The impending climate crisis casts a looming shadow over our planet, and the responsibility to avert catastrophe falls upon us all. Design professionals can wield their creative powers to conceive sustainable, resilient, and regenerative solutions before it's too late. Diverting construction waste from landfills and promoting recycling, reuse, and responsible disposal practices can significantly contribute to reducing carbon emissions.

In a world where climate change rages unchecked, the skies weep acid rain, monstrous storms destroy coastal cities, vibrant communities turn into desert wastelands, millions flee their homes, entire species go extinct, and ecosystems collapse. Renewable energy can play a vital role in addressing these challenges and mitigating the worst effects of climate change. In this course, we explore how renewable energy can help reduce carbon emissions for LEED v4.1 BD+C and ID+C projects and reduce environmental impacts.

In this course, we describe how design professionals can achieve the LEED v4.1 BD+C Sensitive Land Protection credit and reduce environmental impacts for building sites. We review sensitive land areas including wildlife habitat, wetlands, prime farmland, floodplains, and water bodies.

In this course, we explain how to achieve the LEED v4.1 BD+C and ID+C MR: Sourcing of Raw Materials credit and how to specify environmentally friendly building materials. We review FSC certification, recycled content, and how bio-based materials could change the future of construction.

Ever wonder why that fluorescent-lit hallway gives you the creeps? Turns out, millions of people on the internet figured it out. When an anonymous internet post about endless yellow office spaces went viral, it accidentally created one of the largest public engagements with architectural psychology. This course explores how The Backrooms phenomenon introduced liminal space theory to the masses and what it means for creating better buildings.

In this one-hour course our team explores how scientists can help building product manufacturers meet the challenges of LEED v4 MR credits. We discuss how scientists help manufacturers develop product declarations and documentation for LEED v4 projects. We review the obstacles of achieving the LEED v4 BD+C MR credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Material Ingredients. Finally, we examine free resources that can help manufacturers and AEC firms with LEED projects.

In this one-hour course our team explores how scientists can help building product manufacturers meet the challenges of LEED v4 MR credits. We discuss how scientists help manufacturers develop product declarations and documentation for LEED v4 projects. We review the obstacles of achieving the LEED v4 BD+C MR credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Material Ingredients. Finally, we examine free resources that can help manufacturers and AEC firms with LEED projects.

What do a 2,400-year-old philosopher and today’s toughest client meetings have in common? More than you think. In this course, you’ll discover how ancient Greek Cynic philosophy can help you defuse conflict, win over clients, and keep your sustainable design goals on track. Packed with real-world case studies and practical tools, this course shows architects, engineers, and contractors how to navigate high-stakes conversations about eco-friendly materials, resolve team tensions when budgets clash with sustainability, and build long-term client trust through radical honesty and clarity.

Discover a radical new lens on design in this course on material vitalism—an approach that redefines materials not as passive stuff, but as active participants in shaping architecture. We'll explore how matter itself can tell stories, shape experiences, and even guide design choices, from the weathered warmth of timber to the self-organizing intelligence of natural systems. Blending philosophy, material science, and real-world examples, this course offers not just theory, but a practical, sustainable framework for thinking with materials.

The average American spends the vast majority of their time indoors. However, most people are not unaware of the numerous chemicals and materials they are exposed to on a daily basis, nor do they understand the hazards associated with these substances. As such, the need for a standardized way of reporting the health impacts of building materials is desperately needed. In this one-hour course, the design professional will become familiar with the Health Product DeclarationTM (HPD), a material ingredient reporting standard developed under the guidance of the HPD CollaborativeTM.

This podcast course provides a comprehensive exploration of sustainable design and carbon management in the built environment. Participants will learn to differentiate between operational and embodied carbon, utilizing various tools and metrics for carbon design measures. A key focus will be discussing how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) aid design professionals and building product manufacturers in achieving their sustainability goals.

Imagine walking through a city where every crack in the sidewalk, every forgotten alleyway, and every hidden elevation tells a story more complex and fascinating than any guidebook could ever reveal. Welcome to the world of deep topography, an interdisciplinary methodology for understanding spatial environments through multi-sensory, phenomenological exploration of geographical landscapes. Discover how LEED v4.1 BD+C strategies prioritize pedestrian-friendly designs and green spaces, ensuring cities are functional, culturally rich, and environmentally sustainable.

In this course, we explain how design professionals can achieve the LEED v4.1 BD+C Indoor Water Use Reduction Prerequisite. We discuss strategies to help reduce potable water use in buildings such as specifying WaterSense labeled products. In addition, our team discusses challenges regarding the nation’s water supply and the need to update water infrastructure.

In this presentation, we explore the WELL Building Standard and how it can advance human health and well-being. WELL v2 is an evidence-based, technically robust, resilient rating system that can help design professionals create inspiring and healthy buildings. Our team discusses the ten concepts of WELL v2 and performance testing that can help improve occupant health. We examine WELL certified projects and their attributes that make them healthy buildings. This introductory course is aimed at design professionals who want a basic overview of the WELL Building Standard.

Eliminate the risk for Legionella and generate reliable hot water production with tankless water heaters! Join us for this one-hour course as we evaluate risks associated with Legionella and the health benefits of tankless water heaters. In this course, participants will investigate the standards aimed at eliminating Legionella risk from the water supply and the tankless hot water technologies that prevent such bacterial growth in domestic water systems.