AIA CES

AIA CES is excited to offer this blog as another way for members and providers to access information about AIA CES. 

Just a recap to start the new year:

The annual requirement is 18 learning units of which 8 need to be HSW;
AIA CES accepts 8 Architectural Record submissions annually.  If you submit more than 8, all the ones that McGraw-Hill processes will be listed on your AIA CES transcript.  However, only 8 will count towards the totals on the bottom of the transcript;
Your AIA member number begins with a 3, and is not the same as your license number

For more information about AIA CES policies, just click on the AIA CES FAQs or contact me, Maria, at msigillito@aia.org.

People who are still on the 2005 AIA CES Audit list have not received invoices for the 2007 membership year.  If you are one of these people, and you would like to reinstate, just download the form from www.aia.org/cesfaq_default.  Click on FAQs Annual Requirement, and then click on How do I reinstate my membership if I lapse due to CES non-compliance?  You can download the form from the last sentence of that paragraph. 

As stated on the form, the 9 learning units needed to reinstate can not be learning units posted on the AIA CES transcript.  However, they can include research, teaching, or studying time for the LEED exam, and even self-guided tours.  If you decide to earn the 9 learning units from registered AIA Providers, for those 9 learning units only, please do not submit your AIA member number.  If you submit your AIA member number, then those learning units will appear on your transcript, and they can not be counted towards reinstatement.  Any questions just email me at msigillito@aia.org.

AIA Members can earn learning units for teaching as long as they are not full-time professors.  You can find answers to many commonly asked questions by visiting the AIA CES FAQs.  For instance the following is the policy on teaching:

AIA CES is compiling an Early Reminder List of those members that have not completed their 2006 AIA CES continuing education requirement.  The requirement is 18 learning units of which 8 need to be health, safety, welfare.  The 9-month grace period to complete the 2006 AIA CES continuing education requirement ends September 30, 2007.

The members on the Early Reminder List will receive a message via email.  Also, I will coordinate with local components to make sure that all members on that list are contacted.  To ensure accuracy of communication, please verify your email address by emailing the AIA Infocentral at infocentral@aia.org.  For more information about AIA CES policies, just visit the FAQs.

As noted on the AIA CES FAQs you can earn learning units studying for the LEED exam:

Many members on the 2005 AIA CES Audit List asked for suggestions on learning units that can be earned quickly, and possibly at little cost.  I would refer these members to AIA eClassroom, or Ron Blank & Associates, AEC Daily, among others.  Certificates of completions were sent the day the learning unit was earned, and the learning units were posted to the AIA CES transcript without much fuss.

According to statistics, though, many AIA Members would prefer face to face instruction.  What do you see as a trend in the future; more distance learning courses available because more AIA members want access to them, or will the distance learning avenue of continuing education reach a plateau?

AIA Components have access to the Early Reminder List at this time.  The Early Reminder List is a database of all members that did not complete their 2006 AIA CES continuing education requirement.  AIA Components and myself will be contacting these members as a reminder that the learning units need to be earned and reported. 

If you would like to know if you are on the list, just access your transcript at the Member Page.  Sign in on the right, and then choose the option to view your transcript.  Also, you can view the FAQs for more information or contact Maria Sigillito or your local component.

AIA offers PodCasts through the Architecture Knowledge Review Podcast Series.  At this time they are not available for continuing education credit.  However, the topic has been discussed, and the future may be "Pod"able.  In fact, it looks like a vendor of continuing education in Australia offers PodCasts.

To earn credit for reading articles or taking tests online, AIA members must pass a test with an 80% or higher score after reading the material.  What are your thoughts on continuing education credit for PodCasts?

I just learned how to do this, and you might find this helpful, to find about continuing education news opportunities in your area.  They are just examples, if you use a different feedburner, or reader, that's great as well. 

For example, if you would like to be emailed Google News Alerts about Continuing Education.

