The Alberta Association of Architects
The Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) serves the public and its members by administering the standard of practice for the professions of architecture and interior design in Alberta.
Surface design and color impact people in one way or another. Why do some surroundings induce a sense of calm, happiness, or inspiration while others offer nothing but distraction, discomfort, chaos, doom, and gloom? Interior surfaces are the point of contact between users and their environment, as well as an important connection between the visual and physical worlds. This course examines the integral role that surface color and design play in interior spaces and how color and design can improve health, reduce stress, enhance safety, and promote well-being in building occupants. Key requirements in the selection and specification process are also discussed.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s15612/www.aecdaily.com/course/892139
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Designing beautiful, sustainable, high-performance buildings can help your structures leave a lasting impression and positive impact. Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) accomplish that while providing innovative design possibilities for single or multistory projects. Learn about the features and advantages of building with ICFs designed as a cost-effective, energy-efficient solution that offers substantial benefits over traditional construction methods.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s677063/www.aecdaily.com/course/1104741
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
In food and beverage, food processing/distribution, and cold storage facilities, it is important to use doors that can provide speed, safety, separation, and security. High-speed, high-cycle, roll-up doors provide all these elements better than conventional doors. This course provides an in-depth discussion of the different types of high-performance doors—fabric, rigid, and rubber—along with their benefits and functions in different applications. The specification criteria, design, and installation considerations for high-performance doors are also discussed.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s12474/www.aecdaily.com/course/967494
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Turnstiles to control employee and visitor access help to enhance safety and security in a wide variety of applications, from corporate offices to healthcare facilities to distribution warehouses. This course presents the benefits and performance features of optical, full-height, and waist-high turnstiles and reviews the many aesthetic and customization options available to install a turnstile system that meets the needs of any facility.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s1134/www.aecdaily.com/course/929212
This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Commercial fenestration products including sectional doors, rolling sheet doors, and rolling steel doors can improve building performance and provide essential building/opening protection. This course discusses common door features, hardware, insulation, installation, and optional types of electric operators, and evaluates the performance criteria required for a specific dock or drive through opening.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s17282/www.aecdaily.com/course/440742
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Seattle has ranked among the country’s fastest-growing cities since the mid-1990s, causing gentrification and displacement of vulnerable communities. For example, African Americans accounted for 73 percent of Seattle’s Central District (CD) population in 1970 and have fallen to less than 14 percent today. As a result, Black churches in the CD face difficult decisions about whether to stay or relocate. However, the churches own property and other assets and, working as a network, could mitigate this gentrification and displacement through strategic real estate development. This vision is advanced by the Nehemiah Initiative Seattle, a collaboration focused on developing the significant real estate assets of Black churches to stabilize and benefit the CD’s African American community. Since 2019, the Nehemiah Initiative has been collaborating with the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington through a series of interdisciplinary design studios focused on this vision. This presentation provides a brief history of Seattle’s Central District, an overview of the Nehemiah Initiative, and the mutual benefits of collaboration between the academy and the community.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s18122/www.aecdaily.com/course/1114700
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
By design, automatic pedestrian doors provide easier, more convenient access than manual doors for a wide variety of building types, and their popularity in commercial design continues to grow. Reviewed in this course are the available options of automatic door solutions, including sliding, swinging, ICC/CCU, and revolving door systems. Also discussed are the code requirements and considerations relating to automatic doors for proper specification.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s840811/www.aecdaily.com/course/862566
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Properly selected acoustical solutions are necessary to provide acoustical comfort and performance for a range of applications. This course reviews acoustic theory and design methodology to facilitate the design and specification process. A particular emphasis is placed on performance-oriented designs and strategies for different project types.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s14798/www.aecdaily.com/course/1047615
This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Commercial aluminum wall, window, and roof systems have undergone improvements in recent decades, making them technologically sufficient to meet contemporary standards of durability. In addition to being familiar with the systems’ thermal and other ecological benefits, specifiers need to understand paint chemistry and the difference between powder and liquid coating application methods. It is also important to understand third-party specifications published by AAMA, which cover architectural coatings.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s574575/www.aecdaily.com/course/906098
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
This presentation celebrates the value of incorporating artisanal, handcrafted fixtures and furnishings into a building’s design. Not only are these products unique, functional, and aesthetically appealing, but they can also establish a sense of connection with their maker. Many artisanal, handcrafted products are made using traditional techniques that have been passed down over time, often from generation to generation. And because many of these products are made from sustainable, recycled, or reclaimed materials that are locally available, they can help reduce the environmental impact of a new build. This course illustrates how sourcing artisan-made products for their projects can allow designers and builders to effect social, economic, and environmental change.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s610566/www.aecdaily.com/course/857878
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Fireplaces have become standard in living rooms and dens, but gas and electric fireplaces can enhance many other areas of the home. This course reviews studies on the health and wellness benefits of fireplaces; architects and designers will learn how to add value when working with clients by providing them with scientific research that shows including fireplaces in home design has positive impacts on physical and mental health. Heat management methods, fireplace types and configurations, and media and design options are also discussed.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s497605/www.aecdaily.com/course/1097535
