AIA Oregon 2025 Fire Resilience Series

AIAO Fire Resilience Series

Wildfire has long been endemic to our wild lands, especially in western states. Climate change, development patterns and other factors are increasing the threats from wildfire and wildfire smoke to our health, safety, and lives, and to our buildings and communities. This series will provide architects and other building professionals with a comprehensive overview of wildfire risks to our built environment and the design solutions to make our communities, neighborhoods, and buildings more fire resilient.

The courses will be presented weekly on Fridays at noon, starting September 26. There are a total of five main sessions, each worth 1 AIA LU|HSW apiece.

Cost for AIA Members/Allied Member/NOMA
$15 per Session, or $60 for all 5 Sessions

Cost for Non-Members
$40 per Session, or $160 for all 5 Sessions

Click on the session links below for more details

9/26/25 Session 1: Fire Resilience Challenges
1 AIA LU|HSW
Wildfires present a growing threat to buildings and communities across the country, with impacts that extend from individual structures to regional infrastructure and ecosystems. This opening session will provide an introduction to wildfire risk and set the context for the entire series. Participants will gain an understanding of the drivers of wildfire hazards, the challenges posed by policy, planning, design, and construction, and the critical role of ongoing management in maintaining resilience. The session will also review methodologies for fire resilience planning and implementation, establishing a foundation for the strategies and case studies explored in subsequent sessions. Speaker: Nate Wittasek

10/3/25 Session 2: Lessons Learned from Lahaina and LA
1 AIA LU|HSW
The 2023 Lahaina fire and the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires shocked the nation with their intensity and devastation. This session will examine the key factors that made these events so destructive, including environmental conditions, community patterns, and building vulnerabilities. Participants will learn about the commonalities and differences between the two fires, how fire pathways penetrated the built environment, and what these events reveal about resilience planning. The session will highlight strategies architects and planners can apply to reduce conflagration risks and strengthen the interface between communities and adjacent wildlands. Speaker: Evan Sluter

10/10/25 Class 3 - Session 3: Living with Wildfire Smoke
1 AIA LU|HSW
The smoke from wildfires can impact air quality thousands of miles from their source. In addition to elevated particulate matter, wildfire smoke contains volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and other substances that are hazardous to our health and have been shown to exacerbate numerous chronic and acute medical conditions. Poor ambient air quality can quickly translate to unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ). This session will discuss building and mechanical system design and operational strategies for new and existing buildings to protect IAQ during outdoor air quality hazard events and will introduce new standards and publicly available information to guide these solutions. Speaker: Kameron Beeks, PE

10/17/25 Session 4: Fire Resistive Design for Commercial and Multi-family Structures
1 AIA LU|HSW
While defensible space and WUI guidelines are well established for homes, recent wildfires in Oregon, California, and beyond have revealed critical vulnerabilities in commercial and multi-family buildings. This session will explore fire-resistive construction approaches tailored to larger structures, addressing common design configurations, vented rainscreen vulnerabilities, and code-driven solutions. Both new construction and retrofit strategies will be considered. The session will also highlight the often-overlooked risk of flooding after fire, where vegetation loss and terrain changes significantly increase runoff and debris flow. Participants will gain insight into how design, codes, and planning can work together to reduce both primary and secondary hazards and improve long-term community resilience. Speaker: Jacob Kwiatkowski

10/24/25 Session 5: Summary Panel
1 AIA LU|HSW
The wildfire resilience series concludes with an interactive panel discussion featuring all session presenters. This culminating session will synthesize the major insights from the case studies, technical strategies, and design approaches explored throughout the series. Panelists will highlight cross-cutting themes such as the role of codes and standards, lessons learned from recent wildfire events, and the importance of aligning resilience strategies with broader goals for sustainability, health, and community safety. Guided by a facilitator, the discussion will emphasize practical applications for architects and provide an opportunity for participants to pose questions, share experiences, and consider how wildfire resilience can be integrated into their own projects and practices.

AIA Oregon Fellows: Tee Off for a Cause at the Chris White Golf Tournament

The annual Chris White Golf Tournament on September 19 is more than just a day on the links; it's an opportunity for AIA Oregon Fellows to connect, celebrate, and give back to the future of our profession. We invite you to join us at the beautiful Langdon Farms Golf Club for a day dedicated to camaraderie and supporting the Chris White Memorial Scholarship.