For example, if you would like to create feeds of news or blogs, burn them, and then create a GoogleReader webpage:

Many of you on the 2006 AIA CES Audit List might need a few more courses before the September 30th deadline.  This would be a good time to try distance learning options.  Many providers of distance education are able to send a certificate of completion to you upon completion of the course.  If you are interested in distance learning the following providers of education may interest you:

I routinely receive Google Alerts about blogging posts on continuing education in the AEC fields, and podcasting.  Looking at blogs I'm able to find such incredibly interesting opinions!  Here's one. 

Check out the Alaska and Utah pages for information on new mandatory contiuing education requirements.  If you would like an overview of other states licensing requirements please visit the quick overview or the individual state pages.

According to Bloggeron, architectural firms, and educational institutions including those that offer distance education or continuing education benefit from videoconferencing.  For those that have participated in videoconferencing, what do you see as the benefits?

In order to help offset rising homeowner utility costs and lengthening commuting times, homeowners are looking for neighborhoods and communities designed to include greater access to public transportation, recreation, commercial and entertainment options. Mixed-use developments are projects where residential units are blended with retail, dining and other commercial activities in the same facility. Infill housing, where smaller land parcels closer to urban centers are targeted for development, is also increasing as metropolitan areas are becoming more built-out according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey from the third quarter of 2007.  For more information, please view the press release. 

What continuing education programs should be available to members interested in mixed-use developments.  What points of interest about mixed-use buildings need more clarification within the continuing education system?

Learn about University of Iowa's Museum of Art challenge to students.  With considerable help from tech-savvy staff at the university library, each of the 12,000 objects in the museum's collection will soon be added to a newly launched database called the Iowa Gallery. With a few clicks through cyber-world, people anywhere on the planet can take a virtual tour through the museum's galleries. They can even tailor their exploration according to their tastes, grouping their search by artist (say, Henry Moore or Joan Miro), medium (batik, photography, porcelain) or time period (all the way back to the 10century). 

Would virtual tours of buildings be something that interests you if you can earn continuing education for them?

Sustainability, Healthy and Safe Communities, and Professional Practice Top Priority List

The AIA has unveiled its 2008 federal legislative and regulatory agenda, looking to build from the Institute's advocacy successes in 2007 while continuing to raise the profile of design issues at the national level.

The agenda reflects three broad themes -- Designing a Sustainable Future, Promoting Healthy and Safe Communities, and Helping Architects Practice their Profession -- that address the core values and priorities of the AIA's more than 80,000 members. The issues span from green building to affordable health care, to the nomination of a licensed architect as the next Architect of the Capitol.

The agenda focuses on these key issues:

Designing a sustainable future

• Extending energy efficient tax incentives
• Promoting carbon neutral buildings through climate change legislation
• Greening America's homes

Promoting healthy and safe communities

• Using tax incentives to revitalize older neighborhoods, create affordable housing, and preserve historic structures
• Promoting community planning as a part of transportation planning
• Providing incentives to clean up brownfields
• Helping communities respond to disaster
• Protecting the integrity of the U.S. Capitol by making the next Architect of the Capitol a licensed architect

Helping architects practice their profession

• Reducing barriers to small design firms that want to compete for federal government design contracts
• Make health care affordable for businesses

If you were to create continuing education courses, what content would you need to teach in order for AIA members to accomplish these agenda items?

For the tech:

"Portability" is a word you’ll hear a lot this year. More mobile phones will provide desktop computer functions: Web surfing, viewing TV broadcasts, two-way video game playing, social networking, etc. Even so, cell phone prices will drop this year.
Web tablets are on the verge of taking off, with qwerty keyboards on a touch screen and scores of functions for under $250. Size: 6" by 3". Early versions are already available ... the Nokia N800 and Sony’s Mylo, for example. Web tablets are really just big wireless smart phones.

Google will develop a phone with better Web browsing ability. Instead of the small number of Web sites offered by most cell phones now, Google’s phone will enable broad Web access. It’ll speed up searches, and its mapping technology will let users locate nearby restaurants, for example, as well as view menus and read recent reviews.
More service improvements are on tap for 2009 after the sale of airwaves in the Federal Communications Commission auction this month. Once TV stations free up wireless spectrum when they go all digital, mobile technology will be even more competitive, lowering prices further.

