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 611 results.

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

  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Architectural finishes mimic the aesthetics and textures of natural materials without the cost, labor, weight, and maintenance challenges of finishes such as wood, stone, leather, and metals. This course discusses their performance characteristics, selection considerations, and proper installation techniques for interior and exterior commercial applications, including fire-rated assemblies and LEED®-certified projects.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    This course is designed to help the commercial building team understand how to best use new products introduced into the market for building enclosures. These innovative products and systems assist in combining multiple steps of a traditional commercial exterior assembly, such as structure, fire, water, air, thermal, vapor, and acoustic control layers, into fewer steps. The course reviews various hybridized sheathing solutions and shows how the integration of advanced technology has improved performance, capability, and sustainability.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Modern commercial, industrial, and multifamily projects demand seamless integration between site access points and building systems. This course reviews how innovative proprietary systems can be adopted to create a comprehensive, safe, secure, and easy-to-use control system, from gate operators and barrier arms to interior keypads and overhead doors. Also discussed is how the technology platform connects the necessary hardware and software in a unified, scalable solution that enhances security and access control and simplifies access management across various building areas. Lastly, some real-world examples are presented to highlight these integrated solutions, showcasing the value of specifying compatible system components from a single source versus fragmented system parts.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Recent events have emphasized the importance of proper hygiene, especially in public restrooms. Presented here is a discussion on which public restroom surfaces commonly promote the spread of germs and how touchless sink faucets can be used to reduce the proliferation of harmful bacteria. Design professionals will learn about water treatment and filtration options and water system management strategies, and how to apply preventative measures to create hygienic public restrooms that support public safety.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Play and music are both essential parts of our lives. When we can combine music and play together in a fun and engaging space, the benefits are numerous, no matter your age. This course discusses why play and music education perform such a critical role in the development of happy, healthy children. We'll discuss the copious amounts of research that tell us that music education has real-life benefits, such as increased IQ, language development, and social engagement, and the role music plays within multiple therapies for the elderly and those suffering from mental illnesses. The course finishes with an overview of how to design musical play spaces for safety and inclusivity.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Rainscreens are a multicomponent system offering redundancy in resisting the weather; however, continuity of each component is critical. When an insulated metal panel (IMP) is used within the system, it can function as a number of these components, simplifying installation and improving performance. This course looks at IMPs acting as barrier walls behind various rainscreen systems, with a discussion on the performance characteristics for air, water, vapor, and thermal management.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    A growing number of high-rise fire incidents around the world have raised awareness about the fire safety performance of taller structures. Timing for containing a high-rise fire is critical, as high numbers of occupants have limited means of escape. Vertical fire spread along the exterior facade may quickly overwhelm firefighters at ground level, especially if it advances to heights beyond the reach of their ground attack. This course looks at issues surrounding high-rise fires, how they spread, and how following building codes and proper material testing can lessen the risk or impact of these blazes.

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  • ( ~ 15 minutes ) 

    The first course of this series from the Carbon Leadership Forum provides a high-level overview of embodied carbon: how it is defined, its significance in the global climate crisis, and how it is impacted by the construction industry. In addition, the course examines procurement policies as an embodied carbon reduction strategy—in particular, the Buy Clean policies, their uptake in the US, and their key elements.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The architectural uses for perforated metal span a wide variety of interior and exterior applications for residential, industrial, and commercial projects. Reviewed in this course are the applications and the specification considerations for standard and custom perforated metal, along with a discussion on how it is used to sculpt light, control sound, and compose views.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Healthcare facilities are now striving to meet the needs of all patients to offer not only healthy and safe spaces, but inclusive spaces as well. Recent advances in plumbing design for healthcare facilities are helping to keep all patients and caregivers safe and healthy. This course reviews innovations in plumbing design and how these designs support trending healthcare needs such as ADA patients, bariatric patients, behavioral healthcare, and infection prevention.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The recent shift towards protecting the environment has also brought about a better understanding of our innate need to reconnect with our natural surroundings. This is known as biophilia. In this course, we will examine the elements of biophilic design and how to implement biophilic design strategies, known to improve physical and mental well-being of occupants. The use of resilient flooring in commercial applications offers an opportunity to implement biophilic design.

