We’ve recently added courses covering some very different parts of residential design practice — from wall bracing and remodeling workflows to short-term rentals, architectural photography, and more efficient drafting.

Here’s what’s new:

A Wall Bracing Methodology for Residential Design

Wall bracing can be one of the more complicated parts of the residential code — and it can sometimes lead to projects being sent to an engineer when a prescriptive solution may have worked.

Residential designer and former plans reviewer Seda Collier breaks IRC/ORSC Section R602.10 into a practical, repeatable process based on experience reviewing thousands of permit applications.

Using a real ADU project, the course walks through brace wall lines, required bracing lengths, continuous sheathing, connections, hold-downs, portal frames, FTAO calculations, and other considerations.

The goal: know when prescriptive wall bracing works, document it clearly, and recognize when engineering really is necessary.

Design-Build Remodeling Workflow: A Firm Case Study

What does a residential remodeling project look like from the first client inquiry all the way through construction?

Joey Martin provides a behind-the-scenes case study of one design-build firm’s complete remodeling workflow.

The course covers client qualification, documenting existing conditions, feasibility research, conceptual and detailed design, permitting, preconstruction, trade-partner coordination, construction communication, and construction administration.

Rather than presenting one “correct” way to run a firm, it gives you a real-world workflow you can compare against your own processes — and potentially borrow ideas from.

Design Solutions & Best Practices for Short-Term Vacation Rentals

Converting an existing home into a short-term rental can introduce requirements that owners — and sometimes designers — may not anticipate.

Steve Mickley shares lessons from a Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association workshop covering inspections of short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO properties.

Topics include egress, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, pool safety, electrical panels, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, occupancy information, evacuation diagrams, and other common trouble spots.

The course also includes an editable checklist you can use as a resource when working with clients.

Architectural Storytelling Through Photography

Good architectural photography shouldn’t simply show what a project looks like. It should help tell the story of the design.

ARDA-winning residential designer and contractor Roberta D’Andrea shares a practical approach to planning and capturing project photography, including choosing hero images, supporting spaces, and important details.

She also covers working with light and weather, planning shots from floor plans, reducing distorted geometry, using people for scale, editing photos without overdoing it, and getting better architectural images with equipment you may already have.

If you’re photographing projects for your website, portfolio, social media, or an ARDA submission, this course is particularly useful.

Optimizing Architectural Drafting: Templates & Collaboration

How much of your drafting process are you rebuilding every time you start a project?

This course looks at how templates, standards, and repeatable workflows can improve speed and consistency across three major platforms.

Joey Martin demonstrates Chief Architect workflows involving defaults, plan views, layer sets, schedules, and shared templates. Kevin Holdridge explores ArchiCAD/AutoCAD workflows including layers, wall types, libraries, sheets, publishing, and visualization. Benjamin Tabolt covers Revit practices such as naming conventions, template management, linked files, IFC collaboration, custom parameters, Dynamo scripting, and plugins.

Even if you don’t use all three platforms, the bigger lesson applies across drafting software: build a system once, then improve it instead of reinventing it on every project.

Ready to dig in?

Explore these courses and the rest of AIBD’s growing on-demand education catalog at AIBD.org/courses.

And remember: AIBD Professional Members receive complimentary access to most AIBD courses.

Log in to your member account before enrolling to see your available member access.