Cybercrooks are moving into industrial espionage in a big way. They function as a new breed of widely dispersed organized criminals. Gangs in one country work with servers in another to stage an attack on a company in a third ... stealing secrets to gain a competitive edge for themselves or to sell to competitors of the company being hacked.
Top targets: Financial services, IT, aerospace, and Rx drugs. Ongoing vigilance is the best way to protect against serious damage. . . "  Read the full AIArchitect article.

Outside of the AIArchitect article, I read interesting information on podcasting, and YouTube for professors.  Continuing education will reap the benefits of these forms of content delivery.  What have you experienced as a student that was innovative in delivery approach, and effective in teaching?

A coalition of eight architecture, landscape architecture, and design organizations are pushing to create a new National Academy of Environmental Design. As a new part of the National Academies, the National Academy of Environmental Design would focus on the built environment, and how buildings and cities could produce less waste, consume less energy, and contribute to healthier living and work spaces.  Please visit ya-edu.com for the full article. 

As sustainable design theories become more prevalent in business decisions, what do design professionals need to know to meet the demands of not the public, and the associations that represent them?

On February 5, 24 states will participate in the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses. The AIA Government Advocacy staff is working to ensure that all architects in those states have the resources necessary to participate. As part of the DesignVote08 initiative (see the last issue of the Angle for more information on DesignVote), AIA National is working with the state components to share information, ranging from polling locations to voting rules to political party links. These resources are available on the AIA Web site.  For the full article, please read the AIA Angle.

What courses should be available to inspire architects to engage in the political process?

Adopting a BIM solution is more than just a technology or process change; it’s a culture change, too. How the firm acquires projects, the workflow between team members and consultants, project deliverables—they’re all affected. Management, therefore, should involve the entire team in the decision, making everyone stakeholders in the transition and preparing them for the changes ahead.  Read the full article on soloso.aia.org.

For those that have transitioned to a BIM solution, what types of courses would have eased the transition? 

Building green has been building an audience. It's in magazines, on TV, in stores.

But advocates of environmentally friendly building practices — and saving energy in this winter of high heating prices — say educating the construction industry in the new ways has been an often slow and spotty process.  For more information, read the full article from Cape Cod Times.

Architects, have you requested more courses from your local components?

The April 10, day-long workshop will qualify for 6 learning units in the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System. This is the first such workshop of its kind in North Carolina.  For more information, please visit Greensboro's Treasured Places.

Have you found courses in your geographic area similar to this one?  What did you think of them?

The AIA Board Knowledge Committee is seeking proposals for research projects to be completed in a seven-month period, beginning in May, 2008.  For more information please email Richard Hayes, PhD, AIA, CAE, Managing Director, AIA Knowledge Resources.

How Hospitals and Health Systems Can Implement Green Practices Creating Healthy Environments for Patients, Employees and the World.  Please download the brochure for more information.

How do you prioritize what type of facilities are green first?  Are the greening of buildings prioritized based on need or availability?

The list has a place for your notes and asks questions like this:

• What are the raw materials used to create the product?
• And where do they come from?
• Is the manufacturing process energy efficient?
• Does the manufacturing process release harmful substances?
• Does the product release VOCs? At what rate?
• How is the product packaged and transported? And so on. 

For more information, please visit the LA Times.

Should providers use the lines items on the checklist as the foundations for creating green remodelling courses?

Members can now access Sweets building product information at Soloso.aia.org.

IFMA World WorkPlace Coference and Expo 2008, October 15-17, 2008 Dallas, Texas.

Registration is open!
Register now to take advantage of early-bird discounts. Special registration options for 2008 include: 1-day or Full Event; Young Professional; Member Applicant (includes one year of IFMA base and local chapter membership); Corporate Discount (groups of 10 or more from the same company receive the 10th full registration free); and 1- or 3-day Expo Only.

The Alabama Council AIA 2008 Annual Convention

The Battle House

Mobile, AL

June 20th - 22nd, 2008

The Alabama Council will return to Alabama for their 2008 convention.  The Battle House is a beautifully renovated historical building, located in the heart of Mobile.

