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.

Discover the lasting legacy of the celebrated architect Frank Gehry, known for his imaginative, deconstructivist masterpieces like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. This obituary highlights his Pritzker Prize-winning career and his dedication to his creative vision, which continued into his 90s.

Source: AP

What does 2026 hold for your firm? The latest forecast reveals that while many homeowners are waiting for lower rates, the initial 'thaw' in home investment and building product spending will be led by top-income households finally tackling their long-deferred remodeling projects. Get the full breakdown.

Source: BUILDER

Get ready to look at phi ~ 1.62 in a new light, as this article debunks the myths, revealing the Golden Ratio's true, awesome nature as the 'most irrational' number and how it perfectly governs the seed-placement geometry in a sunflower.

Source: Popular Mechanics

Architects, along with several careers including other nursing and accounting, will not be considered as "professional degrees," which reduces the loans available to architecture students in the USA.

Source: New York Times

You know firsthand that excessive regulation drives up costs, pricing families out of new homes. This piece from Representative Pete Sessions details the House Republican plan to aggressively cut the red tape, including restrictive zoning and mandates

Source: U.S. House Committee on Financial Services

Discover the new generation of cloud-based CAD platforms, which unify drawing, documentation, and client presentations into one seamless environment, and see how AI integration is making complex tasks like CAD block creation and data specification truly effortless.

Source: Arch Daily

David Hopp, CPBD, Tahoe Luxury Home Design (CA) Professional

Kevin Coker, CPBD, (WA) Professional

A special congratulations to...
​Susan F. Lei CPBD | 10-258 | FL | who is 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.

December 10 - Tri-State OKI Chapter (Virtual) - 10:00 am ET- Discussion: Design Trends for 2026 - 10:00 am ET

NEW! December 17 - Eastern Shore Chapter (Virtual) 3:30 pm ET - Discussion: Best practices for taking architectural photos and video

January 7 - Board of Directors (Virtual) 4:00 pm ET

February 17 - National Council of Building Designer Certification (Virtual) 11:00 am ET.

December 9 - QuickTie Products-High Wind and Seismic Tie Down System - 2:00 p.m. ET (1.0 P4 CE)

Sponsored By:

NEW! December 11 - 3:00 pm ET - Members Helping Members Roundtable (1.0 Elective CE) - Submit your question(s) anonymously in advance

December 18 - 2:00 pm ET - Building Resilient Residences: The Art and Science of Rain Screens and Continuous Insulation (1.0 P4-CE)

Sponsored by:

December 12 - Coffee with Bernie - 10:00 a.m. ET - Navigating Retirement: Planning for Your Future in Residential Design (1.0 P2-CE)

December 16 - High-Performance Homes Team - Are appraisers recognizing the value of sustainable features? - 2:00 p.m. ET (1.0 P4 CE)

NEW! December 30 - CE Watch Party - 2:00 p.m. ET - Tradition Redefined: Designing Through the Decades (1.0 P3-CE)

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

NEW! AirVent Attic Ventilation: Ask the Expert™ Seminar Schedule - In-person events - Schedule & Registration​

AIBD Connect - Florida - January 16, Sanford, Florida. Schedule & Registration.

Chief Architect Virtual Training- January 7-16, 2025

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​

The AIBD Board of Directors successfully concluded its monthly meeting on December 3, 2025, approving the following items:

• The Board approved the proposal to exhibit at the International Builders' Show (IBS), offering the association valuable visibility and networking opportunities.
• A proposal concerning the streaming service Shelter was approved.
• The Board has also approved the proposal for the 2026 NAHB Chairman Kickoff Event.