Portland, Or.
Directed Energy
Energy may be “eternal delight,” as William Blake observed, but it is also an urgent matter for architects. AIA Portland, BetterBricks, AIA Seattle, and Architecture 2030, launched the AIA+2030 Professional Series this month, a yearlong continuing education course that will cover climate-responsive design, passive systems, thermal envelopes, and renewable-energy sources (among other topics). A new installment will be offered on the second Friday of each month (skipping August) at Portland’s Center for Architecture throughout 2012.
Learn more at aiaportland.org.

South Bend, In.
All Together Now
One out of every seven people around the world (more than 977 million and counting) live in substandard and unsafe urban housing. Since the laconic phrase “21st-century city” has prompted the hope and ire of soothsayer pundits lately, the University of Notre Dame is holding an innovative competition centered on raising the standard of urban living. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, Shelters for All organizers seek entries that are disaster-resistant, scalable, and sustainable—but with a twist: The proposals must incorporate crowdsourcing.
Learn more and view the winners at sheltersforall.org.

Washington, D.C.
Twelve Is the New Eight
Big changes are happening in continuing education. Beginning this year, and in line with most state licensing requirements, AIA members are required to complete 12 hours of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) education—up from eight hours last year—as part of the total 18 hours of continuing education for the calendar year. AIA members will no longer be able to self-report HSW courses for credit; registered CES providers will do all of the reporting instead. In 2012, the AIA Board will also reevaluate the sustainable-design (SD) requirements.
Learn more at aia.org/education.

Allentown, Pa.
21 Club
City 21: Multiple Perspectives on Urban Futures is a film series about moving forward. But it’s also a series that asks if we can apply the lessons of biospheric design, successful city plans, and a “green” economy (among other things) to make a difference. Directed by Allentown, Pa–based Christopher Zelov and sponsored by the AIA, City 21 debuted nationally on PBS last month.
Learn more at pbs.org or city21.info.