November 10, 2025, Edition

Ignite your mind and improve the way you are #CreatingWherePeopleLive

This weekly newsletter

is created by and for those designing homes in North America.

Its editorial staff is the American Institute of Building Design, Inc., the premier association of residential design professionals.

Here's what you get:

Field Notes
Nuts & Bolts
Highlights
Workshops & Gatherings
What We're Up To
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Let's dive in.

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Field Notes

Are We Already in a Housing Recession—and Is the Fed Just Gaslighting Us?

Is the U.S. already in a housing recession? Are the Federal Reserve's high interest rates a mistake, or a deliberate strategy designed to hurt first-time buyers and force many into permanent rental status? Are digital currencies and tighter asset controls part of a larger plan for economic control? Find out what this means for your financial future and how to prepare for further instability.

Source: De-Dollarize News

Read (3 min)

New Pro Codes Act Says Safety Standards Written into Law Must Be Free to Read Online—But There’s a Catch

The Pro Codes Act aims to balance public access with the funding needs of organizations that create essential technical standards incorporated into law. It amends the copyright law to require that standards referenced in federal, state, or local regulations be made publicly accessible online for free by the copyright holder. Furthermore, the Act mandates a study by the Comptroller General to assess the financial impact of these referenced standards on government budgets.

Source: PolicyBrief.co

Read (2 min)

Are your clients asking for Lego Lairs?

Last week, the Wall Street Journal wrote about a recent trend where adult Lego enthusiasts are transforming their homes—often by tearing down walls—to create bespoke rooms for expansive Lego cities and elaborate themed displays.
We then located a more pertinent article, architecturally speaking, which, crucially, did not require a subscription.

Source: Board & Vellum

Read (3 min)

Nuts & Bolts

Top 10 tips on how to create a stunning architectural drawing.

Illustrator Demi Lang knows a thing or two about creating a stunning work of art. Her passion for architecture and her ability to render it using ink and colored pencils have garnered her quite a following. Luckily, she's also equally passionate about sharing her knowledge

Source: My Modern Met

Read (5 min)

Highlights

Welcome New Members

And those returning

R. Gray Harris (NC) Professional

Nicolas R Ream (MT) Professional

Humbert Cabrera (CA) Professional

AIBD Roster

Thanks for Referring AIBD

This week's movers and shakers:

Congratulations, Daniel Doyle, on becoming a member of the Compass Club! 🎉🥳 And thanks for referring a new Professional member!

Learn About the Compass Club

CPBD Anniversaries

Congratulations to those celebrating the anniversary of their certification this month.

A special congratulations to...
Dwight Miller CPBD (PA) for celebrating 30 years!

Johnny Moore, CPBD (FL), Jim DeGolier, CPBD (WA), Roger Cerasoli, Jr., CPBD (GA), and John Arthur Anderson, CPBD (WA) for celebrating 20 years!

Robert James Faust, CPBD (TX), for celebrating 10 years!

Luis Alvear, CPBD (TX), Suzie Segerstrom, CPBD (TX), and (OK), who are all celebrating 5 years!

🎊🎉

Thank you for your expertise, commitment, and passion for enriching our field and setting a high standard for those who follow in your footsteps.

VIew All of This Month's Anniversaries

Workshops & Gatherings

AIBD Chapters, Boards, and Councils

Click the links to view the topics and add to your calendar.

November 18 - National Council of Building Designer Certification (Virtual) 11:00 am ET.

November 19 - Western North Carolina (Virtual) 10:30 am ET

November 19 - Eastern Shore Chapter (Virtual) 3:30 pm ET.

December 3 - Board of Directors (Virtual) 4:00 pm ET

The Full Calendar

AIBD Webinars

November 13 - 3:00 pm ET - How leading firms use AEC-specific AI to streamline project work (1.0 P3-CE)

Training Events

Hosted By AIBD CE Providers

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

Chief Architect's Residential Boot Camp - November 14, 2025, Kitchen & Baths Boot Camp - November 21.

Design+Build Cleveland - July 29-August 1, 2026

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

SoftPlan - Virtual training dates

SBCA - Components Craft - February 24-25, 2026 - Austin, TX. - Information

Traditional Building Conference - March 24-25, 2026 - Salem, MA - Registration opens January 6

What We're Up to

AIBD Board of Directors Supports the Pro Codes Act and Expands the Recruiting Awards

During last week’s monthly meeting, the Board of Directors officially voted to support the Pro Codes Act.

They also announced an update to the "Bill Ding Membership Award." Now, by recruiting five new Associate members, you can earn a free year of Professional membership for yourself.

The full agenda, committee reports, and motions

Have a triumphant week.

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One more thing—we want to lead with transparency. AI was most likely used to complete this post in one way or another. Don't blame the technology if you find a mistake; in most cases, our emails are written by humans and AI-supported. Now and then, they are AI-generated and human-edited. Both humans and AI still make mistakes.

American Institute of Building Design (AIBD)

Are your clients asking for Lego Lairs? [Monday Minute]