Industry surveys show that many AE firms rely on outdated software or spreadsheets to manage their business information, leading to inefficiencies and reduced profitability. In the webinar, we'll cover new business automation technologies, beyond CAD & BIM, that boost efficiency and engagement for all firm members, regardless of size. Join us to learn how you can break free of these obsolete tools, eliminate repetitive, mundane work, and return to doing the work you enjoy most. Prepare to be inspired by one of the most accomplished and forward-thinking experts in the AE industry! We invite you to attend this dynamic webinar led by Steven Burns, FAIA, a visionary with nearly 40 years of entrepreneurial and AE business consulting experience. As the founder of The Well-Designed Firm and former Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software, Steve has witnessed the full spectrum of the industry – from the best to the worst.

This ANSI/CSA/UL safety-certified classification of fireplace preserves the indoor air quality while all the exhaust gases are vented outdoors. The requirement for qualified installation and service is emphasized throughout the presentation. Terms and definitions found in the installation manuals are discussed to ensure all clearances, codes, and requirements are understood. Always instruct new owners on the safe handling and operation of the appliance, for everyday use and in case of an emergency (including the location of the gas shut-off). We will define different models and sizes of traditional heated rated & custom decorative rated gas fireplaces.

A detectable warning surface is a surface feature designed to warn the visually impaired of hazards on a circulation path. Both the ADA accessibility guidelines and State of California regulations require detectable warning surfaces at a number of public right of way locations. This course looks at current guidelines and regulations for detectable warning surfaces, types of surfaces and methods of implementing these regulations.

There are many ways to analyze profit and understand profit. Typically, principals and accountants alike look at how much money is in your firm’s bank account at the end of the year. In this webinar, we will go much deeper and review the metrics and tools necessary to understand both your project profitability and your firm profitability. We will define a critical KPI, the cost rate multiplier, and review the difference between utilization rate and efficiency rate. We will also define what your billing target per month should be in order to reach your goals.

This session will provide an overview of the foundations of sustainability and material health for the purpose of identifying contextual solutions and strategies for designing healthy buildings. Participants will learn how certifications and declarations can help them design healthy buildings. It shouldn't be a battle for the best label, but rather the best products for your building.

Discuss the meaning of biomimetric design and how it can affect commercial shading solutions for heat, light and glare control.

As urban areas become more dense, 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. High-density parking (HDP) systems are able to park 30% - 400% more vehicles than a traditional garage in the same amount of space. This course explains the origins, history, and types of high-density parking. The sustainable advantages of HDP systems are examined and design considerations are discussed.

Business intelligence opens up a world of possibilities for A/E and Design professionals. It gives you unprecedented visibility into your practice and makes it simple to identify—and seize—opportunities for growth. Attend this webinar to discover the practical applications of this cutting-edge technology, which boosts profits and positions your firm as a leader in the years to come. You’ll learn how principals, partners, CFOs, and other managers are using business intelligence to streamline their daily tasks, gain a competitive advantage, and grow their organizations like never before.

The purpose of this presentation is to identify the principal social, economic, environmental, and human performance factors driving sustainable shading and day lighting design. Strategies essential to optimize thermal performance and interior illumination to enhance occupant well-being will be featured in the discussion, including modeling. The intent is to provide a fundamental understanding to support the design and specification of sustainable shading and day lighting systems. Identify economic, environmental and human performance factors that drive shading and day lighting design practices.

A real-time view into the activity of employees, projects, and firm financials through dashboards, reports, and scorecards is required to maintain a profitable practice. Tracking this information shows trends over time and provides critical information you need to adjust your business decisions around staffing, business development, and even firm culture. During this course, you will discover the most important KPIs to look at and learn a system for tracking this information month-over-month to reflect your firm's trends.

Are you an architect or engineer seeking to enhance your client and project management abilities while securing long-term success for your firm? The primary objective for every firm is to generate value. This value stems from the loyalty and trust you cultivate with your clients. From initial interactions with potential clients to delivering exceptional service through effective project management, your responsibilities extend far beyond the completion of a project. This webinar reviews each step of the ideal project process and includes 10 strategies your firm can implement to achieve financial stability and increase profit margins, which will not only alleviate financial stress but enable your firm to recruit top talent, attract the right clients, and grow. Prepare to be inspired by one of the most accomplished and forward-thinking experts in the AE industry! We invite you to attend this dynamic webinar led by Steven Burns, FAIA, a visionary with nearly 40 years of entrepreneurial and AE business consulting experience. As the founder of The Well-Designed Firm and former Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software, Steve has witnessed the full spectrum of the industry – from the best to the worst.

The project plan (aka, proposal) is built on scope, schedule, and cost. The project plan is like the flight plan that pilots file prior to taking off. It shows the intended route, speed, and arrival time. Sometimes the wind speed or direction changes or bad weather disrupts traffic. Our projects are like that, too. Unforeseen things happen. Having a plan allows us to determine whether we’re on course and can help steer us back to an on-time, on-budget arrival. It also helps us spot and manage Scope Creep, which is uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope, at any point after the project begins. The ability to manage scope creep and other project changes will greatly impact the success of your projects.

A recent poll of economists from The Wall Street Journal stated that the chances of seeing a recession in 2023 are 61%. However, while most industries and families may be tightening their budgets, quite the opposite may be true for those who work for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. According to the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast’s 2023 update, “this year is expected to produce further growth in construction spending, but at a more moderate pace.” Join four seasoned AE thought leaders as they review the facts, give advice, and take your questions about how to keep your firm thriving during uncertain economic times.

