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.

Despite fewer permits, builders broke ground on significantly more homes in January than in the previous month.

Single-family activity saw a slight decline across all categories (permits, starts, and completions), while multi-family units (5+ units) remained a significant driver of the volume.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Natural light, height, and precise design make skylights key in homes, turning them from a simple feature into a luxury element when properly planned.

Source: The Jerusalem Post

For BIM Managers and information management professionals, this is major news. These standards define how you work, collaborate, and deliver value across the built environment.

The update focuses on a unified 9-step lifecycle process, rebranding "BIM" to "Information Management" (IM), and combining delivery and operational phases.

Source: Plannerly

Are you worried that a former employee is making a play for your client list? It’s a common fear, but the solution might not be the legal battle you’re imagining.

Source: Business of Home

As styles evolved, so did the layout of the American home, reflecting changes in family life, technology, and entertainment. Whether you’re feeling nostalgic or simply design-curious, these photos offer a fascinating window into the spaces that shaped everyday life for generations.

Source: House Beautiful

You create incredible technical drawings—floor plans, sections, elevations, millwork details—but most of that work never makes it to social media. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to transform CAD drawings into high-quality marketing content using Rayon Design

This might just be how the ARDA winners are doing it. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Source: Rayon.Design

CORRECTION!

Just a quick correction from last week's update! We had a small typo for one of our high-profile returning members.

Please join us in welcoming back:

MiTek (MO), Corporate Member, with Benjamin Tabolt as Liaison.

March 18 - Eastern Shore Chapter - 3:30 pm ET - The cool new tech and products seen (touched, knocked on, and otherwise manhandled) by Tracy Moller at the 2026 IBS in Orlando.

April 1 - Board of Directors (Virtual) 4:00 pm ET - Connect with your board members and share your insights.

April 3 - STILL NEW! AIBD Office Hour - 11:00 am ET - 60 minutes (or so) of open discussion and collaboration (Members Only)

NEW! April 25 - AIBD Connect - DC - National Building Museum, Washington, DC

May 1 - AIBD Connect - Colorado - Castle Rock, CO.

March 17 - ​High-Performance Homes Team​ - 2:00 p.m. ET (1.0 P4 CE)

NEW! March 24 - Going from the field to the desk - 2:00 pm ET - A roundtable discussion

March 31 (we messed up the date last week) - CE Watch Party - 2:00 p.m. ET - SketchUp 2026 New Features and Tutorials (1.0 P3 CE)

March 13 - Coffee with Bernie - 10:00 a.m. ET - Blending Indoor & Outdoor Spaces for Lifestyle and Climate (1.0 P3 CE)

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

AIBD Annual Conference - July 29-August 1, 2026 - Reserve your hotel room​

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

CEDIA Expo 2026 - September 1-4, 2026 - Denver, CO - Registration opens soon!​

Chief Architect - April 3, 2026 - Kitchen & Bath Boot Camp​

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

SoftPlan - March 24 – 27: 3D​​

Traditional Building Conference - March 24-25, 2026 - Salem, MA - Registration Is Still Open​

It only takes one entry to receive complimentary access to 2 hours of tips on how to put together a winning entry.

ARDA is the AIBD’s premier award program exhibiting design excellence in the residential building industry.