Practicing ArchitectureMember Groups & Communities

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AIA Knowledge Communities

Academy of Architecture for Health
The Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) improves the quality of healthcare through design by developing, documenting, and disseminating knowledge; educating healthcare architects and other related constituencies; advancing the practice of healthcare architecture; improving the design of health care environments; affiliating and advocating with others that share our vision and promoting research.

Academy of Architecture for Justice
The AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ) promotes and fosters the exchange of information and knowledge between members, professional organizations, and the public for high-quality planning, design, and delivery of justice architecture.

Committee on Architecture for Education
The American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) connects architects and allied professionals interested in designing, building and using superior educational, cultural, and recreational facilities that meet the needs of students of all ages. AIA-CAE members educate the public about the value of quality educational facility design.

Committee on Design
The Committee on Design (COD) was founded to promote design excellence among members of the AIA, the broader design community, and the public at large, both nationally and internationally. The Committee on Design is led by a volunteer advisory group of eight architects and an adjunct leadership team of 11 additional individuals.

Committee on the Environment
The Committee on the Environment (COTE) works to advance, disseminate, and advocate—to the profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public—design practices that integrate built and natural systems and enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of the built environment. COTE serves as the community and voice on behalf of AIA architects regarding sustainable design.

Construction Contract Administration
The Construction Contract Administration Knowledge Community (CCA) has been established to help our members better understand the issues, actions and resultant impact of the decisions required in this often neglected part of Project Delivery. It is our goal to provide clear answers to issues of concern to the Institute's membership and share case studies and best practices. We further hope to provide guidance and direction in developing guidelines for new and evolving approaches to Project Delivery as well as guidance in the continuing education of our emerging young professionals.

Corporate Architects and Facility Management
The AIA Corporate Architects and Facility Management (CAFM) Knowledge Community is a partnership of owners and architects working for or within corporations or other client organizations engaging and informing its members to advance their professional goals and knowledge base. Our mission is to facilitate the generation and exchange of knowledge valuable to KC members in order to promote professional development and promote a positive impact on the built environment.

Custom Residential Architects Network
The Custom Residential Architect Network (CRAN) Knowledge Community is a resource and voice for architects who focus on a collaborative design process with the homeowner. It provides support, advocacy, and education to the profession and the public in matters of custom residential design.

Design for Aging Knowledge Community
The mission of the Design for Aging Knowledge Community (DFA) is to foster design innovation and disseminate knowledge necessary to enhance the built environment and quality of life for an aging society.

Historic Resources Committee
The mission of the Historic Resources Committee (HRC) Knowledge Community is to identify, understand, and preserve architectural heritage, both nationally and internationally.

Housing Knowledge Community
Formerly known as the Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community, this community (HKC) tracks housing issues and develops relationships with industry stakeholders to encourage and promote safe, attractive, accessible, and affordable housing for all Americans.

Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art, and Architecture
The Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA) Knowledge Community encourages and supports excellence in the design of worship spaces and their accoutrements. The IFRAA Knowledge Community is an association of professionals whose primary interest is religious facilities in a broad array of traditions.

Interior Architecture Knowledge Community
The Interior Architecture Knowledge Community (IAKC) provides leadership and expertise to practitioners of interior architecture and design.

International Program
Find news of AIA and international events of interest to professionals with an international practice and a global awareness of the architecture and the construction industry. Find links to the AIA overseas chapters; information on foreign markets, trade, practice issues; as well as conferences, awards and project opportunities.

Practice Management Knowledge Community
The Practice Management Knowledge Community (PMKC) is charged with identifying and developing information on the business of architecture for use by the profession to maintain and improve the quality of the professional and business environment.

Project Delivery Knowledge Community
Formerly known as Design-Build, the mission of the Project Delivery (PD) Knowledge Community is to accumulate and distribute knowledge about all forms of project delivery, including comparisons between delivery methods.

Public Architects Committee
The Public Architects (PA) Committee promotes excellence in public architecture and enhances the role of the public architect as an essential element in the planning, design, construction, and management of public facilities.

Regional and Urban Design
The Regional and Urban Design Committee (RUDC) aims to improve the quality of the regional and urban environment by promoting excellence in design, planning, and public policy in the built environment. This will be achieved through its member and public education, in concert with allied community and professional groups.

Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community
The Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community (REKC) fosters the creation, discussion, and dissemination of knowledge about the retail and entertainment environments among practitioners, clients, retailers, and the general public to advance the practice and improve the quality of retail and entertainment environments.

Small Project Practitioners
The Small Project Practitioners (SPP) Knowledge Community generates, collects and disseminates knowledge and wisdom on how to profitably run a small firm and how to carry out small projects that do not fit into the model of departmental production that characterizes many larger firms.

Technology in Architectural Practice
The AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community serves as a resource for AIA members, the profession, and the public in the deployment of computer technology in the practice architecture.

Technical Design Building Performance 
The goal of the Technical Design for Building Performance Knowledge Community (TDBP) is to promote architects as leaders in the application of technical design for building performance; in the use of high-performance design criteria, codes, and standards; and in programming, designing and managing building performance. To advance, disseminate, and advocate – to the architecture profession, AIA members, building owners, the construction industry, the academy, and the public – design practices that create buildings that are healthy, energy efficient, and durable.