Understanding the performance of building materials in real-world conditions is key to a successful building design. Recent studies have shown that the commonly reported R-values of polyisocyanurate foams at room temperature may overstate their real-world performance in cooler temperatures. This decline in R-value is driven by complex phase change mechanisms, which modify the foam's insulation performance. Insulations not performing to the expected levels may result in gaps in designed building enclosure assembly performance and quality. In this course, through a theoretical framework and empirical data, it is shown that optimized polyisocyanurate foam insulation results in better insulation performance leading to improved energy savings and reduced potential for condensation. Participants are encouraged to explore innovative insulation materials, understand differences between them, and match optimal materials to specific applications, while meeting modern construction codes and regulations. By matching the right insulation materials to the application, architects can contribute to energy-efficient and cost-conscious construction practices, and help buildings reduce their impact on the environment

Over time urban parks and other open landscaped areas are being lost to development. One solution to mitigate this issue is to reconsider undeveloped areas such as building roofs to create green amenity spaces. Amenity decks can provide some alleviation of lost green space, while affording developers the potential to monetize unutilized spaces in their buildings and provide an advantage over older buildings to attract tenants.

This fast-paced and informative webcast moves through three modules: 1) How our Engineered Insulation Products help builders solve their biggest problem - a shortage of skilled labor. 2) Graphite Polystyrene (GPS) - what it is and why we use it to make some of our key engineered insulation product lines. 3) Builder Success Stories - real world examples of our Engineered Insulation Products helping builders achieve their goals as they overcome jobsite and building science challenges.

When considering the building enclosure, fire safety is an important design factor and needs to be considered hand-in-hand with energy code requirements. The NFPA 285 “Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Non-Load-Bearing Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components” is a critical consideration with modern building assemblies incorporating combustible materials in non-combustible construction. This presentation will review the history and scope of the NFPA 285 test standard, and its adoption within the International Building Code (IBC). It will outline the criteria for compliance, as well as identify triggers and contributors under the standard. The presentation will review how the selection building components such as insulation, air/water resistive barriers and claddings, can affect the fire performance of an assembly, and identify solutions and common paths for compliance.

The session will explore innovative approaches to streamline AEC workflows through automation, reducing manual tasks, optimizing data management, and refining project schedules. Participants will learn how to enhance project collaboration and increase profitability by leveraging technology to streamline communication and teamwork. Attendees will also gain valuable insights into the latest AEC tools and how to integrate emerging technologies for enhanced building design, construction, and operation. Moreover, the webinar provides an opportunity for knowledge sharing among AEC professionals, allowing them to learn from each other's experiences in improving project collaboration and achieving greater profitability.

Roofing technologies have come a long way from labor-intensive systems that achieved water tightness through redundancy. Today’s single-ply thermoplastic membrane systems are lightweight, consistently manufactured, and efficient to install. This course focuses on thermoplastic single-plies, particularly those that are PVC based, and explores their benefits and limitations. It also identifies the important factors to consider when selecting a roof system, including fastening techniques, warranties, safety, and sustainability.

All AE consulting firms want their projects to be as profitable as possible; however, most will identify their biggest project management pitfall as: doing work outside of the scope (aka scope creep), which greatly reduces profits. Depending on the size of your firm, scope creep could cost you thousands, or even millions, of dollars annually. While this is a common and debilitating challenge that most firms face, the reality is that by installing a few simple processes you can greatly reduce scope creep on your projects. These strategies should be learned and implemented by every project professional as early on as possible in their careers.

Culled from experiences working with more than 3,000 AE firms over 25 years, this session will examine the seven common denominators of every successful firm. Success comes in many flavors. For some, it’s money; for others, it is peer recognition, awards, or fame; for most of us, it’s having access to challenging or exciting projects. Regardless of how you measure success, by adopting these Seven Pillars you will create the framework from which you and every member of your firm can achieve their professional goals.

Great project managers are sometimes under-appreciated and overlooked. They are not the architect who designs the building or produces the drawings, but they are an integral role for any A & E firm. Most small and medium firms rarely have proper training or mentorship for project managers. In this course, we will discuss an overview of the skillset and training necessary to hire or manage an effective project manager.

Creating your ideal business structure is more than just deciding if you are an S Corp, LLP, or sole practitioner. This webinar dives into the various options of business structures and the benefits of each type. Equally as important, we’ll develop an accountability chart and define the difference between an organization chart and an accountability chart. Douglas Teiger, FAIA, will guide you through this process whether you are a 1-person firm, 5-person firm or 25-person firm.

This course delves into the types, composition, performance features, and applications of LVF and SPC flooring designed for durable and aesthetically pleasing solutions for commercial and residential applications.

This presentation will introduce the concept of using interlocking pavers in urban roadways as part of a new trend in American cities to create pathways and streets where pedestrians and vehicles share space. The European concept known as “woonerf” is a design principle that creates or retrofits low-speed roadways by incorporating traffic calming measures to create shared-space streets to reduce traffic speeds and promote the idea of the street as a public space where people can move freely from connected pathways, parking lots and buildings. The presentation addresses how paver systems work and can aid in defining use through creative colors and patterns. Issues related to public access, wheelchair comfort and safety are also addressed. Finally, the program concludes with an update on the latest industry research on the traffic calming benefits of concrete pavers.