(Click Here for Convention and Registration Information)

July 8th - 10th, 2008

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click on "register NOW!" to attend this event!

PUBLIC JOINS DESIGNDC

Members of the public can attend a special free class at DesignDC called Greener Living: Suggestions for a healthier, more energy-efficient home that will include strategies for improving energy use, water efficiency and indoor air quality in the home. Click the "register now" button (above) and select public program only. The free class will also give you access to the Tradeshow. (AIA Members: this class is for the public only).

The AIA Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects

2008 Convention will be held July 30 - August 3, 2008 at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

CLICK HERE to register for this year's Convention. For highlights and fee information, CLICK HERE.

Overview
Scandinavian design calls to mind the iconic images of Poul Henningsen’s Artichoke ceiling lamp for Louis Poulsen or Arne Jacobsen’s expansive lobby of the SAS Royal Hotel with its wedge of Swan chairs. Any architect who has ever had a client ask for “clean lines” can claim a personal connection to Danish Modern design. Join your architectural colleagues and learn about the influence and impact of Danish design from the mid-20th century to the dramatic architecture of today. Seminar topics will include globalization, sustainability, preservation of Modernism, urban new town growth, and new materials.  For more information, please visit AIA KC COD's event website.

The Alabama Council AIA 2008 Annual Convention

The Battle House

Mobile, AL

June 20th - 22nd, 2008

The Alabama Council will return to Alabama for their 2008 convention.  The Battle House is a beautifully renovated historical building, located in the heart of Mobile.

(Click Here for Convention and Registration Information)

Please mark your calendar today for this year's event:

September 8 - 10, 2008 - Best Western Ramkota Hotel - 800 S. 3rd St.
Bismarck, ND - 701-258-7700

All conference announcements will be sent out electronically.

Please make sure AIA North Dakota has your current e-mail address.

July 8th - 10th, 2008

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click on "register NOW!" to attend this event!

PUBLIC JOINS DESIGNDC

Members of the public can attend a special free class at DesignDC called Greener Living: Suggestions for a healthier, more energy-efficient home that will include strategies for improving energy use, water efficiency and indoor air quality in the home. Click the "register now" button (above) and select public program only. The free class will also give you access to the Tradeshow. (AIA Members: this class is for the public only).

The 2008 Convention will be held July 30 - August 3, 2008 at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

CLICK HERE to register for this year's Convention. For highlights and fee information, CLICK HERE.

Conference Postcard

Overview
Scandinavian design calls to mind the iconic images of Poul Henningsen’s Artichoke ceiling lamp for Louis Poulsen or Arne Jacobsen’s expansive lobby of the SAS Royal Hotel with its wedge of Swan chairs. Any architect who has ever had a client ask for “clean lines” can claim a personal connection to Danish Modern design. Join your architectural colleagues and learn about the influence and impact of Danish design from the mid-20th century to the dramatic architecture of today. Seminar topics will include globalization, sustainability, preservation of Modernism, urban new town growth, and new materials.

Tentative Program

Sunday, August 31, 2008
Theme: Introduction to Copenhagen
For a thousand years water has defined Copenhagen, which derives its name from “merchant’s harbor.” What better way to be introduced to this wonderful city than by boat? We will start at the Danish Architecture Center (DAC), which is located in an old warehouse across the water from the Admiral Hotel. After viewing the exhibition and introductory remarks, we will be embark on a boat tour that will be led by Kent Martinussen, CEO of the Danish Architecture Center, our partner in developing the Copenhagen conference. Kent will show us the heart of the old city as well as the exciting new architecture being created in previously underutilized industrial zones. This orientation will help you keep your bearings for the rest of your stay.

