This webinar will introduce the Re-occupancy Assessment Tool, the AIA's recently published national guidance on how to reduce risk in while transitioning back to building re-occupancy after COVID-19 lockdowns. The purpose of this tool is to provide architects, private clients, and civic leaders a general framework of strategies for reoccupying buildings and businesses that are in the process of transitioning from being fully closed to fully open.

The webinar is intended to familiarize local AIA members with the document's context, approach, organization, sources of information and highlight certain building interventions for discussion. You will learn about a range of general mitigation techniques that range from programming, space planning, policies and policies, to MEP, physical barriers, furnishings, site work and more. You will also learn about general prerequisites recommended prior to reopening. Following the document's introduction, there will be a discussion about anticipating potential conflicts with other design ideals such as security and sustainability.

Finally, this webinar will allow for some Q&A and member discussion on the ideas about Bay Area-specific interventions.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the elements of the document and their value in reducing risk while operating a building during the transition phase;
2. Enhance your understanding of current rapidly-changing guidance and best practices for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 while transitioning back to work;
3. Learn a methodology for applying a hierarchy of controls intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in buildings;
4. Apply checklists from the AIA's Re-occupancy Assessment Tool to develop interventions to your buildings is reduce the spread of COVID-19;
5. Discuss which aspects of COVID-19 interventions may conflict with other long-standing design aspirations.