This course is one of a series of ten courses about the reasons to conduct and methods to accomplish effective predesign planning in architecture to identify client goals, user and community needs, and codes and regulations. The various phases of architectural projects are described and the information the predesign planner must develop for project feasibility, site suitability, master planning, and predesign planning are discussed. The course focuses on predesign planning for schematic design, design development, and construction drawings. It stresses the importance of discovering the values that become critical issues for each phase of predesign planning. A case study shows how predesign planning impacts the various phases of project planning. Exercises and references allow the reader to develop knowledge about and skills in project planning. Each course of this ten-part series can be taken individually. This course was last revised in 2022.

Whether it is a house museum, a residence, a courthouse, or a church, every building must be safe to enter, use, and exit. It is as important to understand a building’s significance and authenticity as it is to be able to identify the existing materials and conditions of the building envelope, structural system, and mechanical systems. Once these issues, features, and significance are understood, a team can be created who will work with the owner to identify what planning documents are appropriate to meet the needs of the project. The primary purpose of “How to Plan, Design, & Construct the Preservation Project” is to discuss how to develop and plan the design and preservation approach and process for historic buildings. This course is the third of the five-part Historic Preservation series. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

The design professional is faced with the tremendous challenge of anticipating, predicting, and mitigating against all possible modes of failure. This course addresses errors that occur at the earliest concept and planning stages of a project, with examples of past failures and discussions of how they could have been avoided. This course is one of a six-part series that investigates the sources of building failure. Each part can be taken as an individual course. In 2022, this material was reviewed and updated to remain timely but was not extensively rewritten.

This course addresses those elements that comprise the standard of care and the linkage to liability that an architect faces during a project’s pursuit, negotiation, design, and construction document production and the construction administration process that affects the architect’s standard of care. This course was last revised in 2021.

This course provides an overview of the Model Rules of Conduct pertaining to conflicts of interest, with actual and hypothetical cases illustrating the issues of compensation and disclosure, as well as a discussion of how to best understand the concept of a conflict of interest. This course is part of a five-part series that reviews and discusses the standards all architects are legally obliged to follow. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

Wildfire damage mitigation has become increasingly important as wildfires themselves steadily increase in frequency, size, and ferocity, putting more communities, buildings, and lives at risk. The property damage they cause is rising even more dramatically. This course examines wildfire behavioral attributes and the wide range of wildfire damage mitigation techniques that architects can implement when designing residential and commercial buildings. It draws from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines that range from risk assessment to site analysis and selection, community and infrastructure connections, site planning, and building and envelope detail design techniques.

This course focuses on practice management from the perspective of supporting both public welfare and client interests through enhanced service delivery. The emphasis on public welfare is critically important because architects, as professionals and service providers, must prefer client interests over their own, and when the issues are clear, they must prefer public interests over both. This suggests that, if circumstances warrant, architects must raise client values to align them with public values. Indeed, the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct implores members to “promote and serve the public interest.” So how can architects and their practices best operationalize professional obligations to clients and the public? They can engage in the following strategies that are discussed in the course: Provide public interest professional services. Share practice knowledge and experience with colleagues and the public. Conduct practice-based research. Investigate emerging technologies. Cultivate firm culture that supports learning and innovation and includes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) initiatives. Collaborate effectively to facilitate client and stakeholder relations.

Soil and subsurface water conditions affect the design and performance of building projects. Therefore, it is important to recognize the problems of working with ground materials for the purposes of building and site construction and general site-surface development. This course discusses site development considerations, the management of site materials, and what can go wrong along the way. This course is part of a four-part series that examines soil mechanics as it relates to building construction and performance. Each part can be taken as an individual course. This course was last revised in 2022.

The way in which combat veterans perceive their postdeployment environment is impacted by their training and military experiences. In this course, we explore common environmental perceptions among veterans that reflect the unseen trauma these soldiers carry with them. These perceptions are used to analyze and determine architectural solutions that help calm the unseen trauma of America’s combat veterans.