Monday, September 1, 2008
Theme: Danish Modernism (Guides: Pia Rost Rasmussen, Dorte Augustenborg, Dorte Friis, Andreas Spinner)
After an introductory lecture in the 17th Century Charlottenborg Palace, we will divide up into groups and take an in-depth walking tour of wonderful Copenhagen, highlighting several centuries of architecture and design from the seventeenth century of Christian IV to the twentieth century of Arne Jacobsen. We will conclude the evening getting to know our Danish architect hosts by dining in small groups in their offices.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Theme: Historical Overview of the City and Its Development (Guides: Anette Sorenson, Ingelise I. Andersson, Dorte Augustenborg)
We will again start at Charlottenborg with an introductory lecture before embarking on a bus tour to see the highlights of Danish Modernism in the Copenhagen area, which will include works by Arne Jacobsen, Jørn Utzon and others. We will also make a special stop at the world famous art museum, Louisiana, by Wohlert & Bo , as well as the World Heritage site, Kronborg Castle. The evening will end with a candlelit dinner hosted by the famous furniture maker Fritz Hansen at its state of the art facility.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Theme: Current Danish Developments (Guides: Christian Hanak, Rune Christiansen, Dorte Augustenborg)
We will explore the exciting new work being done by the new generation of Danish architects. A few minutes' ride on the brand new Metro will deliver us to Ørestad, a whole new section of the city being built at the edge of the nineteenth-century city. We will also visit the architecture school of the Royal Academy and get a behind the scenes tour of the new Royal Opera House by Henning Larsen, HFAIA. The evening will conclude with a tour and dinner at d Royal Danish Playhouse, just completed in February 2008, by Lundgaard & Tranberg.

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Theme: Dialogue with Danish Peers
We will begin the day exploring current issues of architecture in small workshops with our Danish architect colleagues. In groups of fifteen to twenty, we will delve deep into some of the common issues facing architects in the U.S. and Denmark today. This will be a unique opportunity to share experiences in an international setting. The discussions of the morning will continue over a lunch hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the afternoon, participants may choose to visit the Danish Design center, or explore Denmark’s ancient roots by visiting the reconstructed Iron Age village of Lejre, the medieval Roskilde Cathedral (a world Heritage site) and the Viking Ship Museum.
(please note: you must choose a preference for the workshop. Descriptions are available as part of the checklist for the workshops. You must also select your preference for the afternoon activities of either the Viking Tour, or the Danish Design Center.)

The entire group will gather again for a closing dinner celebration with some of our Danish architecture colleagues at the famous Tivoli Gardens in the heart of Copenhagen.

Please click here for descriptions of the workshop sessions.  For more information, please visit the Committee on Design event webpage.

As the economy slows down, commissions dry up, and firms start thinking about layoffs. The 2007 chair of the AIA committee on leadership education (and vice president of Kiku Obata & Co. in St. Louis) discusses ways that employees can keep their jobs and come out on top.  Read more from architectmagazine.com.

What is the Sustainable Design Mandatory Continuing Education Requirement?

Beginning in 2009, of the total 18 CES Learning Units (LUs) required in a given calendar year four (4) LUs will be required to focus on sustainable design and meet the established guidelines for sustainable design mandatory continuing education.  For more information please visit the sustainable design FAQs.

What is the Sustainable Design Mandatory Continuing Education Requirement?
Beginning in 2009, of the total 18 CES Learning Units (LUs) required in a given calendar year four (4) LUs will be required to focus on sustainable design and meet the established guidelines for sustainable design mandatory continuing education.  For more information, please visit the FAQ.

Videos on Demand
We’ve recorded a selection of the convention’s key plenary and educational sessions for you to view on demand. These sessions were part of our live virtual convention earlier. You can view them here through July but please register for each individual video. If you are an AIA member, learning units will be posted to your transcript automatically within three weeks of your viewing.
Select your videos and register now.

