Design for Change
Good design is adaptable, resilient, and flexible to change over time—reducing the building’s risk and vulnerability and enhancing its usability, functionality, and value.
Learn more about the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Reproduced with permission of The American Institute of Architects, 1735 New York Avenue, N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20006
Design for Change
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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IRA Tax Breaks May Reinforce Inequities, So We Need to Help
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Four tax provisions could be used to include disadvantaged communities in the clean energy transition, but equity outcomes are unclear.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part One: Embodied Carbon
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The idea that wood is inherently carbon neutral has masked negative impacts. The climate stakes are too high for us to keep buying those claims.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part Two: Moving from Carbon to Climate
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Mass timber at scale could make climate change worse. Instead of embodied carbon alone, “climate-smart” practices focus on our increasingly fragile forests.
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Build Green on a Budget: Lessons from Affordable Housing
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Sustainability doesn’t have to cost more—and no one knows that better than affordable housing experts. But every project type can benefit from these 12 cost-reducing ideas that support people and the planet.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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High Performance, High Design: The COTE Top Ten for 2021
News Analysis
The American Institute of Architects has announced its COTE Top Ten high-performance building winners for this year.
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IAQ Monitoring for COVID: What’s in a Score?
News Analysis
Occupants want access to IAQ data. But it’s a battle between simplicity and accuracy.
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COP26 Helps Keep 1.5 Alive
News Analysis
COP26 protesters accused politicians of spouting empty words, but some see real reason for hope out of the UN Climate Change Conference.
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Biden Orders Carbon-Neutral Federal Government by 2050
News Analysis
New policies from Biden's executive order will require carbon-free electricity and embodied carbon disclosure for building materials, and could limit procurement of products with PFAS.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Assessing Climate Hazards: The First Step in Resilient Design
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The tools for conducting a multi-hazard exposure analysis are available if you know where to look.
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Affordable Housing or Green Housing? We Can Say Yes to Both
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Yes, available funding for building and rehabilitating affordable housing is inadequate—but that’s all the more reason to get this right when we get the chance.
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Let’s Get Real about Wood’s Carbon Footprint
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You’ve probably heard that wood products are carbon neutral. You might also have heard that timber harvesting causes immense carbon emissions. Which is it? Could it be both?
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IRA Nuts & Bolts with an Energy Tax Expert
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The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers us a once-in-a-generation chance to equitably decarbonize the built environment and prepare communities to weather future climate threats. Will we seize that chance in time? For that to happen, it’s vital that project teams understand the rules well enough to offer and implement the right solutions.