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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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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Ensure your turf, plants, and trees are getting the appropriate water—in the right quantity, with the proper safety, at the highest efficiency—to reflect your unique landscape environment. This course addresses the most important factors to be considered to achieve optimal performance. At the “root” of an effective irrigation system is proper water volume, pressure, and safety.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Building a stronger connection with nature is critical for humans to maintain health and well-being. Composite wood decking is a durable, environmentally sustainable product that can help build links with nature through applications including home outdoor rooms, roof gardens, healing spaces, and public boardwalks in green spaces.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    The implementation of synthetic surfacing for leisure and performance applications is rapidly growing. Artificial materials such as synthetic turf (grass), synthetic green walls, and poured-in-place and court surfacing often outperform their natural counterparts. Additionally, increased safety standards and design expectations have accelerated innovation in the materials available to designers. This course outlines synthetic surfacing options and examines synthetic turf systems, detailing their design considerations, performance features, sustainability and health benefits, and associated return on investment (ROI).

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Bicycling is a healthy activity that improves cardiovascular health and reduces obesity and disease. It can be an excellent mode of transportation for people of all ages. Biking is increasingly becoming the first choice as an alternative means of transportation, but bicycles require safe and secure storage. This course discusses bicycle parking options that meet security, durability, and aesthetic standards.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour, 15 minutes ) 

    There is an extremely wide array of coated or composite fabrics available on the market, each type formulated for specific uses and with different levels of performance and quality. To assist in the decision-making process, standards have been developed to show product performance, facilitate quality control, and assure designers that the product they are specifying is suitable for normal commercial use. This course briefly outlines the history, properties, and uses of coated fabrics, the intent and content of one coated fabric standard, and the testing protocols that support it.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Unwanted sound can become more than a mere annoyance. Excess noise has been found to increase stress and distraction, reduce learning and productivity, and even lead to hypertension and permanent hearing loss. This course presents an overview of how sound is described and measured and describes the many industrial and architectural products available to control noise in virtually any environment.

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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 ) 

    The planet is currently in a water scarcity crisis, which is significantly affected by toilet water usage. This course examines the current plumbing codes, standards, and regulations that address toilet water usage, the need for and benefits of going beyond current standards, and the goals of a variety of beyond-the-code voluntary standards and rating systems, such as LEED v4 BD+C and ICC 700 National Green Building Standard®. It explains the various types of low-flow and ultra-low-flow toilets, their pros and cons, and their selection criteria. It concludes with a sampling of successful cost- and water-saving installations.

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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 ) 

    Natural stone pathways offer functional, sustainable solutions that maximize user enjoyment of outdoor spaces without compromising aesthetics. This course reviews pathway material options in terms of durability, appearance, and financial and environmental costs and benefits. The focus is on three natural stone pathway mixes, designed to meet the permeability, erosion resistance, accessibility, traffic level, and installation and maintenance requirements of any project. Also reviewed are how these materials may contribute toward credits in the LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction and Sustainable SITES Initiative® (SITES®) v2 rating systems.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Animals, plants, and microbes are engineers of what works and lasts on earth. Biomimicry is a practice in which nature’s designs, patterns, and strategies are examined to find sustainable solutions to our technical and design problems. This course discusses how applying the concepts of biomimicry can better connect our designs and buildings with nature and examines the relationship between nature’s solutions to light, heat, glare control, and shading design principles.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Stormwater management is critical in an era when severe storms and sewer overflows are increasing in many areas. In urban contexts where open space is at a premium, using on-structure bioretention planters can be the ideal approach. This course explores the benefits of bioretention and how bioretention planters reduce peak flows and improve water quality. The course also discusses how bioretention planters should be designed, can perform as amenities, and contribute to meeting the requirements of green building certification programs.

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  • ( ~ 1 hour ) 

    Polished concrete combines style, eco-friendliness, durability, and cost effectiveness, making it a standout choice in flooring for architects and building owners. This course explores polished concrete, its benefits, and its role in sustainability efforts. It covers various job types, their specific requirements, the process of using polished concrete, and the importance of mock-ups, protective treatments, and maintenance for long-lasting results.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 611 results.

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