|
|
|
|
 |
|
News
Earth Advantage Institute Approved as AIA/CES Registered ProviderMay 04, 2009 On March 12, 2009, Earth Advantage Institute (EAI) was accepted into the award-winning American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES) as one of the organization’s newest registered providers. AIA/CES providers offer quality continuing education to AIA members and other design professionals worldwide.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a member-driven professional association. The primary goal of the Continuing Education Systems (CES) is to provide the best available professional development opportunities to industry professionals. The Oregon AIA launched a new requirement in 2009 that a minimum of 4 learning units be related specifically to sustainability. “This national approval of our education programs is indicative of the work done by our program designers and expert instruction team,” says Education Program Manager [MH1] Katie Schnepp. “The delivery of sustainable design and construction trainings is a top priority for Earth Advantage Institute.”
Regional interest in sustainability is continuing to grow, necessitating additional training for architects, designers, and builders. To date, EAI has certified nearly 10,000 houses designed using Earth Advantage® New Homes, ENERGY STAR®, or LEED® for Homes standards. Financial incentives from Energy Trust of Oregon, the state of Oregon, and Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability support sustainable design interests, but more detailed instruction is needed for implementation. With a decade of certifying homes, creating green building standards, and delivering educational courses, EAI is well-positioned to deliver high-quality, relevant technical trainings that also reward architects with learning units that meet their professional requirements.
In continuing its mission to deliver high caliber, relevant sustainable building information and practices, EAI offers the Sustainable Homes Professional (SHP) course. The SHP course provides a rigorous curriculum that offers architects, builders, remodelers, and designers the necessary strategies to achieve high performance residential construction. Six monthly 2-day sessions include interactive workshops, site visits, readings, homework, and a final project. Comprehensive training is provided on advanced building science topics, such as certification programs, integrated design, envelope performance, mechanical systems, health, materials, and resource efficiency. Students gain the technical knowledge and tools needed to implement sustainable building practices in their professions.
Thirty students graduated from the SHP course in March 2009. To meet the demand for this in-depth training, two more courses will be offered from June to November this year: one in Portland and one in Bend. Architects enrolled in the SHP course can earn up to 96 learning units for all six modules, or 16 learning units per module. Modules 2 through 5 have also been approved by AIA to award architects with Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) mandatory continuing education credits.
The ability for EAI to meet the educational needs of architects and designers is invaluable in the pursuit of promoting sustainability within the residential building industry. In addition to meeting the need for designer and architect sustainability training, the approval allows EAI to do several things: publicize its programs as registered with the AIA/CES, advertise programs in the CES Programs database on the AIA Web site, use the official AIA/CES logo to promote affiliation, be listed as a CES Provider on the AIA Web site, and attend CES Provider workshops and training programs. [MH1]Is it Education Program Manager, or Education Programs Manager?
|
|
|
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
