Here's what you get:

• Field Notes
• Nuts & Bolts
• Highlights
• Workshops & Gatherings
• What We're Up To
• Amazing sponsors who help keep this newsletter free for the industry.

Let's dive in.

The Department of Energy is pouring massive R&D into a single goal: cutting home retrofit costs by 50%.

Here is what small residential design firms need to know to leverage these emerging solutions, streamline remodeling workflows, and future-proof their project scopes.

Source: US Department of Energy

Climate shifts, power outages, and soaring energy costs are pushing client demands far beyond standard building codes. Discover how small-firm residential designers can leverage practical, high-performance details.

Source: Fine Homebuilding

For a micro-business or solo residential designer, extreme permitting delays hit where it hurts most: cash flow and client management.

A major new study reveals that between 30% and 43% of the gap between fast and slow housing completions comes down purely to permit processing times—not actual construction

Source: The Argument

For a small residential design studio—whether you operate as a solo practitioner with a couple of drafters or run a lean, multi-person firm—HR compliance often feels like secondary overhead compared to client deliverables and project deadlines. However, operating without written guidelines leaves a micro-business vulnerable in critical operational areas

Source: Small Business Exchange

Chrisha Potter, Potter Plans (TX), Professional Member

Stan R Hall, Hall Drafting & Design (ID), Professional Member

Rod C West (MI), Professional Member

Ryan LaHaie, 42 North - Architecture + Design (MI), Professional Member

Winford Jones, Solare Design Build (UT), Professional Member

Robert Lingo, Studio Lingo (DE), Professional Member

October 2 - AIBD Office Hour (Virtual) - 11:00 am ET - 60 minutes (or so) of open discussion and collaboration (Members Only)

October 7 - Board of Directors - everyone welcome!

New! October 24 - Eastern Shore Chapter - 11:30 am ET - AIBD Connect MD - Ledge House: A Private Tour

November 17 - National Council of Building Designer Certification (NCBDC) quarterly meeting

RSVP Now! February 2, 2027 - AIBD's Viva Las Pizza Party (In Person) - Las Vegas, NV - 5:30 to 8:00 pm

September 29 - CE Watch Party - 2:00 p.m. ET (45 min) - Discover the Future of Solar Roofing (1.0 P4-CE)

October 8 - 3:00 pm ET - Hiring Your First Employee: What You Need to Know (1.0 P1 CE) - Sponsored by Griffin Resources, LLC​

October 9 - Coffee with Bernie - 10:00 a.m. ET - A virtual Tour of the Best Architectural Haunted Houses in America (1.0 Elective CE)

October 22 - Members Helping Members - 3:00 pm ET - Designer Docs: What I've done to the Agreement for Building Design Services (1.0 P1 CE)

October 20 - ​High-Performance Homes Team​ - 2:00 p.m. ET

AEC Daily - ​Look for in-person and virtual events.

AIBD 2027 Annual Conference - Save the Dates: July 28-31, 2027 - Williamsburg, VA

Green Home Institute - ​Look for in-person and virtual events.

International Builders Show - February 2-4, 2027 - Registration is open.

NADRA Summit - March 3-5 at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village. Cape Coral, FL

NAHB Fall Leadership Meeting - October 6-8, 2026, Detroit, MI - Registration is open!​

SelectSIPs Expo and Annual Meeting 2027 - March 8-9, 2027 - Phoenix, AZ - Registration is Open!​

SoftPlan - Virtual & On-Demand Training​

Traditional Building Conference - November 3-4, 2026 - Charleston, SC. Registration is Open​

Our updated SEO for Residential Designers guide explains how to connect your online presence with the work you actually want. It covers local searches, project portfolios, service pages, stock house plans, and ways to measure whether your efforts are working.

Use it to answer a specific question or work through it from the beginning. It’s available to everyone.