This is your go-to source for free AIA-approved continuing education for architects. Plus, almost all our courses are delivered in streaming HD video. Registration is fast and easy, just click on Login/Register above. Then, you can enroll in any of our courses found in any of our programs with a single click. Our courses meet or exceed NCARB's high standards for state board license renewal. AIA member? Your credit will be reported to AIA for you.
Neuroarchitecture is a design discipline that seeks to incorporate neuroscience into design to augment the built environment’s positive influence on the emotional and physical health of people.
...Read More
As architects and clients alike demand the creation of what’s next, design teams rely on new product systems and solutions to help them push the boundaries of form and function. This article profiles a few solutions that enable architects to create distinct building envelopes that don’t sacrifice on the efficient performance or sustainable design considerations that also occupy prominent spots on almost every client’s wish list.
HSW Justification:
This article explores solutions that enable architects to deliver a desired aesthetic that also performs efficiently and offers sustainable design benefits. For example, thermal barriers in the aluminum framing that hold the glazing in place allows architects to complete historic renovation projects that exceed thermal performance targets, without compromising the integrity of the historical aesthetic. Composite metal panel systems that support very unique applications and creative demands from design teams can also offer top-tier performance in terms of fire-, water-, and impact-resistance. Extruded aluminum trim beautifully meshes different types of exterior cladding, while helping the envelope to better manage moisture.
Learning Objective 1:
Explain how incorporating thermal barriers into the aluminum framing in the fenestration of the Crosstown Concourse helped the project become the world’s largest LEED Platinum historic rehabilitation project, while maintaining the integrity of its historic aesthetic.
Learning Objective 2:
Specify a composite metal panel system that offers the resistance to fire, water, and impact best-suited to the needs of a particular project.
Learning Objective 3:
List the aesthetic and sustainability-related benefits of specifying extruded aluminum trim on an exterior cladding.
Learning Objective 4:
Describe how the different finishes of precast concrete used in the façade of the Ale Asylum were reverse engineered to perfectly match the concept originally pitched and accepted by the city.
This course will teach students how to recognize non-compliant rooftop equipment support scenarios and will discuss their impact on safety and the public health, general welfare, and property value.
...Read More
NFPA 70, the national electrical code details 2 different types of Emergency Lighting Control Devices—devices that guarantee that life safety lighting will be on at desired illumination levels in the event of an emergency. This course will help mitigate the confusion regarding the specification of these devices and understand their applications in the real world.
Prerequisite Knowledge: Knowledge of life safety systems, particularly a high-level understanding of the purpose of emergency lighting inverters and generators. In particular, ISO-1001/ISO-1002 would be a perfect lead into this course.
HSW Justification: This deals with life safety, the safe egress, and illumination of buildings in the event of an emergency.
Learning Objective 1: Understand the background technology where ALCR and BCELTS devices need to be deployed.
Learning Objective 2: Learn the difference between the technologies and reviews how they sit within one-line diagrams.
Learning Objective 3: Understand some of the real world tradeoffs between the device types as it relates to wiring, proximity and ease of testing.
Learning Objective 4: Understand the integration of lighting controls with the different types of ELCDs and review some tricks for how to reduce costs in systems.
...Read More
This course will explore the cutting-edge union of design and technology by delving into parametric design and its symbiosis with digital fabrication, and how the vision is best achieved via vertically-integrated, technology-forward product manufacturers. We will also discuss strategies for effective collaboration with these manufacturers throughout the architectural design process.
Learning Objective 1: Students will learn about the use of parametric design in architecture, including its definition, history and current state.
Learning Objective 2: Students will learn about the marriage between parametric design and digital fabrication.
Learning Objective 3: Students will understand why vertical integration is an important operating model for product manufacturers looking to leverage parametric design.
Learning Objective 4: Students will understand how to partner with vertical manufacturers throughout the architectural design process and learn the advantages of this digital collaborative approach.
...Read More
Designing buildings for life safety and wellness is getting easier.
...Read More
The WELL Light concept promotes exposure to light and aims to create lighting environments that are optimal for visual, mental and biological health. This session explores the elements that make up the WELL Lighting concept and provides insights and recommendations for designing to these standards.
...Read More
Solar shading devices, while available in numerous weaves, textures, and colors, go beyond contributing to the aesthetics of a space. Specified correctly, solar shading devices can maximize daylighting benefits and contribute to occupant well-being, productivity, and engagement, while mitigating the detrimental effects of UV rays and glare.
Learning Objective 1:
Students will understand the benefits daylighting, including the psychological and physiological well-being of occupants, as well as its drawbacks, such as glare and solar heat gain
Learning Objective 2:
Students will become familiar with the types of solar shading fabrics available for use in commercial settings and their components, including operating systems, weave, color, and openness factor, and the ways in which these contribute to the control of daylighting.
Learning Objective 3:
Students will explore the benefits of solar shading devices that extend beyond light management, such as sound mitigation, sustainability, and antimicrobial properties.
Learning Objective 4:
Students will determine how to select the right fabric for an application, taking into account aesthetics and room conditions
Program: The Art and Technology of Lighting
This course will explore the use of exterior lighting to illuminate building facades, landscapes, pathways, plazas, and points of interest, like statues. Popular techniques (moonlighting, wall washing, grazing, etc.) will be defined and the performance of various lighting fixtures will be compared to help designers identify the fixtures best-suited for particular applications. Important considerations including: energy codes, dark sky criteria, and occupant safety will be addressed. The renovation of the exterior lighting at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, designed by Ardra Zinkon, will be profiled.
HSW Justification:
Exterior lighting can facilitate the enjoyment of an outdoor space and enhance the feeling of safety and security people experience in these areas, but the design of exterior lighting systems must accomplish more than bathing an area in illumination indiscriminately. Energy codes limit the amount of energy that the lighting system can consume and define lighting controls requirements to minimize energy waste. In addition, the Model Lighting Ordinance (MLO), developed by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), provides guidance on ways to reduce light pollution and glare that can be created by outdoor lighting. This course will provide designers with tips on how to create exterior lighting solutions that satisfy energy codes and dark sky criteria, while providing ample illumination to create beautiful and inviting outdoor spaces.
Learning Objective 1:
Create exterior lighting designs that provide the recommended levels of illumination for highlighting facades, supporting wayfinding, and accenting features of the outdoor space, while satisfying code-mandated energy use and controls requirements as well as dark sky criteria.
This article explores some of the latest products and solutions improving the air quality, thermal comfort, electric light, and daylight control that can be incorporated into a project. Each improves the wellness of the people in the built environment.
Learning Objective 1: Explain how air circulation improves thermal comfort and alertness.
Learning Objective 2: Describe the ways that increasing the presence of plants and greenery on a project have been shown to clean the air, reduce urban heat island effect, and positively affect the health and wellbeing of people in the built environment.
Learning Objective 3: Summarize how circadian LED lighting technology delivers health benefits—improving overall sleep quality, daytime productivity, and feelings of wellbeing—that modern architectural lighting lacks.
Learning Objective 4: Discuss how using an underfloor air distribution system (UFAD) improves indoor air quality.
Learning Objective 5: Identify the latest advancements in smart window technology that allows these solutions to control glare and solar heat gains, while maintaining views to the outdoors.
...Read More