2024 Scholarship Recipient Savannah Sinowitz

This isn't your typical tournament. It's a chance to step away from the daily demands of your practice and reconnect with fellow architects in a relaxed, scenic setting. Share stories and insights with peers who have shaped the architectural landscape of our state, all while enjoying some friendly competition. Your participation directly benefits the Chris White Memorial Scholarship fund, funding the next generation of architects and helping them realize their dreams. These scholarships are vital for inspiring future leaders and ensuring a vibrant future for our field.

We know your time is valuable. That’s why we’ve designed this event to be both rewarding and efficient. Whether you play as an individual, with a partner, or as a foursome, you'll be contributing to a cause that directly impacts the growth and success of architecture in Oregon. Your presence not only honors the legacy of Chris White, a beloved mentor and leader in our community, but also reinforces your commitment to nurturing the very best of our profession.

Join us on September 19 at Langdon Farms. It’s a day to play, connect, and invest in the future of Oregon architecture.

Upcoming Digital "Understanding the 2025 OEESC" Series

Presented by Eric Hall and Yasmeen Sudareswaran of Eric Hall Architects, these courses are developed by architects to tackle our as yet unknown challenges with the new 2025 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code (OEESC).  Join us as we discover the intricacies together. This series intends to take a very Architecture-centric approach to the new changes in the Energy Code as the central organizer of the coursework, designed around Com-Check’s process to help us build in-house expertise and reduce the need to rely on outside consultants.

This is not a broad overview, but a step-by-step, in-the-trenches series of coursework to share what we understand about how new code standards will be applied to each commercial project. While we may not have all the answers as we collectively navigate these changes, your participation should significantly advance your understanding and preparedness.

The courses will be presented weekly on Fridays at noon, with a two week break in August. There are a total of five main sessions, each worth 1 AIA LU|HSW apiece, with a bonus workshop at the end, where participants can put what they’ve learned into practice. Please note: If you end up having to miss a session, the recording will be available for you (but you will not get the CE for that session).

Registration is now closed.

Cost for the Five Course Series + Bonus Workshop
Includes 6 Hours of AIA LU|HSW
AIA and NOMA members - $125

Cost for the Five Course Series + Bonus Workshop
Includes 6 Hours of AIA LU|HSW
Non-Members - $225

7/25/25 Class 1 - Framework
1 AIA LU|HSW
This first session will focus on helping participants understand and navigate through the updated COMcheck tool, which reflects the new standards. You’ll learn how to use COMcheck to organize and evaluate energy code compliance requirements, laying the groundwork for future sessions which will explore areas of thermal bridging, air barrier, and energy credits. The course will also provide an overview of key changes in ASHRAE 90.1 2022, with a focus on how they influence design decisions and project documentation.

8/1/25 Class 2 - Building Insulating Enclosure + Thermal Bridging
1 AIA LU|HSW
This second session will focus on understanding the new thermal bridging requirements and how to evaluate them using COMcheck. Our guest instructor will be Dave Young from RDH Building Science, Inc. Participants will learn about Psi and Chi factors, their role in envelope performance, and how they affect early design decisions and documentation. The course will also demonstrate methods for documenting compliance with thermal bridging requirements in COMcheck.

8/8/25 Class 3 - Air Barrier
1 AIA LU|HSW
This third session will focus on air barrier compliance, with an emphasis on documentation strategies and performance thresholds. Participants will learn how to demonstrate air barrier compliance using COMcheck and how envelope intersections play a key role in successful detailing and code approval.

8/15/25 Class 4 - Energy Credits
1 AIA LU|HSW
This fourth session will explore the newly required energy credits and how they can be managed through COMcheck. Participants will learn how to document energy credits based on project-specific decisions and gain insights into how credits influence early design strategy and coordination between architects and contractors/consultants.

9/5/25 Class 5 - Low Hanging Fruit and Strategies
1 AIA LU|HSW
This fifth session takes a practical look at selecting and documenting the most achievable (“low-hanging fruit”) energy credits. Participants will also receive a sample project scenario to be used to test attendees understanding of the new 2025 COMcheck.

9/12/25 Bonus Session 6 - Final Assembly of a Sample Project in COMcheck
1 AIA LU|HSW

This final session provides participants an opportunity to review and evaluate content from previous sessions using their completed COMcheck sample project. Projects will be discussed as a group to highlight different approaches, strategies, and areas of challenge. The session will also create space for discussion around the feasibility of current code requirements, as well as, opportunities for expanded design options for architects.