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Coatings are about more than a building’s appearance; they play a vital role in preserving the architectural elements of the façade. This course explains coating chemistries and manufacturing, as well as the role they play in sustainability. The course also offers a detailed look at industry standards and tests that result in coating performance metrics. Specifying the correct coating for a given application can dramatically improve a building’s appearance and its cradle-to-cradle environmental footprint.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s890069/www.aecdaily.com/course/902019
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
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.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s904648/www.aecdaily.com/course/1065274
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
The spread of smoke in mid- and high-rise building fires is recognized as a major threat to the safety of the building occupants and responding fire personnel and the effectiveness of firefighting operations. This course explains how smoke migrates in a multistory building fire and discusses how building codes have evolved to address this danger and why they mandate smoke containment in specific areas of a structure. Product applications and assemblies designed to meet building code requirements and limit vertical smoke migration via elevator hoistways and lobbies are examined.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s20103/www.aecdaily.com/course/881149
This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
The modern aesthetic of metal facades is in high demand for applications ranging from education, healthcare, and office to residential and multistory mixed use. Recent high-profile fires have reinforced the importance of choosing the right metal cladding system that meets thermal performance requirements while not compromising life safety. This course compares various core materials and focuses on what the code requires for metal cladding in terms of fire performance testing and results and includes case studies from fire events around the globe.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s9727/www.aecdaily.com/course/870419
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Air control dampers are an essential component of a building’s HVAC system, regulating heating, cooling, and ventilation performance. Presented here is an introduction to control, balancing, backdraft, industrial, and multizone dampers; each type plays an important role in the HVAC system. Discussed are damper types, components, and performance metrics. Guidance is provided for damper specification, installation, maintenance, and inspection.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s1773/www.aecdaily.com/course/880606
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Single-ply membranes, along with their installation methodologies, have evolved to best meet the roofing needs of today’s low-slope commercial buildings. This course reviews the most prevalent membranes and describes the advantages and disadvantages of EPDM, PVC, and TPO. An overview of attachment methods is presented, as well as a discussion of single-ply system strength, cool roof benefits, and condensation issues from a building science perspective.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s6300/www.aecdaily.com/course/1046789
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Data centers, some consuming up to 200X the energy of comparably sized office space, are rapidly evolving in numbers, size, location, and energy demands. These facilities are frequently becoming integrated into other buildings and the purview of the architect. This course reviews the data center impact on building design and then identifies and describes the most effective design approaches and fitments that building designers can employ to control their capital and operating costs, spatial needs, and energy consumption.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s728117/www.aecdaily.com/course/853552
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Firestopping is more than installing sealant in an opening. It is a critical component of a building’s overall life-safety system. This course discusses how a properly installed firestop system not only protects property but, more importantly, also saves lives by inhibiting the spread of fire from compartment to compartment and buying valuable time for occupants to exit the structure in the event of a catastrophic fire.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s1059942/www.aecdaily.com/course/1073612
This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
Doors installed in high-traffic conditions require special considerations and construction. This course explores the key concepts, best practices, and industry standards for selecting, specifying, installing, and maintaining durable and reliable heavy-usage doors. It details their material and hardware options, construction techniques, maintenance strategies, safety considerations, and required testing protocols. The course concludes with a sample installation.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s1034450/www.aecdaily.com/course/1114717
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course contains accessible design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
With the demand for sustainable power on the rise, building owners and homeowners alike are turning to solar power as a supplemental power generator. Choosing the right platform for the solar panels is a critical step in the design process and can have a significant impact on both initial and long-term costs. This course discusses the basics of photovoltaic systems, including the components and rooftop applications. Comparisons between traditional roofing and standing seam metal roofing platforms are examined, and the benefits of a nonpenetrating clamping system are discussed.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s427660/www.aecdaily.com/course/749008
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
As architects push the boundaries of design, materials that offer flexibility are essential; single-skin architectural metal wall panel systems provide such flexibility. Presented here are architectural metal wall panels, their fabrication process, design possibilities, and applications. Also discussed are the components and features of a perfect wall and a multicomponent wall assembly, the testing, safety, and installation of multicomponent metal wall panel systems, and how metal wall panels and their manufacturers can contribute to sustainability objectives.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s10015/www.aecdaily.com/course/1034074
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and with recidivism rates as high as 75% within five years, the prospects for released inmates are dim. There is no simple solution to these issues, but one approach is to focus on rehabilitation to help inmates reintegrate successfully into society upon release. This course looks at the role evidence-based building design can play in a rehabilitative environment that promotes healing, autonomy, and growth. Design strategies are presented with a focus on ADA-compliant, ligature-resistant plumbing products and water management systems that support a clean, safe, secure, rehabilitative environment.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s795432/www.aecdaily.com/course/946684
This course contains accessible design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
The materials we use have a significant impact on the environment, our communities, and our health. Consequently, material transparency—wherein manufacturers disclose vital sustainability information about their products—is an increasingly necessary element of modern life. This course examines the tools and resources that are available for both manufacturers and the A&D community that effectively communicate transparency information and optimization of building products. Also reviewed are the benefits of the new-generation insulated metal panels (IMPs) designed to achieve a trusted range of health and wellness certifications.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s9727/www.aecdaily.com/course/845810
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
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.
https://redirect.aecdaily.com/s1082406/www.aecdaily.com/course/1111937
This course contains sustainable design information. See the course details page for more information.
This course is ONLINE: SELF-PACED. Experience it on your own schedule, at your convenience.
