This course will review the science behind stratified air, components and uses of destratification fans, their specification, and the standards and protocols involved in air movement applications.

(Please note: The Case Study is a technical paper intended to be a part of the course. Please download upon enrolling.)

This course will explore how design can help colleges and universities create a sense of community and inspire collaboration between students in residence halls and outdoor spaces.

A tour of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia reveals Antoni Gaudí’s design links to sustainability through integration of natural lighting principals, natural ventilation, Integrated design, and borrowing freely from natural structures. One AIA LU/HSW credit will be awarded for touring Gaudí’s Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain with a licensed tour guide provided by The Barcelona Guide Bureau. Tours are one hour long, after which you are welcome to stay and enjoy exploring the building on your own.Tour tickets (the majority of which constitute a donation to the construction of the Basilica) may be purchased through the link provided. A 5% discount is offered on all tickets purchased through TCA when you use the promotional code “TCABarcelona”. TCA is not benefitting financially from this offer. Tours of additional sites in Barcelona are also available through the Barcelona Guide Bureau at http://www.barcelonaguidebureau.com/daily-tours/ To gain a discount for private or group tours, please mention TCA. To claim your credit simply send us your contact information, along with confirmation of your ticketing (ticket info, receipt, or scan) to TCABarcelona@thecontinuingarchitect.com and we will provide you with a certificate and, if you’re an AIA member, we’ll report your credits to AIA on your behalf.

Presented by the timber specialists responsible for such iconic structures as the Richmond Olympic Oval, this presentation explores the aesthetic potential and efficiency of nail laminated timber systems, while touching on relevant engineering, manufacturing and erection techniques used in other timber projects.The architectural and environmental success of The Bullitt Center in Seattle has made heavy timber office buildings a topic of great interest within the design community. Now, with ground broken on a new 7-story example in Minneapolis, cost-effectiveness can be added to the potential benefits achieved with a mass timber structural solution. Examples demonstrate opportunities for prefabrication and sophisticated erection techniques, while emphasizing the importance of efficient structural engineering, product choice, connections and fasteners to creating economical timber structures.

See more videos from Woodworks here

(Please note: The Study Guide is a White Paper entitled "Alvar Aalto, the father of modern wood ceilings", which is intended to be a part of the course. Please download it upon enrolling.) A comprehensive discussion of the key factors that inform and influence the specification of a suspended wood ceiling. This course covers the benefits of suspended wood ceilings; materials including wood options such as veneers, solid wood or reclaimed wood; sustainability attributes; and performance characteristics.

The IDCEC Opening Slide with course credit information is here.

This presentation will cover techniques for mitigating fire damage and reducing fire spread while describing how an understanding of code intent can be used to argue equivalent fire performance when wood solutions lie outside typical code-approved applications. Over the last 80 years, prescriptive height and area limitations have remained relatively unchanged in North American building codes while technological advances and fire service capabilities have improved considerably. Through an examination of historical code development and identification of the risk factors on which codes are based, we can set the stage for a re-examination of public perception with regard to combustible construction.

See more videos from Woodworks here

This course will review 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.

The "Internet of Things" (IoT) era has arrived, and is changing the way we interact with our built environments...and how our built environments react back. Lighting fixtures will be at the center of this revolution. They will become the tool that will empower owners and visitors alike. This course reimagines LEDs beyond their present and ordinary role as a light source, analyzing the IoT requirements and applications necessary to produce this new reality.

Manufacturer sponsors providing content expertise include:
Assa Abloy, Eden Valders Stone, Extech, Legrand, and St. Cloud Window.

This article focuses on five specific challenges commonly faced during renovation projects: 1) updating the physical security provided at interior door openings, 2) incorporating more power, communications, and A/V access points, 3) increasing the presence of daylight in the interior, 4) using a less absorbent limestone to replace existing limestone or add new limestone accents to a façade, and 5) specifying the narrow sightlines necessary to replicate historic windows, while providing modern day structural, thermal, and acoustic performance. 

For the good of your practice: This lively video features construction marketing expert Jim Nowakowski discussing how your design/architectural service can get a better understanding of the market today in view of ongoing "Digital Disruption." The course will give you a better understanding of the tools available to help keep your services relevant, and of your own value in the scheme of business today.