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.
-
The Problem with Net-Zero Buildings (and the Case for Net-Zero Neighborhoods)
Feature Article
It can be tough to make an individual building into a zero energy building, while working at the community scale can offer up opportunities for energy efficiency and cost-effective renewable energy generation.
-
What Makes a Product Green Today?
Feature Article
Lots of manufacturers call their products "green," but are they? Here's our guide to the high-performance attributes that matter.
-
Pest Prevention: Steps Designers Can Take
Feature Article
Integrated pest management (IPM) design strategies can reduce structural damage and unsanitary conditions, and improve our community’s health.
-
Mind the Gaps: Making Existing Buildings More Airtight
Feature Article
Leaky building enclosures create health hazards, comfort problems, and high energy bills. Fixing them isn’t rocket science; but you’d better know your building science.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
Neutralizing the Downsides of Concrete
Explainer
Concrete is a durable and necessary building material, but its carbon footprint is huge. Here’s a rundown of concrete’s tradeoffs and some solutions.
-
Demystifying Climate Change Lingo: From Scope 3 to SSP
Explainer
Climate change is complicated, and the terminology can also be hard to decipher. Here’s a short glossary of a few relevant terms.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
High-Efficiency Commercial Window Inserts
Product Review
Alpen’s WinSert commercial window inserts significantly improve the thermal performance of aging window systems, without the cost or aesthetic concerns of full replacements.
-
Innovative Heat Pump Replaces Window Air Conditioners
Product Review
Gradient is introducing an integrated heat pump that fits into a window opening, but unlike a standard AC unit, it can also supply heat during winter months.
-
Energy Storage without Lithium
Product Review
Salient Energy is developing a zinc-ion battery that avoids some of the safety and supply chain concerns of current lithium-ion systems.
-
Thermal Energy Storage Increases Heat-Pump Effectiveness
Product Review
Combining water-source heat pumps and ice-based thermal storage creates a “battery” that can provide all-electric heating and cooling, even in cold climates. And it qualifies for IRA funding.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
Biophilia a Hallmark of COTE Top Ten for 2020
News Analysis
2020 AIA COTE Top Ten winners feature daylight, indoor/outdoor spaces, extensive plantings, and exposed wood.
-
How Fitwel and WELL Are Responding to COVID-19
News Analysis
WELL and Fitwel are advising everything from handwashing signage to humidification.
-
Approaches to Building Re-Entry During COVID-19
News Analysis
LEED, WELL, and AIA are all offering strategies for re-occupying buildings during COVID-19 without unduly compromising occupant health.
-
Aerosols and Micro-droplets: HVAC Approaches During COVID-19
News Analysis
Good indoor air quality will help if SARS-CoV-2 is airborne, and tried-and-true measures can get us there.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
-
The Green Building Movement Is Dead. Long Live the Green Building Movement!
Op-Ed
The green building community needs a lot more collaboration and a totally new theory of change—and we need it now.
-
“Happy” Earth Day? Here’s What Young People Think
Op-Ed
Three Millennials and ten members of Gen Z share scorching, optimistic, and skeptical thoughts about their future and the future of the planet.
-
Want to Love the Future? First, Figure Out What It Looks Like
Op-Ed
Bringing forth a habitable planet will require energy, ambition, and purpose. What will fuel this work? Not data and doomsaying—instead, imagination.
-
COP28: Noise and Progress
Op-Ed
The COP28 politics and protests were crucial, but behind the scenes, it was all about good-faith collaboration, community, and commitments.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
-
Native Landscaping for Biodiversity
Feature Article
Removal of invasive plants and support of native plantings are critically important for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
-
Native Landscaping for Biodiversity
Spotlight Report
It may take hundreds or thousands of years to return to pre-industrial-age levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, but the loss of animal and plant species that is occurring today is, practically speaking, irreversible.
-
The Beneficial Intersections of Energy, Resilience, and Health
Webcast
How can three important elements of sustainable buildings—energy efficiency, resilience, and health and wellness—be integrated for better overall outcomes?
-
Waste Not, Want Not: Case Studies of Building Material Reuse
Feature Article
Reclamation and reuse of building materials can be a tough sell and hard to design for, but many project teams have learned to make it work. Here’s how.
