The AIA's eClassroom posted six new seminars October 16, each drawn from some of the most popular seminars hosted at this year's national AIA convention in Denver. With topics ranging from sustainable design to the art of listening, the new courses are:

1. The Green Future (Course number S47)
The integration of sustainable design throughout Europe is reputed to be far ahead of the movement in the United States. In the U.S., buildings are designed to meet the latest codes and cost trends but are only beginning to include design-decision criteria for environmental and health analysis. Through case studies, you'll learn about significant U.S. projects that break new ground and celebrate green design. Course presenters are Ted Halsey, AIA, Anderson Mason Dale Architects; Mark Husser, Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum, Inc.; Ron Judkoff, director of the Buildings and Thermal Systems Center, National Renewable Energy Lab; Mahadev Raman, Ove Arup & Partners Consulting Engineers PC; and Debra Yap, General Services Administration director of environmental business strategies. The course's learning objectives include:
• How, when, and where to incorporate sustainable goals, processes, and methods
• How to gauge client opportunities and needs and couple them with the appropriate sustainable-integrated solutions for maximum benefit
• When to engage specialists to shape the building and select the components and systems.

2. The State of Suburbia: A Call to Action (Course number S91)
Runaway growth of housing developments across the country makes it time to reimagine the whole development process. We need to rethink what is important for the quality of our lives as well as the legacy we're creating for our grandchildren. Sarah Susanka, AIA, principal of Susanka Studios and author of The Not So Big House and Creating the Not So Big House, presents the course. She will show you how to:
• Rethink how architects' roles and responsibilities are defined
• Understand the leadership role architects can play in making better living environments
• Develop a network of like-minded professionals across the nation
• Envision a new way of bringing good design to the residential marketplace.

3. The Fair Housing Amendments Act Accessibility Guidelines: Changes, Settlements, and Details (Course number S102)
The Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988 requires all new, covered multifamily housing to comply with accessibility guidelines. This seminar addresses the application of FHAA and ADA to housing projects, common design and construction errors, and risks in particular design decisions. Course presenters are Mark J. Mazz, AIA, U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and Sunny Pietrafesa, Esq., trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice Housing & Civil Enforcement Section. This course will enable you to:
• Learn specifics about the seven requirements of the FHAA guidelines
• Understand the differences and similarities between the ADA and the FHAA
• Be able to make more prudent design decisions when the guidelines are not explicit.

4. Architecture as Performance Art II-The Art of Listening (Course number S122)
Many people lack the active listening tools to help them discover their clients' needs. This program will help you develop strategies for getting more useful information from all your face-to-face interactions. David Greusel, AIA, HOK Venue—who has over 22 years of experience in every major role in architectural practice plus 25 years of experience in the performing arts, including roles in musical comedies, drama, television, and radio—is the course presenter. The program will discuss:
• The difference between hearing and listening
• Techniques to aid retention and recall
• How to negotiate by asking questions
• The difference between qualitative and quantitative listening
• Identifying the five greatest obstacles to good listening and how to overcome them.

5. State Adoption of Smart Codes and the Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings (Course number S144)
Smart codes guide the renovation and rehabilitation of existing properties, which sometimes places them at odds with today's building codes for new construction. As a result, many states and municipalities are considering the adoption of smart codes. Presenting the course are David S. Collins, FAIA, president of the Preview Group, Inc., and manager of the AIA's Code Advocacy program; Mark J. Mazz, AIA, U.S. Department of Justice, accessible design specialist; Lawrence G. Perry, AIA, CBO, an architect and codes consultant based in Silver Spring, Md.; and John N. Terry, supervisor, Code Assistance Unit, State of New Jersey. Through this course, you will:
• Learn about the benefits of smart codes and the current status of code-development efforts
• Examine the obstacles to rehabilitative efforts presented by traditional building codes
• Learn about current smart-code adoption trends and how these developments affect the implementation of the ICC International Building Code.

6. If You Watch Them Build It, They May Sue (Course number S154)
Make reasonable assessments of whether the risk of a particular course of conduct during construction administration is warranted in light of the potential reward to the project and the firm. Course presenters are Gunther O. Carrle, Esq., and Bruce D. Lombardo, Esq., Powell, Trachtman, Logan, Carrle Bowman & Lombardo, P.C., Attorneys at Law. Through this course, you will learn:
• How to analyze the risks and benefits associated with fulfilling construction administration duties
• Techniques for controlling and minimizing construction administration risks
• The basics for developing an effective in-house training program for a firm's construction administration team.

The six courses each carry two AIA/CES learning-unit hours, which encompass the time required to take the course and complete the quiz. For AIA members, the eClassroom system automatically notifies the AIA/CES record keepers of the earned learning units. A printed transcript is available for nonmembers. Five of the new courses cover health, safety, and welfare topics. (Almost all state licensing boards accept AIA CES credits, but, as always, check with your individual state board for particulars.)

The cost for each course is $99.95 for AIA members and $149.95 for nonmembers. To learn more, see the entire range of courses, or sign up for a seminar, click here. The site also offers four free courses on security design, three of which offer LUs, and a free eight-minute demo featuring Michael Graves, FAIA, and Daniel Libeskind, so you can see how an eClassroom program works and make sure your computer equipment is compatible.

Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.