The Art and Science of Designing to Net Zero (1 LU; HSW/SD)
Focus on Firm Diversity and Global Practice (1 LU; HSW/SD)
A Rear-View Mirror and Fortune Teller: Lessons from This Downturn (1.5 LUs)
Making the Cut: The Psychological Impact of Downsizing (1 LU)
Define Your Career (1 LU)
Using LEED to Maximize Sustainability (1 LU; HSW/SD)
The New ADA Standards (1.5 LUs; HSW)
Focus on Design and Global Practice (1 LU)
The Beauty of Zero: Designing to Net Zero (1.5 LUs; HSW/SD)
Succession Planning for Architects (1.5 LUs)
Building with Balance (1 LU; HSW/SD)
Green Building Envelope Design (1 LU; HSW/SD)
Towards a Carbon-Neutral Future (1.5 LUs; HSW/SD)
Focus on Contemporary Architecture (1 LU; HSW)

• The Art and Science of Designing to Net-Zero (1 LU)

   

• Focus on Firm Diversity and Global Practice (1 LU)

   

• Using LEED to Maximize the Benefits of Sustainability (1 LU)

   

• The New ADA Standards: What You Need to Know (1.5 LUs)

   

• The Beauty of Zero: The Design of a Zero-Energy Building (1.5 LUs)

   

• Building with Balance: A Greenpeace Co-founder's Perspective (1 LU)

   

• Green Building Envelope Design: The Role of Building Envelope Airtightness on Energy Efficiency, Durability, and IAQ (1 LU)

   

• Toward a Carbon Neutral Future: Making Dramatically Better Buildings Affordable (1.5 LUs)

   

• Sustainable Design Intent and Innovation

   

• Regional/Community Design and Connectivity

   

• Land Use and Site Ecology

   

• Bioclimatic Design

   

• Light and Air

   

• Water Cycle

   

• Energy Flows and Energy Futures

   

• Materials and Construction

   

• Long Life, Loose Fit

   

• Collective Wisdom and Feedback Loops

   

Ecobuild America (HSW/SD LUs available)
December 8–10, 2009, Washington, D.C.

• AIA/CES Sustainable Design Requirement

   

• Registered Providers that Offer SD Courses

   

• AIA 2030 Commitment

   

• Contact Us: ces@aia.org

   

• "The New ADA Standards: What You Need to Know"(1.5 LUs HSW), a free virtual session recorded at the AIA 2009 National Convention, explores the key differences between the new and old standards. You can find more free virtual sessions (14 courses, eligible for a total of 16.5 LUs) on the 2009 AIA Convention On-Demand Presentation Site.

   

• "Accessibility: Design and Disconnects"(1 LU HSW), offered by the AIA California Council considers the lessons learned from nearly three years of accessibility surveys in California, especially regarding the conflicts and overlapping areas in state and federal accessibility standards.

   

• "Accessibility: Case Histories"(1.5 LUs HSW), offered by the AIA California Council presents visual case histories from years of accessibility surveys, plan and specification reviews, and quality-control exercises in California architecture firms. The cases exemplify the disconnects between design and construction and offer potential strategies and solutions for design professionals.

   

• Pocket Guide to the ADA, 3d. edition

   

• Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions for the Wheelchair User

   

• ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003 Standard on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities

   

• See the event Web site

   

• Hear the full podcast about the AIA NY Program

   

• Check chapter calendars for any state or local Procrastinators' Days

   

• Alaska

   

• Illinois

   

• Indiana

   

• Louisiana

   

• Mississippi

   

• Missouri

   

• Nebraska

   

• Ohio

   

• Rhode Island

   

• Utah

   

• Vermont

   

• Wyoming

   

Nevada's Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Residential Design Continuing Education Information

Beginning January 1, 2010, all registrants will be required to earn eight continuing education units (CEUs) in the areas of health, safety and welfare each year, prior to renewal of their certificate of registration. A minimum of four units must be earned in a structured setting, and a maximum of four units may be earned in a self-directed setting. Additionally, two of the eight units must be obtained from code-related research or learning.

Details of what constitutes a self-directed educational activity and a structured educational activity are outlined in Sections 5 and 6 of the regulation, which can be downloaded below.

Registrants must earn the required CEUs prior to December 31, 2010, when their 2010 certificates of registration expire.

An exemption to this requirement is provided for registrants called to active duty in the armed forces. Registrants with medical issues or physical disabilities that prevent them from earning the CEUs may request an exemption from the board.

Continuing Education Regulation (LCB File No. R154-08)

Frequently Asked Questions

AIA's Nevada Continuing Education Page