisites: No Course Level: Introductory

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Natural fibers have been used for over 2,000 years as a method to strengthen building materials. Cellulose fiber provides an excellent alternative to traditional secondary reinforcement, reducing plastic shrinkage cracks and improving durability, impact resistance, shatter resistance, and freeze/thaw resistance without compromising the appearance or finishability of a concrete surface. This course covers the evolution of fiber, its benefits, and why it is a sustainable material.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Retrofitting and replacing roof systems are essential aspects of the construction industry and offer opportunities to reduce a building’s energy consumption. Sustainable retrofitting of roofs with durable, energy-efficient materials helps reduce waste and conserve resources while promoting ecofriendly building practices. This course gives an overview of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation and innovative roof systems that are designed to enhance building efficiency.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Seattle has ranked among the country’s fastest-growing cities since the mid-1990s, causing gentrification and displacement of vulnerable communities. For example, African Americans accounted for 73 percent of Seattle’s Central District (CD) population in 1970 and have fallen to less than 14 percent today. As a result, Black churches in the CD face difficult decisions about whether to stay or relocate. However, the churches own property and other assets and, working as a network, could mitigate this gentrification and displacement through strategic real estate development. This vision is advanced by the Nehemiah Initiative Seattle, a collaboration focused on developing the significant real estate assets of Black churches to stabilize and benefit the CD’s African American community. Since 2019, the Nehemiah Initiative has been collaborating with the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington through a series of interdisciplinary design studios focused on this vision. This presentation provides a brief history of Seattle’s Central District, an overview of the Nehemiah Initiative, and the mutual benefits of collaboration between the academy and the community.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Today—as climate change, population growth, and record droughts present an unprecedented strain on our water supply—conservation technology is building awareness to the importance of having the most water efficient fixtures in a home or business. This course recognizes the flush toilet as one of the biggest users of water and discusses how toilet design is pushing flush technology to develop ways for homes and commercial buildings to conserve water without sacrificing the performance of the toilet. Industry testing protocols and the water-saving capabilities of different technologies are evaluated.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Understanding how insulated metal panels comply with fire safety regulations under the code is critical to their proper use in creating highly energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. This course takes a relatively complex subject and addresses the most important fire safety aspects to allow building designers to make an informed decision on the use of these popular cladding systems. Also reviewed are how these products have been addressed in the development of the International Building Code and the various third-party product listings, evaluation reports, and engineering judgements used to show compliance.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Incorporating nature into the built environment through biophilic design increases occupant well-being, productivity, and health and is an integral component of an ecologically healthy and sustainable community. Presented here is an overview of biophilic design, its relationship to sustainability, and its positive human, environmental, and economic outcomes. Case studies demonstrate how rooftop deck systems can contribute to biophilic and sustainable design objectives.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    Interlocking concrete pavers (ICP) have the ability to spread applied loads via the interlock between each unit. This means that the surface does not respond structurally as single pavers but as a composite paved surface. This structural characteristic of ICP allows the design method for these pavements to be based on flexible pavement design. In this course, we examine the ASCE and ICPI structural design methods for ICP and review examples using different soil strengths/stiffnesses and traffic uses. Finally, we survey the design and construction support material and software available from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials throughout the world, and as such, it is in everyone’s best interest to consider more sustainable options. This course provides an overview of the properties of slag cement. Discussion topics include benefits, effects on plastics and hardened concrete, environmental profile including life cycle analysis (LCA) and environmental product declarations (EPDs), and various slag cement applications.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Acrylic solid surface and quartz materials provide versatile solutions for designs that balance aesthetics, durability, and health. This course examines their performance benefits, emerging design trends, and real-world applications, highlighting key specification considerations. Also reviewed are how acrylic solid surface and quartz materials may help meet credit requirements in the LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction and Interior Design and Construction rating systems and the WELL Building Standard™ v2.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    In this course, we will explore the features and outdoor applications of elevated deck systems that enable architects to optimize outdoor spaces with functionality, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal, creating attractive and safe spaces for occupants. This course covers the system components for practical applications in various settings, offering insights into proprietary pedestal systems.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 599 results.

FIRST [1-25] [26-50] [51-75] [76-100] [101-125] NEXT LAST