As design professionals seek more creative and effective solutions to new challenges that arise as the world continues to change and evolve, biomimicry can be the source of inspiration to inform and expand the design process. This course provides an introduction to the concepts and principles of biomimicry in order to use the information to solve design problems such as sustainability issues. Specific examples are included of how nature was the inspiration used to solve challenges over time and how those ideas have influenced the present approach to biomimicry in the design process. Questions are provided to stimulate discussion within a project team and help organize a practical and effective way to communicate and incorporate biomimicry into a project. Building product and project examples offer design inspiration, a way of thinking applied to a project, and lessons learned from the process.

This course provides practical advice about security considerations in both the business operations and project delivery aspects of architecture practice. Hypothetical design examples are presented to demonstrate the application of security strategies and measures to selected building functions. This course is part of an eight-part series that covers concepts, principles, and processes for incorporating enhanced security into the design of new and existing buildings. Each section can be taken as an individual course. This course was last revised in 2022.

The schematic design phase is generally considered to include approximately 30 percent of the project design and offers the best opportunity to prevent future moisture and mold problems. This course addresses the architectural and mechanical considerations for making the critical design decisions during this phase. Mitigating moisture and mold problems will protect the public health, safety, and welfare in our buildings. This course is part of a four-part series that discusses how to improve building performance related to mold and moisture issues. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

The reader of this course receives a quick refresher on the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the current 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, as well as the approach for the design professional to use in meeting the requirements of the 2010 Standards in any given project. Discussions and case studies clarify the use of the 2010 Standards and highlight common mistakes found in their application in new construction and renovation. Finally, the course highlights elements of design that are now part of the 2010 Standards but were not addressed by earlier Standards. This course was last revised in 2022.

This course provides an introduction to green building standards and certification systems in use around the world with an emphasis on differentiating between single-attribute and multiattribute programs. Following green building standards and certification system guidelines leads to buildings that are healthier for their occupants, have a lower impact on the environment, and protect public welfare. The development, benefits, and application of the certification and rating systems are also discussed in order to effectively select and apply the appropriate ones to a project. This course is part of a six-part series that presents practical guidelines for designing sustainable buildings. Each section can be taken as an individual course. This course was last revised in 2022.

This course provides an overview of NCARB’s Model Rules of Conduct as they apply to competence, with actual and hypothetical cases illustrating the importance of attention to detail, listening carefully, and thinking like an engineer as a means of ensuring competence in the practice of architecture. This course is part of a five-part series that reviews and discusses the standards all architects are legally obliged to follow. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

This course provides an overview of the Model Rules of Conduct as applicable to accountability, with actual and hypothetical cases illustrating the importance of the designer having detailed knowledge of the content of the plans during their preparation as a means of exerting accountability in the practice of architecture. This course is part of a five-part series that reviews and discusses the standards all architects are legally obliged to follow. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

This course provides an overview of the Model Rules of Conduct pertaining to honesty, with actual and hypothetical cases illustrating the issues related to corruption and bribery in the practice of architecture. Also included is a discussion of the difficulties in applying the rule forbidding the wanton disregard of the rights of others. This course is part of a five-part series that reviews and discusses the standards all architects are legally obliged to follow. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

Work experience under supervision is a requirement for architectural licensure throughout the United States. This course explains NCARB’s requirements for supervision in the Architectural Experience Program®, as well as practical and ethical considerations for supervisors and mentors. The course explains learning science related to professional training, how to give useful feedback, how to utilize the AXP to provide structured experience, and considerations of unconscious biases which may affect licensure candidates in their professional development. Case study examples help learners to better understand how to apply the concepts described. Anyone who is approving experience or mentoring a licensure candidate will find value in this course.

This is a required training course for those who have accepted the role of reviewing an AXP Portfolio for an employee they supervise. It explains the supervisor’s role and obligations in the licensure process for the candidate.

This course provides an overview of registration rules for architects, with a discussion of the meaning of the practice of architecture and the design professional. The requirement for state-by-state registration, the reason for registration, and penalties for failing to do so are also addressed. This course is part of a five-part series that reviews and discusses the standards all architects are legally obliged to follow. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

One of a series of ten courses about the reasons to conduct and methods to accomplish effective predesign planning in architecture, this course discusses the various approaches to predesign planning used over the years. It includes various terms and definitions for predesign planning and covers in detail client-based, design-based, knowledge-based, and consensus-based predesign planning. It advocates for value-based predesign planning, beginning with a deep search for the important values relating to a project. It then utilizes the best aspects of the other approaches to predesign planning to produce predesign plans. Exercises and references allow the reader to develop knowledge about value-based predesign planning. Each part of this ten-part series can be taken as an individual course.

