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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.

Sustainable Resiliency with Garden Roofs

Designing with green roofs affords design professionals opportunities to plan projects with exciting new elements, added value, and significant, tangible benefits, thereby enhancing the built environment with newly-created landscapes. This course examines green roof systems, including the types, benefits, components, and related standards. It also reviews a number of installations that demonstrate these principles.

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Reducing Fire Risk at the Perimeter of High Rise Structures

High rise fires are not new to us. In fact, we have seen an increase in fire incidents in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in the last 5-10 years that have amplified awareness on fire safety performance of taller structures. High rise buildings present a greater risk with an increased number of occupants that have a limited means of escape in the event of a fire. That is why the time element for containing a fire is so critical. Also, as we have seen in actual fires, vertical fire spread at the exterior façade can rapidly overwhelm fire fighters means of interceding the fire from ground level. As the fire accelerates and upward spread progresses, it often reaches a height beyond the reach of fire services water streams. That is why containing a fire and preventing it from spreading vertically is so critical for both occupant and first responder safety.

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Bird Friendly Glass Solutions

Architecture tells us a great deal about society. In fact, glass and glazing are used to blur the lines between inside and out, helping elevate performance and the experiences of people. Yet while humans can use environmental cues to identify glass as a barrier, there is growing realization that birds cannot. The solution is bird-friendly glass that delivers on performance, energy efficiency and the needs of people. This course from Guardian Glass is intended to provide the basis for a better understanding of how to recognize issues affecting the bird population while learning about best practices and design fundamentals for smarter, safer buildings.

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924 & 1008 Lighting Controls

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.

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Strategies for Designing with Integrated Lighting and Acoustic Solutions

This course will review the importance of acoustics in architecture, discuss the fundamental principles of sound management, explore how to design interior spaces to maximize occupants’ comfort, and review emerging tools to solve for both sound and lighting. It will also focus on the standards that govern acoustic requirements for diverse applications.

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Achieving Beauty, Wellbeing, and Functionality in Design

Beauty, functionality, and wellness-enhancing can co-exist in design, with the right products. This article explores solutions that help architects achieve these important multi-benefits. Pavers that create beautiful outdoor spaces that are easy to maintain. Skylights that allow daylight and fresh air into the interior. Underlayment that improves acoustics and sound management, while protecting the integrity of the interior air quality. Each improves the functionality of the space and the wellness of the people in the built environment.

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Introduction to Exterior and Facade Lighting

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.

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Designing for Wellness

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.

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Wood Without Guilt: Steel Cladding That Perfectly Mimics Real Wood.

This course will describe the aesthetic and biophilic benefits, as well as the objective sustainability standards achieved by innovative metal wall materials that mimic wood. The course will describe how the materials provide both physical and emotional comfort to occupants, protection from harsh weather, and the community benefits of sustainable construction. A variety of applications are also detailed in case studies of actual projects.

Learning Objective 1:
The student will understand how and why the use of materials that mimic but outperform natural materials is highly desirable.

Learning Objective 2:
The student will be able to explain the technologies applied to materials and methods of construction that mimic wood in order to improve sustainability and resist environmental attack.

Learning Objective 3:
The student will recognize the favorability of these materials and methods of construction through a recitation of their achievements in testing and evaluation, how they meet construction standards, and what contributions they make to LEED v4.

Learning Objective 4:
The student will become familiar with a variety of existing projects that demonstrate successful adoption of these products and methods.

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