Design for Well-Being
Good design supports health and well-being for all people—considering physical, mental, and emotional effects on building occupants and the surrounding community.
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 Well-Being
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Boost Happiness and Save Energy with Adaptive Thermal Comfort
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Adaptive thermal comfort is an emerging practice designed to save energy while keeping occupants more satisfied.
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Is Using Smart Glass Smart?
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Electrochromic glazing holds the promise of less glare and better energy efficiency with fewer attachments. The reality is much more complicated.
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Constructing Change: The Contractor’s Commitment
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The Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices calls on construction firms to practice green building. Here’s why the whole industry needs to get behind it.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Antimicrobials in Building Products: the COVID-19 Edition
Product Review
Cleaning with soap and water is still the best defense against COVID-19 virus and other pathogens. Antimicrobials are not the answer.
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Drying Hands in the Age of COVID-19
Product Review
Electric hand dryers have a lower carbon footprint and save resources compared to paper towels, but COVID-19 has changed how we view these products.
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BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2021
Product Review
These innovative products reduce carbon emissions and include negative embodied carbon carpet, repurposed EV battery storage, carbon sequestering aggregate, and more.
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Innovative Moisture-Resistant Textile with No PFAS
Product Review
Supreen is a woven textile that incorporates silicone into its fibers along with a polyurethane backing to provide a moisture-barrier material without the need for PFAS treatments.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Grounding the AIA Materials Pledge in Data
News Analysis
With a Common Materials Framework, mindful Materials is mapping product labels to industry commitments.
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COTE Top Ten for 2023 Provide Open Space Teeming with Life
News Analysis
The COTE Top Ten for 2023 promote biodiversity, equitable access to nature, and other positive outcomes for occupants, owners, and broader energy and water systems.
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Resilience SOS: How to Save Kids’ Minds, Lungs, and Housing
News Analysis
Global heating is already making today’s children more vulnerable, a new EPA report reveals. Adaptation measures are needed to protect them.
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Six Ways the COVID Pandemic Is Changing IAQ for Good
News Analysis
CDC has set a stringent new minimum for everyday ventilation, and ASHRAE has released standard 241, the first IAQ standard addressing infectious disease. Both moves challenge long-held assumptions about clean air.
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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