One of a series of ten courses about the reasons to conduct and methods to accomplish effective predesign planning in architecture, this course discusses how to develop and present a final predesign plan. It covers predesign plan format, content, preliminaries, and executive summary before extensive discussion and illustration of how to present values, goals, facts, needs, and ideas in either a paper or electronic format. Space identification and allocation, relationship matrices and diagrams, space planning sheets, budget and cost analysis, project schedule, and design ideas are all discussed and illustrated. Exercises and references allow the reader to gain the knowledge and skills needed to develop and present a predesign plan. Each part of this ten-part series can be taken as an individual course.

This is the second of five courses focusing on methods used in predesign planning. Like the doctor trying to make a medical diagnosis by talking with the patient, the predesign planner makes an architectural diagnosis by interviewing stakeholders in a project. A successful diagnostic interview identifies the primary values and goals of the client(s), staff, and users of a proposed facility. This course covers the techniques and tools required to conduct successful diagnostic interviews. It shows how to plan and conduct these interviews both in person and online. Exercises and references allow the reader to develop knowledge and skills about diagnostic interviewing. Each course of this ten-part series can be taken as an individual course. This course was last revised in 2022.

One of a series of ten courses about the reasons to conduct and methods to accomplish effective predesign planning in architecture, this course shows how to use the value-seeking and information-gathering methods described in the previous courses to conduct a comprehensive analysis of site and climate for a project. It discusses site and climate considerations and techniques and tools used in site and climate analysis. It includes case studies of two projects in very different site and climate situations to demonstrate how site and climate impact architectural design. Exercises and references allow the reader to develop knowledge and skills in site and climate analysis and how to incorporate them into a predesign plan. Each course of this ten-part series can be taken individually. This course was last revised in 2022.

Living, regenerative, and adaptive design incorporates interrelated, innovative concepts that challenge traditional building paradigms and even standards for sustainable design. It is possible to create living, regenerative, and adaptive buildings by considering them as dynamic and interactive structures. Their design utilizes inventive approaches and technologies that seek to integrate and restore the natural environment rather than just addressing the building design itself. This course provides an introduction to the concepts and principles of living, regenerative, and adaptive design and helps the learner differentiate between them. The course also offers strategies to consider incorporating into a project, including creating buildings that generate their own energy, recycle their own water, improve the environment and the quality of life for occupants, and adapt to changing weather or conditions. Examples demonstrate how these strategies have been effectively implemented in projects. Case studies offer inspiration and lessons learned from the process.

The course “Indoor Air Quality Overview” is the first of six courses in the learning program, “Indoor Air Quality for Architects: Design Buildings to Promote Health and Wellness.” This introductory course is designed to educate architects on fundamental indoor air quality (IAQ) concepts, including the relationship between IAQ and indoor environmental quality (IEQ), health impacts related to IAQ, common contaminants, and how contaminants may be measured. This course defines the architect’s role and the role of the broader building design, construction, and management team in promoting acceptable IAQ, and includes references and resources that architects may find useful when evaluating designs for IAQ considerations.

The course “IAQ in Practice - Building Moisture” is the fifth of six courses in the learning program, “Indoor Air Quality for Architects: Design Buildings to Promote Health and Wellness.” This course is designed to educate architects on the benefits and risks of building-related moisture as it pertains to indoor air quality. The key factors in successful moisture management include understanding that you cannot prevent all moisture from penetrating a building, designing to minimize moisture penetration, and providing opportunities for drainage and drying.

The design of complex objects involving many people and functions requires careful management if progress is to be made toward a successful conclusion. This course examines the role of design management in seismic performance. Particular attention is paid to the use of construction observation and performance-based design as approaches that can be used to design structures with predictable and defined seismic performance goals. Also reviewed are a variety of design resources that can be used by architects when designing for seismic mitigation. This is the last in a series of six courses on seismic mitigation. Each part may be taken as an individual course. This 2021 edition is a substantial update of the original Seismic course first published in 2017.